http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?...80b1fc74ac2612b
Activist seeks park for boxing legend Johnson
By Leigh Jones
The Daily News
Published September 28, 2009
GALVESTON — When Casey Cutler looks across the barren land at the northern end of 17th Street, he doesn’t see the muddy ground interspersed with patchy grass. He doesn’t visualize the public housing apartments that more than a hundred families called home before Hurricane Ike.
Cutler looks at the vacant property and sees an opportunity to heal a city and honor a man who spent his life fighting for racial equality.
As part of the Galveston Housing Authority’s plans to rebuild the public housing development at Magnolia Homes, 1601 The Strand, Cutler hopes to persuade officials to dedicate a park to legendary boxer and island native Jack Johnson.
The city owes Johnson a proper symbol of the glory he brought to Galveston, Cutler said. It also owes him an apology for never recognizing him during his lifetime for his accomplishments in the ring, Cutler said.
“The time is ripe to make things right,” he said.
The Galveston Giant
Many boxing enthusiasts say Johnson, known as “The Galveston Giant,” was the best heavyweight to ever enter the ring.
In the early days of his career, he won every match, but boxing officials refused to give him a chance to try for the world title because he was African-American. Johnson finally traveled to Sydney, Australia, where he defeated Canada’s Tommy Burns on Dec. 26, 1908.
Two years later, Johnson defended his title against former American world champion James Jefferies in a July 4, 1910, bout billed as the “Fight of the Century.”
Galveston’s leaders organized a parade in Johnson’s honor but canceled the invitation after learning he was traveling with his wife, a white woman.
In 1913, Johnson was convicted of violating the Mann Act by having a consensual relationship with a white woman. He served 10 months in prison.
Righting A Wrong
Congress approved a resolution in July urging President Barack Obama to pardon Johnson, but Galveston officials never have done anything to make up for the way the city’s forefathers treated the island’s most famous resident, Cutler said.
In August, Cutler asked the city council to issue a proclamation apologizing for institutional support that undermined Johnson’s civil rights and legacy.
He asked the council to adopt a second proclamation offering support for the proposed Jack Johnson Memorial Park.
The Galveston Chamber of Commerce board of directors unanimously approved a resolution of support for the park on Aug. 19.
The tentative plan for the new public housing development at the Magnolia Homes site includes green space that could be used for the park.
Housing authority officials did not respond to requests for comment for this story.
Cutler’s vision is an awesome idea, Kim Collins, president of the Jack Johnson Foundation, said.
Collins, an artist, is working on designs for the park’s layout, which Cutler hopes will include plaques honoring Galveston’s other minority leaders. The foundation hopes to have a life-size statue of Johnson installed at the park.
Bigger People
Passing the proposed resolutions and naming the park in Johnson’s honor won’t cost the city or the Galveston Housing Authority a thing, Cutler said.
Both actions would be a salve on the festering wounds of racism, he said.
“Let’s fix what was done in the past to show we’re bigger people with different norms,” he said.
Full Version: Looks like us racist Texans are ready to make amends!
QUOTE (BGv2.0 @ Sep 28 2009, 11:35 AM) 
http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?...80b1fc74ac2612b
Activist seeks park for boxing legend Johnson
By Leigh Jones
The Daily News
Published September 28, 2009
GALVESTON — When Casey Cutler looks across the barren land at the northern end of 17th Street, he doesn’t see the muddy ground interspersed with patchy grass. He doesn’t visualize the public housing apartments that more than a hundred families called home before Hurricane Ike.
Cutler looks at the vacant property and sees an opportunity to heal a city and honor a man who spent his life fighting for racial equality.
As part of the Galveston Housing Authority’s plans to rebuild the public housing development at Magnolia Homes, 1601 The Strand, Cutler hopes to persuade officials to dedicate a park to legendary boxer and island native Jack Johnson.
The city owes Johnson a proper symbol of the glory he brought to Galveston, Cutler said. It also owes him an apology for never recognizing him during his lifetime for his accomplishments in the ring, Cutler said.
“The time is ripe to make things right,” he said.
The Galveston Giant
Many boxing enthusiasts say Johnson, known as “The Galveston Giant,” was the best heavyweight to ever enter the ring.
In the early days of his career, he won every match, but boxing officials refused to give him a chance to try for the world title because he was African-American. Johnson finally traveled to Sydney, Australia, where he defeated Canada’s Tommy Burns on Dec. 26, 1908.
Two years later, Johnson defended his title against former American world champion James Jefferies in a July 4, 1910, bout billed as the “Fight of the Century.”
Galveston’s leaders organized a parade in Johnson’s honor but canceled the invitation after learning he was traveling with his wife, a white woman.
In 1913, Johnson was convicted of violating the Mann Act by having a consensual relationship with a white woman. He served 10 months in prison.
Righting A Wrong
Congress approved a resolution in July urging President Barack Obama to pardon Johnson, but Galveston officials never have done anything to make up for the way the city’s forefathers treated the island’s most famous resident, Cutler said.
In August, Cutler asked the city council to issue a proclamation apologizing for institutional support that undermined Johnson’s civil rights and legacy.
