In a historic moment at the White House, President Donald Trump granted a posthumous pardon to Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight champion of the world, following personal intervention from Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone.
Johnson, who claimed the heavyweight title in 1908, was convicted by an all-white jury in 1913 for accompanying his white girlfriend across state lines for “immoral purposes” during the Jim Crow era in the United States.
“I believe that Jack Johnson is a worthy person,” Trump declared during a ceremony in the Oval Office. “So I am taking this very righteous step, I believe, to correct a wrong. We righted a wrong… And a lot of people knew it. I knew it.”
The President acknowledged Stallone’s crucial role in bringing Johnson’s case to his attention. “Sylvester Stallone called me with the story of heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson,” Trump had previously tweeted. “His trials and tribulations were great, his life complex and controversial. Others have looked at this over the years, most thought it would be done, but yes, I am considering a Full Pardon!”
The pardon ceremony was attended by several notable figures including Stallone himself and British boxing legend Lennox Lewis.
Senator John McCain, who had been advocating for Johnson’s pardon since 2004, supported the decision, stating: “Jack Johnson was a boxing legend and pioneer whose career and reputation were ruined by a racially charged conviction more than a century ago. Johnson’s imprisonment forced him into the shadows of bigotry and prejudice, and continues to stand as a stain on our national honour.”
Johnson’s great-great niece, Linda Haywood, had long campaigned for this moment. “I certainly hope President Trump will grant my uncle a pardon. This pardon is long overdue and I was very disappointed when President Obama did not grant my uncle a pardon,” Haywood had said.
She emphasized the injustice that had haunted her family for generations: “Knowing that he was treated unfairly and unfairly convicted and targeted because of his choice of companions, who happened to be Caucasian, that’s wrong. It bothered my people to the point they didn’t even want to talk about it. My mother didn’t even want to talk about it.”
“The last thing you want to do is die and have your name tarnished. That’s wrong. You don’t want it to be tarnished if you’re living,” she added.
Johnson, who passed away in 1946, is remembered as one of the greatest boxers in history. Born in Galveston, Texas, he overcame significant racism and prejudice to achieve championship status and lasting fame, making this posthumous pardon a significant correction to a historical injustice over a century in the making.
