Jack Johnson
On July 4, 1910, A Boxing Match Billed As "The Fight Of The Century," Took Place Between Black Heavyweight Champion, Jack Johnson And White Challenger, James J. Jeffries, In Reno, Nevada.
The Fight Was As Much An International, Political Happening As A Sporting Event.
Jim Jefffries Came Out Of Retirement As "The Great White Hope," To Take Down The World's First Black Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Jack Johnson.
Johnson Won The Heavyweight Title December 26, 1908, After Beating Tommy Burns In Sydney, Australia. When Jeffries Held The Title, He Refused To Fight Johnson, Feeling That Blacks Were "Unworthy" To Compete For Such A Prestigious Title.
Johnson Knocked Jeffries Out In The 15th Round Of The Fight And Retained His Championship.
White America Was Outraged While Black America Celebrated The Victory. This Led To A Backlash Of White-On-Black Rioting, In Which 11 African Americans Were Killed.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
