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Jack Johnson: Rebel Sojourner

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The early 20th century was a time of conflict for many nations, this was beyond physical wars. It was a war for the mind, there were many people with traditional mindsets that thought whites were the superior race and thought that African Americans and other people of color were inferior to them. In Theresa Runstedtler’s, Jack Johnson: Rebel Sojourner she discusses the life of the African American heavyweight boxing champion, Jack Johnson, and the obstacles he faced as a person of color in the spotlight during his boxing career. For a person of color in the early 20th century Jack Johnson lived both a typical and an atypical life. Johnson was mostly successful in making a life of his own by not abiding to the rules that were set for him and …show more content…
Social Darwinism offered a new way of thinking to the people and confirmed the already set mindsets of some. Introduced were concepts of evolution, natural selection, and adaptation. Along with the idea of survival of the fittest which meant certain groups were inferior bound by biology and it was impossible to fully ameliorate (Hawkins, Lecture 4/13/17). Racial sciences and eugenics also played a huge role during these times. Concepts like eugenics stated that certain traits are inherited which makes groups inferior without being able to redeem themselves (Hawkins, Lecture 4/13/17). This was the mindset of many white people in the 20th century. These concepts were used as excuses and justifications to treat colored people as if they were inferiors due to these “facts” they were indeed inferior. “The image of an ideal citizen was a muscular white male. This focus on the physical provided an easy justification for exclusion of people of color from mainstream politics and society. Their dark skin and exotic bodies became tangible proof of their unworthiness for full citizenship rights and self-determination” (Runstedtler, 32). This insight gives us merely a glimpse of the average life for colored people during the 20th century. It consisted of hate, racism and oppression, they were not given the chance to prosper. Barriers were being set for them before they were even born and had the chance to prove …show more content…
Runstedtler states in her introduction that Johnson “openly publicized his enjoyment of luxurious clothing and jewels, sumptuous eating and drinking, and…Over the years Johnson acquired a sizeable collection of autos, including many of the leading U.S. and European makes” (Runstedtler,16). Johnsons lifestyle was one of riches and wealth, many people of color were unable to gain the many of the privileges he had and they could not even attempt to reach these heights due to, at the time, unbreakable barriers and fixed mindsets. These people could only dream to have the luxuries and wealth that Johnson had. Runstedtler states that he was constantly being photographed and in the newspapers, which was uncommon since people of color were usually only headliners if they had committed crimes or wrong

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