JACK JOHNSON FINALLY PARDONED

Simon Ruvalcaba

It’s never too late for justice! It was long overdue, and many wonder what it can do, but the Jack Johnson pardon that President Trump signed off on yesterday can now change what history says about the first black Heavyweight Champion. For those that don’t know the history, let me make this article a flashback Friday and have you read the following article that I wrote for fighthype.com back in February of 2009:

BELL RINGS TO KICK OFF JOHNSON’S FORGIVEABLE BLACKNESS
By Simon Ruvalcaba | February 17, 2009 (fighthype.com)

Bells ring to mark time in boxing, but they also ring as a memorial; a final ten count for boxing’s fallen warriors and family, often times stirring memories of glorious nights in the ring. Saturday night in Reno, Nevada, the “Civil War” battle between Jesse Brinkley and Joey Gilbert marked a historic time in local boxing history. It was a bout nearly a century ago that marked one of the memorable moments in boxing during one of the darkest periods of the nation’s history when Jack Johnson defended the world Heavyweight title against the “great white hope” Jim Jeffries. With their bout having taken place just a few blocks away from the Reno Events Center that just hosted the “Civil War” between Jesse Brinkley and Joey Gilbert, a movement is currently underway that calls for the congressional pardon of Jack Johnson.

This past weekend, 23 of the 24 bell tones that rang were all the same. The lone exception was the bell that rang to begin Saturday’s bout. Instead, the bell from the legendary bout on July 4, 1910 was brought out to mark the occassion. It was a tone that echoed loud of a time when black skin was still not considered equal in white America. The boos, cheers and music that were heard on this occasssion were a sign of the changed times. Pantera’s “Walk” and Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight” are a far cry from the band that played Jeffrie’s ring music entitled “All Coons Look Alike To Me.”

Johnson, who enjoyed the “champion” lifestyle, would go on to marry twice, both times marrying white women. The act caused Southern ministers of the time to call for Johnson’s lynching. For his own safety, Johnson would flee the US to France. In 1920, he would return to the US and surrender himself to Federal agents for allegedly violating the Mann Act against “transporting women across state lines for immoral purposes.” He served one year at Leavenworth state prison and was eventually released. To this day, Johnson’s sentence has yet to be pardoned. Currently, congress is in the process of clearing Johnson of the crime.

In a grass roots effort being supported by Chief Nevada State Athletic commission inspector Mike Martino, matchmaker Bruce Trampler and several others, a plan is in place to have a celebration during the July 4th weekend of 2010 on the 100th anniversary of the “Fight of the Century.” They have already reached out to Ken Burns, the director of the Jack Johnson documentary entitled “Unforgivable Blackness.” They also hope to reach out to Arizona Senator and 2008 Republican Presidential Nominee John McCain as well as Nevada Senator Harry Reid. The plan is a weekend celebration to comemorate the event and hopefully present Johnson’s congressional pardon. The bell used in the Johnson-Jeffries bout sat in a Nevada Museum for many years, but now it is privately owned. The site of the bout is already a Nevada landmark. Stay posted as details unravel for the event. One can only hope that proper justice can be served for a man who was beyond his time and who deserves to have the echoes of his ring accomplishments never forgotten.

About the Editor

Simon Ruvalcaba

Army Veteran and former Professional Boxer Simon Ruvalcaba started boxing at the age of ten and Had a 71 fight amateur career which featured a 139 lbs. 1998 8th U.S. Army Boxing Championship out of Camp Casey, Korea and a spot on the prestigious Army Boxing Team at Fort Hood, TX. After a journeyman pro career of 18 fights, which included sparring sessions with many champions and contenders including Julio Cesar Chavez and Pernell “Sweat Pea” Whitaker, Simon started writing and has contributed to many publications and websites including fighthype.com, pound4pound.com, Tahoe Daily Tribune (South Lake Tahoe, CA), Nevada Appeal (Carson City, NV). He has also been the Boxing Instructor for Ken Shamrock and The Lions Den and was MMA and Bareknuckle star Paige VanZant’s first boxing coach!
Born and Raised in South Lake Tahoe, California he now resides in Sun Valley, Nevada and spends as much time as possible with his Sons Gabriel and Oscar! Beyond boxing, Simon is an all around sports fanatic and is passionate about the teams that he roots for. Simon also works as a Sportsbook Supervisor for Caesars Sportsbook in Lake Tahoe.