Everything Everywhere Daily · Thursday, August 6, 2026
Jack Johnson decisively defeated the retired champion Jim Jeffries in 1910, a fight anticipated by white America as a return to racial order. Johnson's victory, however, triggered widespread riots across the country, resulting in significant casualties and marking one of the largest instances of racial unrest in American history.
“The nation was on a knife edge after the victory as riots broke out all across the country, killing dozens, injuring hundreds, and standing as the largest racial unrest in American history, the country would see until the aftermath of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination 58 years later.”
“Johnson pounded Jeffries for 15 rounds until Jeffries' corner could take no more and called the fight.”
“I won from Mr. Jeffries because I outclassed him in every department of the fighting game.”