By Becca DeLauter<\/p>\n
Boxer Jack Johnson not only fought in the ring, but also fought for racial justice, according to his biographer.<\/p>\n
The biographer, Theresa Runstedtler, an associate professor of history at American University, spoke to a group of about 30 students as well as a few Hood faculty members March 19 about former world heavyweight champion, Jack Johnson, and the controversial nature by which he fought white supremacy in the early 20th<\/sup> century. Her lecture was based on her biography, \u201cJack Johnson, Rebel Sojourner: Boxing in the Shadow of the Global Color Line.\u201d<\/p>\n Runstedtler began the lecture by comparing Jack Johnson with Muhammad Ali, who called Johnson \u201cPapa Jack\u201d and modeled himself after Johnson\u2019s \u201cunapologetic image.\u201d She said that Johnson was a global symbol of black resistance, but was also criticized for marrying white women and displaying his wealth and class status.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople see him as a flamboyant prize fighter with no consciousness,\u201d she said, \u201cBut he was someone who was just the epitome of strength.\u201d<\/p>\n Rather than focus on how many fights he won, Runstedtler said she chose to focus on his legacy. She mostly described his actions in pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable at the time, and the fact that Johnson fought against white supremacy and stereotypical \u201cblack\u201d notions.<\/p>\n \u201cI had a hunch that if I looked at the local newspapers, I would find a much more complicated story\u2014not that he just travelled and had fights,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Runstedler used examples of political cartoons to back up her belief that Johnson had an openly political agenda. She wanted to convey that the way he was illustrated in the cartoons\u2014drawn by white supremacists\u2014proved that he was not just an athlete, but he was also an activist.<\/p>\n The event coordinator, Jay Driskell, a professor of history at Hood, provided a mixed view of Johnson as he commented on his controversial nature.<\/p>\n \u201cThe ability to face limited career options, low wages, and race\u2014to be able to withstand that\u2014is very admirable,\u201d Driskell said, \u201cBut his victories were very individual. In a situation like that, you have to collectively take an entire group of people and have them triumph together.\u201d<\/p>\n Yet students attending the lecture thought Johnson\u2019s efforts were positive stamps on African-American history.<\/p>\n Jasmine Smith, a senior, said she enjoyed the lecture. \u201cIt\u2019s not something you hear about\u2014an African-American being a sports hero that early in history,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n And Victoria Wright, a junior, had a passionate response to the topic of this lecture.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important to get as much African-American history out there as you can because it\u2019s neglected in schools,\u201d she said. \u201cI feel like it\u2019s my duty to keep that part of history that\u2019s neglected alive.\u201d<\/p>\n Runstetdler called what Driskell referred to as a \u201cvery profound self-confidence.\u201d; an \u201cunapologetic swagger,\u201d and she felt as though the character he created played into his fight against white supremacy.<\/p>\n She said: \u201cHow could he not know it was political? He reads his own hype in the sense that he knows exactly what he\u2019s doing. I don\u2019t know how he couldn\u2019t see it.\u201d<\/p>\n In her final thoughts she summarized her lecture looking at the bigger picture.<\/p>\n She said, \u201cAlthough he was a star athlete, the bigger scope was his fight against the color-line.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"