Obama Clears Way For Pardon of First Black Boxer

House OKs pardon for first black boxing champ Jack Johnson

By Richard Sisk

Heavyweight Jack Johnson, the first black boxing champ, deserves a presidential pardon, the House unanimously concluded Wednesday.
A resolution urging a pardon by President Obama cleared the House after previously being passed by the Senate last month.
Rep. Pete King (R-L.I.), chief sponsor of the bill along with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), called Johnson "a trailblazer and a legend."
King urged swift consideration by Obama of a pardon for Johnson, who was killed in a car crash in 1946.
In 1913, Johnson was convicted of violating the Mann Act against "transporting women across state lines for immoral purposes." The woman, who later became his second wife, was white. Johnson fled to France and served a year in jail on his return to the U.S. in 1920.
Johnson's third wife, Irene Pineau, said at his death: "I loved him because of his courage. He faced the world unafraid. There wasn't anybody or anything he feared."

Pardon seeked for ex boxing champ

Pardon sought for the first black boxing champion
BY: Jarred Powell

Rep. Peter King and Sen. John McCain unveiled a resolution urging a presidential pardon for former heavyweight boxing champ Jack Johnson, who was convicted in 1913 of violating the Mann Act, which made it illegal to transport women across state lines for immoral purposes. The law has since been heavily amended, but has not been repealed. "We need to erase this act of racism which sent an American citizen to prison on a trumped-up charge," McCain said, adding, "I have great confidence this president will be more than eager to sign this legislation and pardon Jack Johnson." Jack Johnson was jailed simply because he had relations and eventually married a white woman. That's the only way they could have taken his title cause he was knocking everyone else out. This pardon is way overdue. It was a racially motivated law that was meant to condemn black that had relationships with white women. Especially Johnson, who was one of the first celebrity athletes of our era.

Jarred Powell
Sports Editor
BlackUrbanTimes