He asked the council to adopt a second proclamation offering support for the proposed Jack Johnson Memorial Park.
The Galveston Chamber of Commerce board of directors unanimously approved a resolution of support for the park on Aug. 19.
The tentative plan for the new public housing development at the Magnolia Homes site includes green space that could be used for the park.
Housing authority officials did not respond to requests for comment for this story.
Cutler’s vision is an awesome idea, Kim Collins, president of the Jack Johnson Foundation, said.
Collins, an artist, is working on designs for the park’s layout, which Cutler hopes will include plaques honoring Galveston’s other minority leaders. The foundation hopes to have a life-size statue of Johnson installed at the park.
Bigger People
Passing the proposed resolutions and naming the park in Johnson’s honor won’t cost the city or the Galveston Housing Authority a thing, Cutler said.
Both actions would be a salve on the festering wounds of racism, he said.
“Let’s fix what was done in the past to show we’re bigger people with different norms,” he said.
Activist seeks park for boxing legend Johnson
By Leigh Jones
The Daily News
Published September 28, 2009
GALVESTON — When Casey Cutler looks across the barren land at the northern end of 17th Street, he doesn’t see the muddy ground interspersed with patchy grass. He doesn’t visualize the public housing apartments that more than a hundred families called home before Hurricane Ike.
Cutler looks at the vacant property and sees an opportunity to heal a city and honor a man who spent his life fighting for racial equality.
As part of the Galveston Housing Authority’s plans to rebuild the public housing development at Magnolia Homes, 1601 The Strand, Cutler hopes to persuade officials to dedicate a park to legendary boxer and island native Jack Johnson.
The city owes Johnson a proper symbol of the glory he brought to Galveston, Cutler said. It also owes him an apology for never recognizing him during his lifetime for his accomplishments in the ring, Cutler said.
“The time is ripe to make things right,” he said.
The Galveston Giant
Many boxing enthusiasts say Johnson, known as “The Galveston Giant,” was the best heavyweight to ever enter the ring.
In the early days of his career, he won every match, but boxing officials refused to give him a chance to try for the world title because he was African-American. Johnson finally traveled to Sydney, Australia, where he defeated Canada’s Tommy Burns on Dec. 26, 1908.
Two years later, Johnson defended his title against former American world champion James Jefferies in a July 4, 1910, bout billed as the “Fight of the Century.”
Galveston’s leaders organized a parade in Johnson’s honor but canceled the invitation after learning he was traveling with his wife, a white woman.
In 1913, Johnson was convicted of violating the Mann Act by having a consensual relationship with a white woman. He served 10 months in prison.
Righting A Wrong
Congress approved a resolution in July urging President Barack Obama to pardon Johnson, but Galveston officials never have done anything to make up for the way the city’s forefathers treated the island’s most famous resident, Cutler said.
In August, Cutler asked the city council to issue a proclamation apologizing for institutional support that undermined Johnson’s civil rights and legacy.
He asked the council to adopt a second proclamation offering support for the proposed Jack Johnson Memorial Park.
The Galveston Chamber of Commerce board of directors unanimously approved a resolution of support for the park on Aug. 19.
The tentative plan for the new public housing development at the Magnolia Homes site includes green space that could be used for the park.
Housing authority officials did not respond to requests for comment for this story.
Cutler’s vision is an awesome idea, Kim Collins, president of the Jack Johnson Foundation, said.
Collins, an artist, is working on designs for the park’s layout, which Cutler hopes will include plaques honoring Galveston’s other minority leaders. The foundation hopes to have a life-size statue of Johnson installed at the park.
Bigger People
Passing the proposed resolutions and naming the park in Johnson’s honor won’t cost the city or the Galveston Housing Authority a thing, Cutler said.
Both actions would be a salve on the festering wounds of racism, he said.
“Let’s fix what was done in the past to show we’re bigger people with different norms,” he said.
this is long over due and i hope they put up a statue of him or at the very least a plaque....
Admittedly I don't know a huge amount about his personal life but what did he do to fight racism?
QUOTE (STEVENSKI @ Sep 28 2009, 07:15 PM)
Admittedly I don't know a huge amount about his personal life but what did he do to fight racism?
LOL!!! He wasnt really the type to march in any civil rights movement. He's famous for being the 1st black HW champ. He was a huge role model for black people who were sidelined by jim crow laws of the day. Take this as racist(after all its coming from ME) if you want, but during that time a black man could be killed for defying, looking at or talking in the wrong way to their white contemporaries. Jack Johnson did all of those things. To top it off, he was legally allowed to punch white guys in the face and not be lynched. Then to make things worse he was flashy in every sense of the word for the times. He drove fast cars and banged white women. He was the epitome of what many black folks during the period wanted to be.
Ultimately, he paid the price for his insolence. He was taken down for violating the Mann Act. The way it was told to me was that he was arrested while he had a white woman in the car with him. The charges were trumped up due to the racism of the day. There was a great PBS documentary on him a few years ago. I have the DVD in my collection. The name escapes me though(too tired to go downstairs and check rt now). Think it may have been something like Unforgivable Blackness or something like that. You may be able to find the bulk of it on Youtube. Once you start watching, you'll get hooked.
