123STA T . 3 5 5 9CON C UR R E NT RESO L UT I ONS —J UL Y 29 , 2 0 09 Wher e asJ a ck J o h n son d e f ea t ed T o m m yBu rns to b ecome the f i rst A frican - American to ho l d the title of H ea v y w ei g ht C ham p ion of the World
Whereas the victory by Jack Johnson over Tommy Burns prompted a search for a White bo x er who could beat Jack Johnson , a recruitment effort that was dubbed the search for the ‘ ‘great white hope ’ ’; Whereas in 19 1 0 , a White former champion named Jim Jeffries left retirement to fight Jack Johnson in R eno, N evada; Whereas Jim Jeffries lost to Jack Johnson in what was deemed the ‘‘Battle of the Century’’; Whereas the defeat of Jim Jeffries by Jack Johnson led to rioting, aggression against African-Americans, and the racially motivated murder of African-Americans nationwide; Whereas the relationships of Jack Johnson with White women compounded the resentment felt toward him by many Whites; Whereas between 1901 and 1910, 754 African-Americans were lynched, some for simply for being ‘‘too familiar’’ with White women; Whereas in 1910, Congress passed the Act of June 2 5, 1910 ( com- monly known as the ‘‘White S lave Traffic Act’’ or the ‘‘ M ann Act’’ ) (1 8U. S.C. 2421 et se q .), which outlawed the transportation of women in interstate or foreign commerce ‘‘for the purpose of prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose’’; Whereas in O ctober 1912, Jack Johnson became involved with a White woman whose mother disapproved of their relationship and sought action from the D epartment of Justice, claiming that Jack Johnson had abducted her daughter; Whereas Jack Johnson was arrested by F ederal marshals on October 18, 1912, for transporting the woman across State lines for an ‘‘immoral purpose’’ in violation of the Mann Act; Whereas the Mann Act charges against Jack Johnson were dropped when the woman refused to cooperate with Federal authorities, and then married Jack Johnson; Whereas Federal authorities persisted and summoned a White woman named Belle Schreiber, who testified that Jack Johnson had transported her across State lines for the purpose of ‘‘prostitu- tion and debauchery’’; Whereas in 191 3 , Jack Johnson was convicted of violating the Mann Act and sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in Federal prison; Whereas Jack Johnson fled the United States to Canada and various E uropean and South American countries; Whereas Jack Johnson lost the Heavyweight Championship title to Jess Willard in Cuba in 1915; Whereas Jack Johnson returned to the United States in July 1920, surrendered to authorities, and served nearly a year in the Fed- eral penitentiary at L eavenworth, K ansas; Whereas Jack Johnson subsequently fought in boxing matches, but never regained the Heavyweight Championship title; Whereas Jack Johnson served his country during World War I I by encouraging citi z ens to buy war bonds and participating in exhibition boxing matches to promote the war bond cause;
