Re: Jack Johnson vs Gene Tunney

Originally Posted by
Bilbo

Originally Posted by
Chris N.
By the way has anybody seen the Jack Johnson documentary? It's was really good, I can't remember who was the guy that taught him his finer points while he was in jail.
Yes I have it on DVD, it's called Unforgivable Blackness and was directed by Ken Burns.
The guy you are referring to was Joe Choynski. He knocked Johnson out in a fight in which both were arrested and put in prison for a month or so. Choynski then trained Johnson whilst they were inside.
It's quite apt really that Choynski was a Jew (historically the most hated race/nation of peoples who have ever lived) seeing as no normal white man would have wanted to befriend a negro and many boxers refused to even fight them.
The climate of hate that Johnson lived in is just something you can't even imagine today. Even the papers were openly racist about Johnson.

Originally Posted by
Bilbo

Originally Posted by
Chris N.
By the way has anybody seen the Jack Johnson documentary? It's was really good, I can't remember who was the guy that taught him his finer points while he was in jail.
Yes I have it on DVD, it's called Unforgivable Blackness and was directed by Ken Burns.
The guy you are referring to was Joe Choynski. He knocked Johnson out in a fight in which both were arrested and put in prison for a month or so. Choynski then trained Johnson whilst they were inside.
It's quite apt really that Choynski was a Jew (historically the most hated race/nation of peoples who have ever lived) seeing as no normal white man would have wanted to befriend a negro and many boxers refused to even fight them.
The climate of hate that Johnson lived in is just something you can't even imagine today. Even the papers were openly racist about Johnson.
Thanks for that Bilbo. Jack Johnson was a tough game fighter before he took in what he could learn from Choynski, he had to endure what a lot of black fighters had to go through, the battle royal, and crooked promoters, it's remarkable how he overcame it although he still had to do what he had to do. It could well be the reason why he was so rebellious by his nature, all the pressure and circumstances of the time.
If you hear a voice within you saying that I am not a painter, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.
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