Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson

InthisvividbiographyGeoffreyC.Wardbringsbacktolifethemostcelebrated—andthemostreviled—AfricanAmericanofhisage.JackJohnsonbattledhiswayoutofobscurityandpovertyintheJimCrowSouthtowinthetitleofheavyweightchampionoftheworld.AtatimewhenwhitesraneverythinginAmerica,hetookordersfromnooneandresolvedtoliveasifcolordidnotexist.Whilemostblacksstruggledsimplytoexist,hereveledinhisrichesandhisfame,sleepingwithwhomeverhepleased,totheconsternationandangerofmuchofwhiteAmerica.Becausehedidsothefederalgovernmentsetouttodestroyhim,andhewasforcedtoendureprisonandsevenyearsofexile.ThisdefinitivebiographyportraysJackJohnsonashereallywas--abattleragainstthebigotryofhiseraandtheembodimentofAmericanindividualism.