Unforgivable Blackness
Page 65
“Unfortunately for him”: Chicago Defender, July 11, 1919.
“Mexican adventurer”: Undated clipping, Gumby Collection.
“You, who are lynched”: Quoted in Randy Roberts, Papa Jack, p. 212.
“don Jack, whenever he could”: Mc-Gehee, “Dandy and the Mauler.”
“in the grand tradition”: Ibid.
“goddamit go through them”: Quoted in Ward, American Originals, p. 52.
“God, he was big!”: Ibid.
“unconditional surrender”: NYT, January 30, 1920.
“I never knew such gameness”: Jack Johnson, In the Ring and Out, p.119. “regrettable accident”: Ibid., p. 120.
“Imagine a wide main street”: LAT, June 6, 1920.
“He struts about”: Ibid., July 15, 1920.
“Well, the word was passed”: Ibid., July 16, 1920.
“Several white women there”: Ibid., July 21, 1920.
“The center of the stage”: Ibid.
“Johnson sprawled down in a seat”: Ibid.
“the colored visitors”: Ibid.
“It was a memorable journey”: Jack Johnson, Inside the Ring and Out, p.123.
“I’m damn glad”: NYT, July 19, 1920.
“everything arranged”: LAT, July 20, 1920.
“ice cream sprees”: NYT, July 27, 1920.
“This man deserves”: Ibid., September 15, 1920.
CHAPTER TWELVE: THE STEPPER
“It is alleged”: Trusty Prisoner’s Agreement, Jack Johnson File, Inmate Case Files—United States Penitentiary–Leavenworth; Records of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Record Group 129, National Archives—Central Plains Region (hereafter, JJ File). “several thousand dollars”: Jack Johnson, In the Ring and Out, p. 128.
“baseball park orderly”: Leavenworth Post, September 20, 1920.
“In all, my imprisonment”: Jack Johnson, In the Ring and Out, p. 129.
“did use the guard’s toilet”: Report, November 3, 1920, JJ File.
“rude language”: Report, November 29, 1920, JJ File.
“This prisoner does not get up”: Report, January 21, 1921, JJ File.
“loafing in main hall”: Ibid.
“This prisoner is an orderly”: Undated report, JJ File.
407 “found little cause for complaint”: Jack Johnson, In the Ring and Out, p.132. “was unable to find one”: Ibid.
“Wonder why ‘Meow! Meow!’”: Leavenworth New Era, May 6, 1921.
“I have used his expressions”: Melville Butler File, Inmate Case Files—United States Penitentiary–Leavenworth; Records of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Record Group 129, National Archives—Central Plains Region.
“He was a good friend”: O’Dare, Philosophy of the Dusk, p.131.
“Nothing seemed to trouble him”: Rudensky, The Gonif, p. 210.
“every field”: Billboard, November 27, 1920.
“Scott will win sure”: Jack Johnson to Billy McLean [sic] (MicClain), November 18, 1920, JJ File.
“boxing gloves, punching bag”: Jack Johnson to Lucille Johnson, November 20, 1920, JJ File.
“Tell Gus to … locate [Owens]”: Jack Johnson to Lucille Johnson, November 8, 1920, JJ File.
“Nothing wrong with me”: Ibid., November 11, 1920.
“There comes Jack now”: Leavenworth New Era, November 26, 1920.
“Hello dear”: Jack Johnson to Lucille Johnson, November 26, 1920, JJ File.
“It was the opinion”: NYT, November 26, 1920.
“I am filled with power”: Beloit (WI) Daily News, February 21, 1921.
“and then we will continue”: Jack Johnson to Lucille Johnson, December 31, 1920, JJ File.
“30 or 40 young white girls”: Lewis J. Baley to D. S. Dickerson, January 20, 1921, JJ File.
“what an unfair trial”: Jack Johnson to Ben Allen, March 30, 1921, JJ File.
“influential friends”: Dick Ellis to Jack Johnson, March 29, 1921, JJ File.
“Cannot see my way clear”: Jack Johnson to William Bottoms, undated, JJ File.
“From Jack Johnson’s correspondence”: Leavenworth New Era, February 25, 1921.
“The idea is that a young man”: M. D. Waltner to August V. Anderson, March 31, 1921, JJ File.
“EXPECT A GOOD TIME”: Gus Rhodes to Jack Johnson, June 20, 1921, JJ File.
“Many close friends”: Jack Johnson, In the Ring and Out, p.134.
“It doesn’t make any difference”: NYT, July 10, 1921.
“What a relief”: Leavenworth New Era, July 15, 1921.
“Jack Johnson never was a slacker”: NYT, July 10, 1921.
“Jack Johnson is out”: Chicago Broad Ax, July 14, 1921.
“Chicago and my friends”: Chicago Tribune, July 14, 1921.
“The reception and the feasting”: Chicago Broad Ax, July 14, 1921.
“Johnson is through”: Quoted in Hietala, Fight of the Century, p. 142.
“The commissioners are in office”: NYT August 1, 1921.
“I was in my dressing room”: Ethel Waters, His Eye Is on the Sparrow, p. 133.
“I just held my breath”: Chicago Defender, March 11, 1921.
“a super production”: Advertisement for New Douglas Theater in New York, January 8, 1922, Hawes Collection.
“in which all the performers”: Jack Johnson, In the Ring and Out, p. 135.
“I am forty-five years old.”: Undated 1923 clipping, archives of Antiquities of the Prize Ring.
“beautiful decorations”: Undated handbill from Hawes Collection.
