July 4th 2010 marks the centennial celebration of when the first Black Heavyweight Champion of the World defiantly turned back the challenge of the initial ‘great white hope’ in ‘The Fight Of The Century’ at Reno, Nevada.
While most of ‘white’ Amerikkka celebrated their ‘independence’, Jack Johnson crashed their parade by knocking out their latest challenge to his throne, in the 15th round of a scheduled 45 round bout.
Ever since beating Tommy Burns in Australia on December 26th 1908, the Caucasian establishment had been regretting that opportunity, which Johnson earned by thoroughly dominating the best competition of his day, and were seeking a formidable foe to defeat him.
“I never doubted the issue from the beginning. I knew I was too good for Burns. I have forgotten more about fighting than Burns ever knew!” bragged Johnson.
Prior to Johnson defeating the “Little Giant” from Canada, no other Black man had been allowed to challenge for the coveted crown because Caucasoids feared that their myth of being ‘mighty whitey’ would be crushed by any man containing substantial amounts of melanin.
Previously, Black men had been shut out of the race for the Heavyweight Championship by the ‘white’ power structure. With Johnson’s win over Burns, they were now seeking someone who would dethrone the Galveston Giant, and they thought they had found their man when the undefeated former champ James J. Jeffries decided to come out of retirement and challenge Johnson. How wrong they were.
While Jeffries previously had sat on the heavyweight throne he ducked Johnson, refusing to grant him an opportunity at the crown, but now that the “Galveston Giant” was calling the shots the “Boiler Maker” felt that he owed it to his people to step up…
“I feel obligated to the sporting public at least to make an effort to reclaim the Heavyweight Championship for the white race. . . I should step into the ring again and demonstrate that a white man is king of them all,” arrogantly proclaimed Jeffries during training for the fight.
Johnson, 208lbs, proved to be too agile, nimble and strong for the rigid Jeffries, 227lbs, thoroughly outclassing him throughout the bout, dropping him twice before knocking him out at 2:20 of the 15th round, in front of 20,000 spectators. He earned $65,000 for his effort and refortified the pride of his people by successfully defending his championship.
Johnson’s victory uplifted the morale of most Amerikkkanized-Afrikans who were not that far removed from physical slavery, yet were still enduring the racist Jim Crow Laws of that time period. The win inspired many as they celebrated jubilantly with public parties and parades.
The win also ignited race-riots as racist white people across the country were incensed that their great white hope had been so soundly thrashed by a Black man, thus dashing their dreams. Some angry, jealous Caucasians attacked those who were celebrating.
It was reported that 23 Amerikkkanized-Afrikans and 2 Caucasoids were killed, and hundreds were injured during the rioting. Congress eventually passed an act banning the inter-state transport of the fight films for fear that the footage of Johnson pounding Jeffries would provoke further unrest.
“I made a lot of mistakes out of the ring, but I never made any in it.” – Jack Johnson
“Johnson in many ways is an embodiment of the Afrikan-Amerikkkan struggle to be truly free in this country — economically, socially and politically,” stated film-maker Ken Burns – producer of “Unforgivable Blackness” a biographical documentary about Johnson.
“He absolutely refused to play by the rules set by the white establishment, or even those of the Black community. In that sense, he fought for freedom not just as a Black man, but as an individual.”
“He wouldn’t let anybody define him,” James Earl Jones claimed in the “Unforgivable Blackness.” “He was a self-defined man. And this issue of his being Black was not that relevant to him. But the issue of his being free was very relevant!”
