Jack Johnson

I was on ESPN this morning and happened to stumble upon an article from Outside the Lines. The title quickly caught my attention, Posthumous Pardon sought for Johnson. The Johnson referenced in this case was Jack Johnson. According to Rader, Jack Johnson had been the heavyweight champion between 1908 and 1915(p 147). "Few, if any, blacks were as well known or had infused blacks with greater pride than Jack Johnson (Rader, p 147)." Johnson was a great fighter who was able to break color barriers in the world of boxing and equal rights.

According the the OTL article, written by the AP, "Johnson was convicted in 1913 of violating the Mann Act, which made it illegal to transport women across state lines for immoral purposes. He fled the country after his conviction, but agreed years later to return and serve a 10-month jail sentence." Many people believe that Johnson was targeted by authorities because of his success as a black man. His career as a boxer was controversial, and many whites detested his behavior and wealth. His promiscuous relationships with women, white women in particular, are believed to be the reason for his incarceration.

Posthumous Pardon sought for Johnson addresses the issue of a presidential pardon for the heavyweight champion Johnson. In fact, legislation has been in the works since early April on this issue, but the House and Senate are still awaiting word from President Obama. Sen. John McCain has been extremely outspoken on this issue. His interest no likely stems from his involvement in boxing as a young man.

However humanitarian this may seem, I think I understand why President Obama is hesitant to grant Johnson a pardon. Throughout history presidential pardons of the dead have been rare, and in this case I feel like Johnson deserves a pardon. But from President Obama's perspective their is much more than the issue of Johnson reputation. As the first black President, Obama has been under pressure to rewrite history or change the past, when it comes to African Americans. By carefully weighing each side of action, Obama is exploring the residual effects that would result from a pardon. While exonerating Johnson appears to be the right thing to do, I can't help but wonder if Obama is worried about establishing a reputation of sympathetic action towards black Americans in history.

References:

Posthumous pardon sought for Johnson. (2008, October 16). Retrieved October 17, 2009, from http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=4565549

Rader, B. G. (2008). American sports from the age of folk games to the age of televised Sports (6th ed., pp. 147-150). NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.