Boxer Jack Johnson was an unapologetic, heroic trendsetter

Editor’s Note: The Sentinel sports staff is putting together a summer series looking at the legacies of the most influential African-American athletes in history. Today: Jack Johnson.

Famed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns said of boxing legend Jack Johnson, "For more than 13 years, Jack Johnson was the most famous and the most notorious African-American on Earth."

With a description like that, there ought to be quite a legacy behind it.

And what a legacy it is.

From 1908 to 1915, Johnson was the first African-American world heavyweight champion of the world. Johnson overcame serious trials and tribulations related to racism in America, becoming a Black boxing hero in the process.

Johnson, born on March 31, 1978, in Galveston, Texas, was the first of nine children, and his parents were former slaves. He had a relatively-racism free childhood.

"As I grew up, the white boys were my friends and my pals,” Johnson said. “I ate with them, played with them and slept at their homes. Their mothers gave me cookies, and I ate at their tables. No one ever taught me that white men were superior to me."

When Johnson was 16, he moved to New York City and lived with Barbados Joe Walcott, a welterweight fighter. He eventually found a job as a janitor at a gym owned by German heavyweight fighter Herman Bernau, saving up his money for a pair of boxing gloves.

Johnson eventually returned to Texas, where he had his first fights: he beat Davie Pierson in a fight at the docks and a man named John “Must Have It” Lee in a fight at the beach, where Johnson won his first prize fight — which was illegal in Texas at the time — and was awarded a grand total of $1.50.

Johnson knocked out Charley Brooks in the second round of the 1898 Texas State Middleweight Title, his first professional fight. Then, in 1899, Johnson lost, had a draw and then won in three fights against John “Klondike” Haines.

Johnson’s unconventional journey through boxing continued when he was knocked out by well-known boxer Joe Choynoski in the third round. As prizefighting was still illegal in Texas, both fighters were arrested, with a bail of $5,000. Neither fighter could pay it, so they worked out an agreement with the sheriff — both Johnson and Choynoski could go home at night as long as they agreed to spar in the jail cell at night in front of the officers, straight out of a Hollywood movie script.

Johnson said this experience helped him grow as a boxer and Choynoski was one of his biggest influences in the ring.

"A man who can move like you should never have to take a punch,” Choynoski said of Johnson.

Johnson defeated heavyweight champion Frank Childs in 1902, Denver Ed Martin in the 1903 World Colored Heavyweight Championship. Johnson’s 2,151 days as champ is the third-longest in the 60-year history of the colored heavyweight title.

Johnson was crowned Heavyweight Champion of the World on Dec. 26, 1908, vacating his World Colored Heavyweight title, after defeating Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia. He had several notable bouts with Joe Jeanette, Sam Langford and other well-known boxers from that time.

Following the victory over Burns, racial tensions soared. Some white people wanted a, “Great White Hope” to take down Johnson in the ring.

"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,” said a New York Times article at the time.

During his title defense during this period, Johnson had a punch that was nothing short of legendary. During an exhibition match with famed boxer Stanley Ketchel, Ketchel threw a dirty punch and knocked Johnson down. Johnson got up, threw an upper-cut and knocked Ketchel out. There is footage of Johnson removing Ketchel’s teeth from his glove.

Then came what is known as the, “Fight of the Century” in Reno, Nevada. Racist boxer James J. Jeffries, who previously refused to fight Johnson, came out of retirement to fight Johnson.

"I am going into this fight for the sole purpose of proving that a white man is better than a Negro,” Jeffries said.

Jeffries was reportedly offered $120,000 to come out of retirement, which equates to more than $3 million today.

Due to racial tensions and fears, guns, alcohol, apples and other weapons were banned from the fight for fear of retribution from the white fans.

In the end , Johnson dominated the fight and Jeffries’ corner threw in the towel in the 15th round to avoid Jeffries suffering the first knockout of his career.

The racist’s mind was opened — maybe for the first time.

"I could never have whipped Johnson at my best," Jeffries said. "I couldn't have hit him. No, I couldn't have reached him in 1,000 years."

Johnson earned $65,000 from the fight, close to $2 million today.

Unfortunately, racism still reared its ugly head. The fight caused race riots across the country, and caused widespread white humiliation. Nearly 20 people were killed in the riots, with several more injured.

The film of the fight, “The Birth of Nation,” caused a movement to censor the film and caused all films of prizefights to be banned in 1912, until the ban was lifted in 1940.

Johnson finally lost his title in 1915, when he was defeated by Kansas boxer Jess Willard.

Johnson would never fight for the heavyweight crown again, though he stayed active in boxing long after losing the title, and remained in the public eye long thereafter.

Johnson also broke a societal convention at the time by freely initiating relationships and marriages to white women, a taboo topic at the time, and one that landed him in jail in violation of the Mann Act, which treated him as a kidnapper for transporting a white woman (Lucille Cameron) across state lines, even though the woman would eventually become his wife. While on appeal, he disappeared and left the country with Cameron.

Johnson fought 114 times in his career, winning 80 (45 KOs).

Johnson died in a car crash at the age of 68. His last wife, Irene Pineau, told a reporter at Johnson’s funeral: "I loved him because of his courage. He faced the world unafraid. There wasn't anybody or anything he feared."

After reviewing Johnson’s life story, one can say with absolute certainty that Pineau’s statement was true.

If Johnson were still here, he’d undoubtedly tell anyone the same.

“I’m black. They’ll never let me forget it. I’m black, all right! I’ll never let them forget it!” Johnson said.

We never, ever will, Jack.

— Contact Assistant Sports Editor Beau Troutman at btroutman@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @BVTroutman.