From the Stacks: Rare Book Room—Jack Johnson Makes Heavyweight History

On this day, December 26, in 1908, Jack Johnson (the "Galveston Giant") made history in Sydney, Australia, when he became the first African-American to win the world heavyweight boxing championship. The significance of this event isn't just sports history; At the height of the Jim Crow era, the heavyweight title was seen by many as a symbol of racial superiority. For years, white champions had refused to fight black contenders, but the reigning champion, Tommy Burns, finally agreed to the bout after being guaranteed a then-massive sum of $30,000.

Johnson was significantly larger and faster, famously taunting Burns throughout the fight. In the 14th round, as Johnson was delivering a final beating, police moved in to stop the fight to prevent Burns from being knocked unconscious on film. Johnson was declared the winner on points.

Writer Jack London, who was ringside, famously described the event not as a fight, but as a "slaughter."

It just so happens we have a small piece of that historic day 117 years ago, in the form of this elusive 1939 first edition: "Fighting Furies" by Nat Fleischer. It’s Volume IV of the Black Dynamite series, the definitive record of Johnson (and the legendary Sam Langford.)

Nat Fleischer didn’t just write about Johnson. He knew him. He was a teenager when Johnson won the title in 1908 and later became a confidant to Johnson. When you buy a Fleischer book, you’re getting more than a second hand history lesson. You’re getting a perspective from a man who was heavyweight boxing’s most trusted eyewitness for over half a century.

You can purchase Fleischer's book here:

Fleischer's "Fighting Furies"

And browse other Rare Books here:

Rare Book Room