Born on March 13, 1878 to parents who were freed slaves, Jack Johnson left school after the 5th grade to work as a stevedore on the docks of Galveston, Texas where he learned to fight. After becoming a professional boxer, Johnson fought in America and abroad, soon earning a reputation for his skills in the ring. Being black, Johnson was relegated to fighting men of color.  Bouts were hard to come by and blacks were systematically denied contests against good white fighters.

But fate intervened and circumstances offered Jack Johnson a shot at the heavyweight crown. On December 26, 1908 in Australia, Johnson knocked out white titleholder Tommy Burns in decisive fashion. So enraged was author Jack London that he issued a race-tainted challenge to retired champion James J. Jeffries to whip Johnson and restore honor to the white race.