On the one hand, we all know he got railroaded. The Mann Act was intended to keep women from being transported across state lines for immoral purposes; a Chicago pimp taking his workers to Gary would be a prime candidate for conviction. Jack Johnson's got convicted because he was traveling with white women. Plain and simple. He should never have been tried in the first place; the fact that he was only goes to demonstrate how far people have gone to get prominent Black people, especially Jack Johnson, who was the first Black heavyweight champion and quite flamboyant. I got stories about Jack Johnson.
At the same time, it's 2004. Jack Johnson's conviction was 91 years ago. He's been dead since 1946. Somehow I think there are probably other, more significant miscarriages of justice that need to be addressed. This is just a chance for some people to get cute in front of a camera and act like they're "down."
7/14/2004
Papa Jack
Some prominent Senators, athletes, and celebrities are banding together to get Jack Johnson a presidential pardon to overturn his convention based on the Mann Act. I've got ambivalent feelings about it.
On the one hand, we all know he got railroaded. The Mann Act was intended to keep women from being transported across state lines for immoral purposes; a Chicago pimp taking his workers to Gary would be a prime candidate for conviction. Jack Johnson's got convicted because he was traveling with white women. Plain and simple. He should never have been tried in the first place; the fact that he was only goes to demonstrate how far people have gone to get prominent Black people, especially Jack Johnson, who was the first Black heavyweight champion and quite flamboyant. I got stories about Jack Johnson.
At the same time, it's 2004. Jack Johnson's conviction was 91 years ago. He's been dead since 1946. Somehow I think there are probably other, more significant miscarriages of justice that need to be addressed. This is just a chance for some people to get cute in front of a camera and act like they're "down."
On the one hand, we all know he got railroaded. The Mann Act was intended to keep women from being transported across state lines for immoral purposes; a Chicago pimp taking his workers to Gary would be a prime candidate for conviction. Jack Johnson's got convicted because he was traveling with white women. Plain and simple. He should never have been tried in the first place; the fact that he was only goes to demonstrate how far people have gone to get prominent Black people, especially Jack Johnson, who was the first Black heavyweight champion and quite flamboyant. I got stories about Jack Johnson.
At the same time, it's 2004. Jack Johnson's conviction was 91 years ago. He's been dead since 1946. Somehow I think there are probably other, more significant miscarriages of justice that need to be addressed. This is just a chance for some people to get cute in front of a camera and act like they're "down."