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The history of the color line is well written about and should be understood. Jeffries fought more black fighters than any heavyweight champion up to Louis so for anyone to imply that Jeffries was afraid to fight black opponents is hogwash. However he probably was afraid of white societies backlash had he given a black contender a chance to beat him for the title. Let alone the potential of what could occur if he gave that opportunity and lost.
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Another point is that predominately the white paying audience did not want to see a white heavyweight champion fight a black challenger. So the idea that a fight such as this would not draw flies. Now the reverse of course is quite different. Johnson fought predominantly white opponents as champion as the audience wanted to see a white contender beat the black champion. Fights are made when money can be made.Comment
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Sad to say Louis fought predominately white contenders. We tend to think of Louis after the War with Charles and Walcott, but what black fighters did he face before the War. John Henry Lewis is the only one I can pull out of thin air, and he only lasted one round.
Also I heard that he was finished as a fighter so Louis was giving him a payday. But that might just be a story.
But even with Louis it seems most black HWs were getting frozen out (pre-War). It only seems to break wide open after the War.
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The moment you started with the whytes as victims bullshlt. That's an oxymoron. You want to make a case for a color-line era whyte fighter? Fine! Do so! I do it all the time with Dempsey and Fitzsimmons. But don't play the whyte victim card in doing so. By the way, I despise misanthropes too and consider them the most vile pieces of sub-human detritus walking the Earth.Comment
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The political ethics stuff I wouldn't touch. But the Boxing stuff, certainly. Fighters and their management were not the normal supporters of the color line. Society and the unspoken tenants of law were responsible. Anyone bothering to dial into a boxing board should know that Jeffries, Johnson and Dempsey themselves were certainly not to blame for the underappriciated Tommy Burns being the only sitting champion to offer a world title shot to a black man of African decent between 09/28/1811 and 06/22/1937.
To speak to the highjack topic.Comment
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- - Sir, from my earliest inception I knew I was not "white" though I was raised in a, well let's just call it a somewhat white culture when my Louisiana relatives are calculated in.
Moreover, I reserve slurring those "special" worthy miscreants with being WOKE much more worthy than U. I've no doubt there is some credible WOKE educational course combining Critical Race Theory and 1619 Project results for a modest tuition to provide U wif the level of WOKEness to properly fraternize with that crowd with no need to wear a Me Be WOKE badge.
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