# Jack Johnson



## Transk53 (May 9, 2015)

Recent thread activity reminded me that I wanted to delve further into the Jack Johnson life story, but not one of applied fiction. The service station incident pretty unforgivable, but the times were the times. Thinking that some of the old timers might know if the following author would write a true story. Looking to get the following book, no offence BTW, just would like to know of any encounters from ancestors? 


Unforgivable Blackness The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson Amazon.co.uk Geoffrey Ward 9780712609777 Books


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## Transk53 (May 9, 2015)

Oh and yes, this is towards research for me. I like to get myself engrossed in a good book and one that flows.


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## Buka (May 10, 2015)

PBS did a documentary on that book. I think you can get it on Amazon. Might be more fun and give you a better idea of how things were back then concerning racial problems Johnson had to deal with.

He was certainly an interesting sports figure, lived life large. Hell of a boxer, too. Great defensive skills. My dad saw one of his fights. Johnson was in his fifties at the time. At that point he was boxing just to make a small paycheck.


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## Transk53 (May 10, 2015)

Cool. From what I understand, he threw a fight because a Black challenger as world champion would degrade the white mans sport. Not from that era obviously, but my late grand parents used colourful language lets just say. Thanks for the tip!


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## Buka (May 10, 2015)

Unlikely, he was just the opposite kind of personality to do that. He didn't give a damn what white society said or did. Usually, the reason a boxer takes a dive is for money.

But this might be what you are referring to. It's an interesting read. I used to hear this story as a kid. I think you'll enjoy it.

Jess Willard-Jack Johnson 100 years later - Ring TV


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## Transk53 (May 11, 2015)

Buka said:


> Unlikely, he was just the opposite kind of personality to do that. He didn't give a damn what white society said or did. Usually, the reason a boxer takes a dive is for money.
> 
> But this might be what you are referring to. It's an interesting read. I used to hear this story as a kid. I think you'll enjoy it.
> 
> Jess Willard-Jack Johnson 100 years later - Ring TV



Very interesting read.


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## elder999 (May 11, 2015)

Buka said:


> Unlikely, he was just the opposite kind of personality to do that. He didn't give a damn what white society said or did. Usually, the reason a boxer takes a dive is for money.
> 
> But this might be what you are referring to. It's an interesting read. I used to hear this story as a kid. I think you'll enjoy it.
> 
> Jess Willard-Jack Johnson 100 years later - Ring TV


 
From the article:


> * As Johnson shaded his eyes from the blinding sun*


 
Not knocked out. Not "unable to continue."


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## stand-up-strike (Jun 1, 2015)

Jack Johnson has a very interesting life story, as do Sam McVea and Sam Langford. A great era of boxing sadly marred by racism.


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## Transk53 (Jun 7, 2015)

stand-up-strike said:


> Jack Johnson has a very interesting life story, as do Sam McVea and Sam Langford. A great era of boxing sadly marred by racism.



Indeed. Sadly a aspect of life still seen in other sporting arenas too. I remember when Paul Ince first signed for Inter Milan. He received the apparently ubiquitous need to use Monkey chants and the odd banana thrown. He started slow, but then blended into the Italian football way. Of course everything changed in the fan mindset. Being quite a simple bloke, I do not understand why the colour of skin is such an issue then, and now.


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