“As a prize-fighter”: Jack Johnson 1924 recording, “Runnin’ Down the Title Holder,” Tim Brooks Collection.
“evidence involving Johnson”: NYT, February 17, 1924.
“Echoes of the old wrath”: Jack Johnson, In the Ring and Out, p. 138.
“gentlemanly and courteous manner”: Irene Johnson, “My Husband,” preface to Jack Johnson, In the Ring and Out, p. 16.
“There could not be a man”: Ibid.
“Lester had youth”: David Beardsley, undated article, Boxing Report, Jim Johnston Collection.
“back on the boards”: Jack Johnson, In the Ring and Out, p. 249.
“Johnson used his old-time tactics”: Drum-right (OK) Evening Derrick, September 7, 1926.
“ ‘white buzzard’ hangers-on”: NYT, October 7, 1926.
“ignorant, perverse child”: Quoted in Duberman, Paul Robeson, p. 104.
“Must a man, because of his color”: Irene Johnson, “My Husband,” preface to Jack Johnson, In the Ring and Out, p. 16.
“the best all-around heavyweight in history”: The Ring, June 1927.
430 “I would have been able to pay my debts”: Beloit (WI) Daily News, October 4, 1928.
“My next fight”: NYT, September 16, 1928.
“The story of Jack Johnson”: NYT, September 14, 1928.
“If the Democrats”: NYT, September 19, 1928.
“The tall, somewhat paunchy”: Thurber, “Big Boy.”
“orchestra leader”: NYT, January 24, 1929.
“Jack Johnson made a few voodoo passes”:
Undated 1931 clipping from The Ring, Jim Johnston Collection.
“Nothing of the great master”: Milwaukee Eagle, April 29, 1931.
“a crying shame”: LAT, June 12, 1931.
“Physically unfit!”: Undated clipping from The Ring, Jim Johnston Collection.
“a tremendous ovation”: London Times, January 3, 1932.
“You had to come up”: Bricktop and Haskins, Bricktop, p. 185.
“What you aim to do”: Quoted in Farr, Black Champion, p. 234.
“Let the son of a bitch”: Quoted in Dan Parker, “Johnson-Louis Feud Traces Back to Blackburn,” New York Daily Mirror, June 12, 1946.
“You know, boy”: Louis, My Life, p.36.
“It was thrilling”: Ibid., p.57.
“Every man’s got a right”: quoted in Horn,
“Two Champions.”
“imbibed with joy”: quot
ed in ibid.
“Louis has the stuff”: Ibid.
“Boy, you’re the greatest fighter”: Louis, My Life, p. 69.
“I can make a champion”: Ibid.
“flash in the pan”: Ibid.
“I respected this man”: Ibid.
“Get that black cat”: Horn, “Two Champions.”
“lives like an animal”: Mead, Champion, p.68.
“One time we were talking”: Louis, My Life, p. 39.
“never disgrace the Race”: Quoted in Hietala, Fight of the Century, p. 159.
“If Joe becomes champion”: Quoted in Horn, “Two Champions.”
“Louis holds his left too low”: Richmond Afro-American, June 15, 1936.
“Once the hero of his race”: Quoted in Horn, “Two Champions.”
JACK JOHNSON RAZZED: New York Amsterdam News, March 13, 1937.
“Jack Johnson was still running”: Louis, My Life, p. 111.
“we got another chance!”: Ibid., p. 119.
“I figured out the formula”: quoted in Farr, Black Champion, p. 232.
“When the culture quotient”: Jay, Anomalies, p.41.
“Ladies and gentlemen”: Undated unsourced article by Linton Baldwin, Jim Johnston Collection.
“It didn’t do him much good”: Louis, My Life, p. 69.
“Everybody thinks I’m jealous”: quoted in Fleischer, “Johnson, Craftiest Boxer.”
“I want to say here”: Quoted in Hietala, Fight of the Century, p. 185.
“intense race hatred”: Pittsburgh Courier, June 21, 1938.
“Johnson’s background”: Quoted in Hietala, Fight of the Century, p. 146.
“Johnson has stated”: New York Amsterdam News, undated clipping, Gumby Collection.
“got plenty of nothin’”: Associated Press in undated 1944 clipping, Gumby Collection.
“The Angel said”: Stump, “Rowdy Reign.”
“It was like this”: Clem Boddington, “$15,000 Windfall.”
“conversed with my wife”: Ibid.
“This is the beginning”: Fleischer, “Johnson, Craftiest Boxer.”
“In my humble opinion”: Ibid.
“They told us we could eat”: Lucas, Black Gladiator, p. 186.
“He struck the first blow”: Richmond, Afro-American, June 22, 1946.
“I loved him because of his courage”: Ibid.
____________________________________________
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ARCHIVES
Antiquities of the Prize Ring
Tim Brooks Collection
Hawes Collection
Jim Johnston Collection
Alexander Gumby Collection, Special Collections Division, Columbia University
Inmate Case Files; United States Penitentiary–Leavenworth; Records of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Record Group 129 National Archives and Record Administration—Central Plains Region (Kansas City)
George P. Johnson Film Collection, University of Southern California (Los Angeles)
Jack Johnson Vertical Files Folder, Schomburg Collections, New York Public Library
Bill Loughman Collection
Gary Phillips Collection
Booker T. Washington Papers, Library of Congress
Records of the War Department, Group 165, National Archives
U.S. v. Johnson, General Records of the Department of Justice, File Number 16421, Record Group 60.
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