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Home · News

People Are Questioning Donald Trump's Motives For Pardoning Legendary Boxer Jack Johnson 

People Are Questioning Donald Trump’s Motives For Pardoning Legendary Boxer Jack Johnson
By Sydney Scott · Updated October 24, 2020

On Thursday, President Donald Trump granted a posthumous presidential pardon to legendary boxer Jack Johnson, the first African-American boxing heavyweight champion.

Johnson, who died in 1946, was convicted of violating The Mann Act in 1913 after taking his white wife, Lucille Cameron, across state lines for what the white jury called “immoral purpose.”

NPR News reports that Trump signed the pardon after actor Sylvester Stallone reached out. Trump called Johnson “one of the greatest that ever lived,” before adding that many people saw the boxer’s conviction “as a racially motivated injustice.”

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In 2009 and 2013, Barack Obama was called to pardon Johnson but, according to The Daily Beast, never acted out of “political discomfort.” Gavin Parke, a former senior leadership staffer for former Nevada Senator Harry Reid, told the publication, “[R]eading between the lines, our conjecture was that they didn’t want to engage in divisive racial issues that were largely symbolic…The Obama White House was stringently opposed to the pardons process becoming politicized in any way. They felt so strongly about that, it may have extended even to posthumous pardons.”

Posthumous pardons are also extremely rare. Johnson is only the third posthumous pardon in US history. 

While the long overdue pardon is something to celebrate, Trump’s his comments about Black athletes, the Central Park five, and his feelings about Obama have not been forgotten as some question his motives. 

Trump calls living Black athletes are “sons of bitches” but pardons a deceased one so he and his base can feel good about their bigotry.

Not buying it. Still racists.#JackJohnson

— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) May 24, 2018

 

Donald Trump will pardon Jack Johnson to give himself racial cover and continue his one-sided competition with Obama. But will he apologize to the Central Park 5 or release LIVING Black people who were victims of the drug war?

— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) May 24, 2018

 

Don't be surprised, since #Trump really hates #Obama , if he might move to pardon #MarcusGarvey and use that to trash Obama AND trash the FBI for infiltrating the UNIA and for railroading Garvey on trumped-up charges in the first place. Just saying. #HeardItHereFirst

— Greg Carr (@AfricanaCarr) May 25, 2018

 

Trump's pardon of a dead black boxer does not excuse his hostility to the safety and well being of living black and brown people.

— Ragnarok Lobster (@eclecticbrotha) May 25, 2018

“I am taking this very righteous step, I believe, to correct a wrong that occurred in our history and to honor a truly legendary boxing champion,” Trump added to those in attendance. 

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