livius drusus
01-21-2005, 03:29 PM
PBS is airing a new documentary by Ken Burns (http://www.pbs.org/unforgivableblackness/about/) about the first black Heavyweight Champion of the World, Jack Johnson. I missed the first airing but am definitely catching the reruns this weekend as it looks like a fascinating study of an extraordinary person as well as of race, sex, sports, journalism, popular culture and probably about 20 more things I don't know about yet, in turn of the century America.
A few excerpts from the PBS description:
Johnson was persistent in challenging James J. Jeffries — the heavyweight champion at the time, who was considered by many to be the greatest heavyweight in history — for a shot at the title. For 14 years, Johnson had made a name for himself as well as a considerable amount of money with his ability to beat black and white opponents with shocking ease. Jeffries, however, refused to fight a black boxer and instead decided to retire undefeated.
His victory spurred a search among whites for a "great white hope" who could beat Johnson and win back the title. They finally found him in Johnson's old nemesis, Jim Jeffries, who decided to return from retirement and give Johnson the fight he had always wanted.
The Johnson-Jeffries fight, dubbed the "Battle of the Century," took place on July 4, 1910, in Reno, Nevada. Johnson knocked out Jeffries in the 15th round. Johnson's victory sparked a wave of nationwide race riots across in which numerous African-Americans died. Newspaper editorials warned Johnson and the black community not to be too proud. Congress eventually passed an act banning the interstate transport of fight films for fear that the images of Johnson beating his white opponents would provoke further unrest.
In 1913, Johnson was convicted of violating the Mann Act. His former lover, Belle Schreiber, testified against him. Even at the time it was widely thought to be a sham trial, with the prosecutor himself saying after the verdict, "This Negro, in the eyes of many, has been persecuted. Perhaps as an individual he was. But it was his misfortune to be the foremost example of the evil in permitting the intermarriage of whites and blacks."
Here's (http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/wail1100_tracy.htm) a review of Johnson's boxing skills and style, just to give you some idea of what a fighter he was.
Johnson began a fight extremely cautious, quiet, and on the defensive (unless forced otherwise). As he slowly and surely turned the tide of battle his way, he became more aggressive and destructive in his style of fighting and abusive with his tongue. He preferred to “punish” his man rather than knock him out.
Jack gave the impression of holding back during a fight, never going all out, and never pushing to the limit. “Dumb” Dan Morgan said, “I had the feeling he could demolish an opponent any time he chose.”
Yes, he could get rough if he wanted. He cracked “Fireman” Jim Flynn’s jaw, broke Stanley Ketchel’s teeth off at the gum, and flattened Bob Fitzsimmons and left him glassy eyed and mumbling to himself. He “beat up” Sam Langford, breaking his nose in the process, and left an old Jim Jeffries in a battered heap.
He knocked Marvin Hart out of the ring, and knocked Tommy Burns down twice in the first two rounds, broke his nose, and then taunted him for the next twelve rounds before he got bored and finished him off.
Here's (http://www.alternet.org/movies/21025/) an Editor & Publisher article about the documentary and the racist press coverage of Johnson at the time.
An E&P search found that The New York Times, in a May 12, 1910, editorial previewing that fight, wrote, “If the black man wins thousands and thousands of his ignorant brothers will misinterpret his victory as justifying claims to much more than mere physical equality with their white neighbors.”
On July 5, 1910, the day after the Jeffries fight, a cartoon in the Chicago Tribune pictured a Johnson fan as "Sambo" happily ordering a big meal. A editorial in that paper the same day called the champ "Little Arthur Johnson, a perfect specimen of smoked American." His victory had "made it necessary for us to look to intellectual employments for the racial superiority in the sensations of which we luxuriate."
A day earlier, an article in the paper had warned that a Jackson win would encourage blacks to challenge the "power" of whites.
Anyway, I'm all over this, in case that wasn't obvious. Has anyone watched it yet or planned to watch it?
A few excerpts from the PBS description:
Johnson was persistent in challenging James J. Jeffries — the heavyweight champion at the time, who was considered by many to be the greatest heavyweight in history — for a shot at the title. For 14 years, Johnson had made a name for himself as well as a considerable amount of money with his ability to beat black and white opponents with shocking ease. Jeffries, however, refused to fight a black boxer and instead decided to retire undefeated.
His victory spurred a search among whites for a "great white hope" who could beat Johnson and win back the title. They finally found him in Johnson's old nemesis, Jim Jeffries, who decided to return from retirement and give Johnson the fight he had always wanted.
The Johnson-Jeffries fight, dubbed the "Battle of the Century," took place on July 4, 1910, in Reno, Nevada. Johnson knocked out Jeffries in the 15th round. Johnson's victory sparked a wave of nationwide race riots across in which numerous African-Americans died. Newspaper editorials warned Johnson and the black community not to be too proud. Congress eventually passed an act banning the interstate transport of fight films for fear that the images of Johnson beating his white opponents would provoke further unrest.
In 1913, Johnson was convicted of violating the Mann Act. His former lover, Belle Schreiber, testified against him. Even at the time it was widely thought to be a sham trial, with the prosecutor himself saying after the verdict, "This Negro, in the eyes of many, has been persecuted. Perhaps as an individual he was. But it was his misfortune to be the foremost example of the evil in permitting the intermarriage of whites and blacks."
Here's (http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/wail1100_tracy.htm) a review of Johnson's boxing skills and style, just to give you some idea of what a fighter he was.
Johnson began a fight extremely cautious, quiet, and on the defensive (unless forced otherwise). As he slowly and surely turned the tide of battle his way, he became more aggressive and destructive in his style of fighting and abusive with his tongue. He preferred to “punish” his man rather than knock him out.
Jack gave the impression of holding back during a fight, never going all out, and never pushing to the limit. “Dumb” Dan Morgan said, “I had the feeling he could demolish an opponent any time he chose.”
Yes, he could get rough if he wanted. He cracked “Fireman” Jim Flynn’s jaw, broke Stanley Ketchel’s teeth off at the gum, and flattened Bob Fitzsimmons and left him glassy eyed and mumbling to himself. He “beat up” Sam Langford, breaking his nose in the process, and left an old Jim Jeffries in a battered heap.
He knocked Marvin Hart out of the ring, and knocked Tommy Burns down twice in the first two rounds, broke his nose, and then taunted him for the next twelve rounds before he got bored and finished him off.
Here's (http://www.alternet.org/movies/21025/) an Editor & Publisher article about the documentary and the racist press coverage of Johnson at the time.
An E&P search found that The New York Times, in a May 12, 1910, editorial previewing that fight, wrote, “If the black man wins thousands and thousands of his ignorant brothers will misinterpret his victory as justifying claims to much more than mere physical equality with their white neighbors.”
On July 5, 1910, the day after the Jeffries fight, a cartoon in the Chicago Tribune pictured a Johnson fan as "Sambo" happily ordering a big meal. A editorial in that paper the same day called the champ "Little Arthur Johnson, a perfect specimen of smoked American." His victory had "made it necessary for us to look to intellectual employments for the racial superiority in the sensations of which we luxuriate."
A day earlier, an article in the paper had warned that a Jackson win would encourage blacks to challenge the "power" of whites.
Anyway, I'm all over this, in case that wasn't obvious. Has anyone watched it yet or planned to watch it?