So he basically thumbed his nose at the establishment & did what he liked? Good for him.
QUOTE (STEVENSKI @ Sep 28 2009, 11:15 PM)
Admittedly I don't know a huge amount about his personal life but what did he do to fight racism?
I think him just being him, persevering against the odds in the social and racial climate he was in at the time, was symbolic enough of fighting racism.
Look, this is clearly a ploy to lull people into thinking that amends are being made. It is a conspiracy of the highest proportions, orchestrated by white albino males, who'se dna structure has been genetically altered to remove all pigment from every cell of their body. There blood is white, they glow white in the dark, they even bleach their turds and reisnsert them just so any resultant bowel movement is extraordinarily white. Just ask OMF, he'll tell you whats what...
Now that i think about it, they look alot like the chick in my my avatar... except whiter
LOL
Now that i think about it, they look alot like the chick in my my avatar... except whiter
LOL
Jack Johnson was arrested and charged under the Mann Act, which essentially boiled down to him taking a white woman across state lines. The fact that he was in a sexual relationship with the woman is what also triggered the racist reactions.
Here's some info from Wiki:
Also he had the tendency to be an utter prick. Beat his girlfriends, cheated on them, etc. He allegedly beat one girlfriend several times, and suffering from depression, she killed herself by using a revolver. He then got married to another woman three months later.
Here's some info from Wiki:
QUOTE
On October 18, 1912 Johnson was arrested on the grounds that his relationship with Lucille Cameron violated the Mann Act against "transporting women across state lines for immoral purposes." Cameron, soon to become his second wife, refused to cooperate and the case fell apart. Less than a month later, Johnson was arrested again on similar charges. This time the woman, a prostitute named Belle Schreiber with whom he had been involved in 1909 and 1910, testified against him, and he was convicted by an all-white jury in June 1913. He was sentenced to a year and a day in prison.
Johnson skipped bail, and left the country, joining Lucille in Montreal on June 25, before fleeing to France. For the next seven years, they lived in exile in Europe, South America and Mexico. Johnson returned to the U.S. on 20 July, 1920. He surrendered to Federal agents at the Mexican border and was sent to the United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth to serve his sentence. He was released on July 9, 1921.[1]
There have been recurring proposals to grant Johnson a posthumous Presidential pardon. A bill requesting President George W. Bush to pardon Johnson in 2008, passed the House, but a companion bill, sponsored by John McCain, failed to pass in the Senate.[9] In April 2009 McCain, along with Representative Peter King, filmmaker Ken Burns and Johnson's great niece, Linda Haywood, requested a presidential pardon for Johnson from President Barack Obama.[10] On July 30, 2009 the Jack Johnson Resolution passed urging Barack Obama to give Johnson a Full Pardon. [11]
While incarcerated, Johnson found need for a tool that would help tighten loosened fastening devices, and modified a wrench for the task. He patented his improvements on April 18, 1922, as US Patent 1,413,121
Johnson skipped bail, and left the country, joining Lucille in Montreal on June 25, before fleeing to France. For the next seven years, they lived in exile in Europe, South America and Mexico. Johnson returned to the U.S. on 20 July, 1920. He surrendered to Federal agents at the Mexican border and was sent to the United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth to serve his sentence. He was released on July 9, 1921.[1]
There have been recurring proposals to grant Johnson a posthumous Presidential pardon. A bill requesting President George W. Bush to pardon Johnson in 2008, passed the House, but a companion bill, sponsored by John McCain, failed to pass in the Senate.[9] In April 2009 McCain, along with Representative Peter King, filmmaker Ken Burns and Johnson's great niece, Linda Haywood, requested a presidential pardon for Johnson from President Barack Obama.[10] On July 30, 2009 the Jack Johnson Resolution passed urging Barack Obama to give Johnson a Full Pardon. [11]
While incarcerated, Johnson found need for a tool that would help tighten loosened fastening devices, and modified a wrench for the task. He patented his improvements on April 18, 1922, as US Patent 1,413,121
Also he had the tendency to be an utter prick. Beat his girlfriends, cheated on them, etc. He allegedly beat one girlfriend several times, and suffering from depression, she killed herself by using a revolver. He then got married to another woman three months later.
QUOTE (AussieLad @ Sep 29 2009, 01:20 AM)
Look, this is clearly a ploy to lull people into thinking that amends are being made. It is a conspiracy of the highest proportions, orchestrated by white albino males, who'se dna structure has been genetically altered to remove all pigment from every cell of their body. There blood is white, they glow white in the dark, they even bleach their turds and reisnsert them just so any resultant bowel movement is extraordinarily white. Just ask OMF, he'll tell you whats what...
Now that i think about it, they look alot like the chick in my my avatar... except whiter
LOL
Now that i think about it, they look alot like the chick in my my avatar... except whiter
LOL
LOL!!!
Mr Factor smiles, then shrugs. He then goes back to reading his Final Call...
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