African American historian Gerald Early refers to Jack Johnson
(1878-1946), the first African American heavyweight champion of the
world, as "the first African American pop culture icon." Johnson is
a seminal and iconic figure in the history of race and sport in
America. This manuscript is the translation of a memoir by Johnson
that was published in French, has never before been translated, and
is virtually unknown. Originally published as a series of articles
in 1911 and then in revised form as a book in 1914, it covers
Johnson's colorful life and battles, both inside and outside the
ring, up until and including his famous defeat of Jim Jeffries in
Reno, on July 4, 1910, in one of the great iconic ring battles of
the early 20th century. In addition to the fights themselves, the
memoir recounts, among many other things, Johnson's brief and
amusing career as a local politician in Galveston, Texas; his
experience hunting kangaroos in Australia; and his epic bouts of
seasickness. It includes portraits of some of the most famous
boxers of the 1900-1915 era--such truly legendary figures as Joe
Choynski, Jim Jeffries, Sam McVey, Bob Fitzsimons, Philadelphia
Jack O'Brien, and Stanley Ketchel. Johnson comments explicitly on
race and "the color line" in boxing and in American society at
large in ways that he probably would not have in a publication
destined for an American reading public. The text constitutes
genuinely new, previously unavailable material and will be of great
interest for the many readers intrigued by Jack Johnson. In
addition to providing information about Johnson's life, it is a
fascinating exercise in self-mythologizing that provides
substantial insights into how Johnsonperceived himself and wished
to be perceived by others. Johnson's personal voice comes through
clearly-brash, clever, theatrical, and invariably charming. The
memoir makes it easy to see how and why Johnson served as an
important role model for Muhammad Ali and why so many have compared
the two.
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