How Jack Johnson’s Legacy Was Finally Vindicated On May 24, 2018, the world witnessed something both rare and overdue: a U.S. President issued a posthumous pardon for a man who had been unjustly convicted more than a century earlier. That man was Jack Johnson, the first Black heavyweight boxing champion of the world — and…

Before there was Ali — before the poetry, the punch, and the pride — there was Jack Johnson. Often overshadowed by the towering legacy of Muhammad Ali, Jack Johnson was the original mold-breaker, the first to weaponize charisma, confidence, and cultural defiance in a world that demanded silence. While Ali is rightfully hailed as “The…

The Galveston Giant Who Fought the World and Made History In an era defined by segregation, racism, and violent enforcement of social norms, Jack Johnson did the unthinkable. He fought back — not just with his fists, but with his lifestyle, his intellect, and his unrelenting refusal to conform. As the first Black heavyweight boxing…