Johnson, Jack
1878–1946 · Contribution: 1897–1930s
Professional boxer
First Black world heavyweight boxing champion, holding the title from 1908 to 1915
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Quick facts
- Born
- 1878, Galveston, Texas
- Active since
- 1897
- Category
- Sports & Athletics
- Best known for
- First Black world heavyweight boxing champion1908–1915 heavyweight champion1910 Fight of the Century
Impact on the world
Johnson shattered one of professional sports’ most visible racial barriers during the Jim Crow era and challenged the racial restrictions placed on successful Black athletes.
An alternative history
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Sources
- Exact sourceOpen
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture: Jack Johnson
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