Boxing / Wrestling
« I'm Jack Johnson. Heavyweight champion of the world. I'm
black. They never let me forget it. I'm black all right! I'll never
let them forget it! » At the beginning of the 20th century the
history of boxing became entwined with the history of racism. The
first black to become heavyweight champion of the world, Jack
Johnson, was forbidden to defend his title. In the United States,
boxing between blacks and whites was outlawed. His battle for the
status of his title anticipated by thirty years the civil rights
movement. When finally he was able to defend his title, the fight
promoters encouraged the all-white spectators to chant “Kill the
Nigger!” before and during the fight. The announcement of his win
provoked violence against blacks across the United States. Johnson
was also attacked in the press – even by intellectuals such as Jack
London who vilified him calling for a “Great White Hope” to wash
the honor of white men... In the second half of the 20th century,
boxing became one of the only means for blacks and poor people to
climb the social ladder. It is a metaphor for contemporary social
struggles : you must hit the person on front of you to get
somewhere...
