Jack Johnson
/ˌdʒæk ˈdʒɒnsn/
/ˌdʒæk ˈdʒɑːnsn/
- (1878-1946) the first African American boxer to become World Heavyweight Champion, when he beat Tommy Burns in 1908 in Sydney, Australia. Johnson was hated by many white people because he married three white women. He was accused of crimes and left America in 1912. He lost his championship to Jess Willard in 1915 in Havana, Cuba. He returned to the US in 1920 and was sent to prison for eight months.