Johnson–Jeffries riots

Jack Johnson had attempted to become heavyweight champion in boxing for several years, but had trouble doing so as the sport was heavily segregated at the beginning of the 20th century. He eventually did become world heavyweight champion after defeating Canadian boxer Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia on December 26, 1908. Johnson being heavyweight champion angered many whites, who felt his victory was undermining the ideology of white supremacy.[1] Johnson's personal life also angered many white people, as he was notoriously flamboyant and married a white woman.[2] Johnson was considered to be the most hated man in America.[3]

Following Johnson's defeat of Burns, American novelist Jack London wrote a column calling upon Jim Jeffries to come out of retirement and face Johnson, so the heavyweight title could be reclaimed by a white man. Jeffries was out of shape at the time and initially refused to fight Johnson but agreed to do so once boxing promoter Tex Rickard offered Jeffries an unprecedented payout of $120,000 if he defeated Johnson. Jeffries accepted and publicly said his intention was "to win the title back for the white race." And "I am going into this fight for the sole purpose of proving that a white man is better than a Negro."[1] He became known as the "Great White Hope".[3] An editorial in The New York Times prior to the fight stated,

If the black man wins, thousands and thousands of his ignorant brothers will misinterpret his victory as justifying claims to much more than mere physical equality with their white neighbors.[1]

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Practices Common actions Expulsions of African Americans Lynchings Lynching postcards Sundown town Whitecapping Vigilante groups Black Legion Indiana White Caps Ku Klux Klan Red Shirts
Lynchings Michael Green Nevlin Porter and Johnson Spencer Eliza Woods Amos Miller George Meadows Joe Vermillion Jim Taylor Joe Coe People's Grocery Ephraim Grizzard Alfred Blount Samuel J. Bush Stephen Williams Frazier B. Baker and Julia Baker John Henry James Sam Hose George Ward David Wyatt Marie Thompson Watkinsville Ed Johnson William Burns Walker family Laura and L. D. Nelson King Johnson John Evans Jesse Washington Newberry Six Anthony Crawford Ell Persons Jim McIlherron George Taylor 1920 Duluth James Harvey and Joe Jordan
Massacres and riots Opelousas massacre Rock Springs massacre Thibodaux massacre Spring Valley Race Riot of 1895 Phoenix election riot Wilmington insurrection of 1898 Pana riot Robert Charles riots Evansville race riot Atlanta Massacre of 1906 Springfield race riot of 1908 Johnson–Jeffries riots 1912 racial conflict in Forsyth County 1917 Chester race riot East St. Louis riots Elaine massacre Red Summer Chicago race riot of 1919 Washington race riot of 1919 Ocoee massacre Tulsa race massacre Perry race riot Rosewood massacre
Reactions Anti-lynching movement Exodusters movement Great Migration Back to Africa movement
Related topics Black genocide Civil rights movement (1865–1896) Civil rights movement (1896–1954) Mass racial violence in the United States

The fight came during a period of heightened racism in the United States. Lynchings of African-Americans were common in 1910, with 67 lynchings of African-Americans occurring that year.[1] Many white people were dismayed by the result of the fight and were angered by African-Americans celebrating Johnson's victory and began attacking them. Within 2 days, 10 people had been killed in six different states.[3]

Riots occurred throughout the country in major cities such as Atlanta, Cincinnati, Houston, New York and St. Louis, as well as small towns such as Keystone, West Virginia and Mounds, Illinois. Baltimore, Chicago, Clarksburg, West Virginia, Columbus, Ohio, Dayton, Ohio, Fort Worth, Johnson County, Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Louisville, New Orleans, Norfolk, Virginia, Omaha, Philadelphia, Roanoke, Virginia, Springfield, Illinois, St. Joseph, Missouri and Wheeling, West Virginia all saw racial disturbances as well.[4]

It is unknown how many people were killed and injured during the riots, but it is estimated that between 11 and 26 people were killed and hundreds more injured.[5] This article lists 19 people who were killed, including 17 blacks and 2 whites.

After the riots, many state and local governments banned the motion picture film depicting the fight out of fear that showing it would spark more race riots. The riots led Congress to ban interstate transportation of boxing films in 1912; the ban was eventually lifted in 1940. The riots are notable for being the first instance of a nationwide race riot.[3]

• The Johnson–Jeffries Fight, a motion picture of the fight
• Nadir of American race relations
• Red Summer, a series of race riots in the United States in 1919
• Long, hot summer of 1967, a series of race riots in the United States
• King assassination riots, a series of race riots that occurred after the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.