Phil C
04-05-2011, 11:58 AM
The next one is from the March 31, 2011 issue of The Portland News in Portland, Texas. It is a brief biography of the first Black Heavyweight boxer John Arthur Johnson (Born March 31, 1878, Died June 10, 1946). He was known as the Galveston Giant since he was born in Galveston, Texas. The article is dated March 31, 1878 and reads as follows:
"John Arthur Johnson, better known as Jack Johnson the first Black Heavyweight Boxing Championion of the World, was born in Galveston to Henry and Tina Johnson. He overcame numerous obstacles in his lifetime to earn the title on July 4, 1910. The first which was the circumstances of his birth. He was the second of six children born to poor parents who were former slaves. Johnson himself only had a fifth grade education. In 1900, the Galveston Hurricane destroyed his family's house. In addition, the very thing that Johnson loved doing and was innately talented at was illiagel in the State of Texas and in 1901 was arrested for boxing. Johnson left Galveston and began gaining recognition as a boxer, winning the Negro Heaveyweight Championship in 1903 and defeating "White Hope" competitor Jim Jeffries in 1910 to officially be named World Heavyweight Champion. The victory propelled his career but his fame turned to notoriety after Johnson was found guilty of violating the Mann Act, a law that prohibited the transportation of white women across state lines for the purpose of prostitution. Despite serving a year in prison and living in an era when inter-racial relationships were denounced and very dangerous, Johnson
continued to pursue White women. He died in 1946 in a car accident in North Carolina."
You can get more information on him at Wikipedia.
"John Arthur Johnson, better known as Jack Johnson the first Black Heavyweight Boxing Championion of the World, was born in Galveston to Henry and Tina Johnson. He overcame numerous obstacles in his lifetime to earn the title on July 4, 1910. The first which was the circumstances of his birth. He was the second of six children born to poor parents who were former slaves. Johnson himself only had a fifth grade education. In 1900, the Galveston Hurricane destroyed his family's house. In addition, the very thing that Johnson loved doing and was innately talented at was illiagel in the State of Texas and in 1901 was arrested for boxing. Johnson left Galveston and began gaining recognition as a boxer, winning the Negro Heaveyweight Championship in 1903 and defeating "White Hope" competitor Jim Jeffries in 1910 to officially be named World Heavyweight Champion. The victory propelled his career but his fame turned to notoriety after Johnson was found guilty of violating the Mann Act, a law that prohibited the transportation of white women across state lines for the purpose of prostitution. Despite serving a year in prison and living in an era when inter-racial relationships were denounced and very dangerous, Johnson
continued to pursue White women. He died in 1946 in a car accident in North Carolina."
You can get more information on him at Wikipedia.