Garrett Bo Garrett History 328 Dr.

Matthew Bailey February 19, 2013

The Galveston Giant

The desire for di !ity a!d res"e#t for$ed the $ai! i!s"iratio!al %alue i! the stru le for

ra#ial e&uality i! '$eri#a. (o!se&ue!tly, this idea has bee! #o!siste!tly de"loyed i! e)"osi! the absurdity of dis#ri$i!atio! i! '$eri#a o%er the #e!turies. '$o! the "eo"le who e)e$"lified this desire was '$eri#a*s first Bla#+ hea%ywei ht bo)i! #ha$"io!, ,a#+ ,oh!so!, who used his e)"loits i! the ri! to raise #o!s#ious!ess about the "li ht of the Bla#+ $a! i! '$eri#a duri! the ti$e. ,oh!so! was a #o!tro%ersial fi ure whose $ethods attra#ted both ad$iratio! a!d #riti#is$ e%e! fro$ a$o! his fellow 'fri#a! '$eri#a!s. His u!re"e!ta!t beha%ior a!d arro a!#e i! the fa#e of dis#ri$i!atio! $ade hi$ o!e of the $ost outsta!di! fi ures i! the #ou!try*s s"orti! history. ,oh!so! stru led to rise fro$ a diffi#ult #hildhood a!d defi!e his "la#e i! a ra#ially

di%ided '$eri#a. He was bor! to e)-sla%es, duri! a "eriod whe! '$eri#a was i! the $iddle of ra#ial te!sio!s. ,oh!so! stru led throu h his life as a Gal%esto! youth to be#o$e '$eri#a*s

hea%ywei ht bo)i! #ha$"io!. Duri! a "eriod whe! 'fri#a! '$eri#a!s were e)"e#ted to .+!ow their "la#e* i! the '$eri#a! #ultural a!d "oliti#al set u", ,oh!so! was !ot afraid to tau!t the "eo"le he #o!sidered his o""o!e!ts i! a bid to e)"ress his dis"leasure with the so#iety. /! his arro a!#e, he dro%e re#+lessly, a$bled a!d e%e! "araded his 0hite wife arou!d i! "ubli#. The "aradi! of his wife i! "ubli# ha""e!ed duri! a "eriod whe! disti!#tio!s based o! ra#e a!d #lass deter$i!ed "ower a!d "resti e relatio!s i! the '$eri#a! 1outh. 'dditio!ally, the #o!#e"t

Garrett of ra#ial a!d se)ual "urity dis#oura ed ro$a!ti# relatio!shi"s betwee! Bla#+ $e! a!d 0hite wo$e! throu hout the re io!. His %i#tory a ai!st ,i$ ,effreys i! the ri! was a sour#e of "ride for the Bla#+ '$eri#a!s. There were #elebratory riots a#ross '$eri#a, whi#h, u!fortu!ately were i!ter"reted as a#ts of disres"e#t a!d i!sult to the white "o"ulatio! leadi! to the deaths of se%eral "eo"le duri! the riots 23oberts 108-1114. The 0hites* e)"e#tatio!s of a wi! by ,effreys had bee!

rei!for#ed by "ositi%e "ress re%iews for hi$, whi#h howe%er tur!ed i!to disa""oi!t$e!t whe! he lost to ,oh!so!. /! the ru! u" to the fi ht, 0hites were e)#ited by the $edia*s %ersio! of the u"#o$i! a!d loo+ed forward to the fi ht. ,oh!so!*s %i#tory would be a sour#e of #o!fide!#e a!d "ride for Bla#+ '$eri#a!s. 'lthou h ,a#+*s s+ills as a #ha$"io! were i!dis"utable, $a5ority of 0hites belie%ed that !o 'fri#a! '$eri#a! had the i!telle#tual dis#i"li!e to be the world hea%ywei ht #ha$"io!. 1u#h a! e%e!tuality, i! the $i!dset of the 0hite '$eri#a!s was u!fatho$able a!d far fet#hed. These "re5udi#es would be dealt a blow with ,oh!so!*s %i#tories i! the bo)i! ri! . These triu$"hs i! the bo)i! are!a were howe%er tai!ted by his ow! "erso!al wea+!esses that "la#ed his "ri!#i"les as a "erso! i! doubt. /! 1916, for e)a$"le, he a##e"ted a 736,000 "ro$ise to fi) a bo)i! $at#h with a 0hite o""o!e!t. Duri! the $at#h, ,a#+ lost, raisi! sus"i#io!s that the $at#h had bee! "re-arra! ed. 'lthou h he i!itially de!ied alle atio!s that the $at#h was fi)ed, he later ad$itted "arti#i"ati! i! the a#t. ,oh!so! was se!te!#ed to te! $o!ths i! "riso! for this offe!#e 23oberts 218-2184. 1u#h beha%ior raises &uestio!s with re ard to ,a#+*s ow! i!te rity as a s"orts$a! a!d "ortrays hi$ !e ati%ely. Ha%i! used his bo)i! s+ills to i!s"ire his fellow Bla#+s to su##ess, his de#isio! to fi) a $at#h was a disa""oi!t$e!t to those who #o!sidered hi$ a role $odel.

Garrett 'dditio!ally, ,oh!so!*s use of his frie!dshi" with 0hite wo$e! to de#o!stru#t the "re5udi#es a ai!st Bla#+s was !ot e!tirely without its flaws. /! the #ourse of his #areer, he #o!sorted with !u$erous 0hite wo$e!, a fa#t he 5ustified throu h his dis$issi%e #o$$e!ts with re ard to wo$e! of his ow! Bla#+ ra#e. /! e)"lai!i! his "refere!#e for 0hite wo$e!, ,oh!so! #lai$ed that Bla#+ wo$e! 9.do!*t "lay u" to a $a! the way white irls do. :o $atter how #olored wo$e! feel towards a $a!, they do!*t s"oil hi$ a!d "a$"er hi$ a!d build u" his e o. They do!*t try to $a+e hi$ feel li+e he*s so$ebody* 23oberts ;8-;64. ,oh!so!*s wo$a!i<i! ways "layed a! i$"orta!t role i! rui!i! his re"utatio! as a $odel for Bla#+ s"orts$e!. 'dditio!ally, his %iole!t treat$e!t of his se#o!d wife, =tta Duryea was !ot

#o!siste!t with a "erso! worthy of res"e#t as a hu$a! bei! . =tta e%e!tually #o$$itted sui#ide, a fa#t that was attributed to the fre&ue!t "hysi#al %iole!#e that he e)"osed her to 23oberts 1221234. To a lar e e)te!t, ,oh!so!*s beha%ior was i!flue!#ed by the desire for freedo$. He saw this ele$e!t of freedo$ i! the ri ht to ha%e se)ual relatio!shi"s with 0hite wo$e! a!d at o!e ti$e, he de#lared 9/ wa!t to say that / a$ !ot a sla%e a!d that / ha%e the ri ht to #hoose who $y $ate shall be without the di#tatio! of a!y $a!> 23oberts 1894. Des"ite these stro! %iews, ,a#+ ,oh!so! was %iewed as a re"rese!tati%e of the '$eri#a! Bla#+ #o$$u!ity a!d was therefore a refle#tio! of their $oral %alues. (o!se&ue!tly, his !e ati%e attributes su#h as wo$a!i<i! #o!tributed to the rei!for#e$e!t of ra#ial stereoty"es. ,oh!so!*s arro a!t beha%ior howe%er had $ethod to it. He dis"layed i!telli e!#e a!d i!de"e!de!#e, rather tha! i !ora!#e a!d i$"ulsi%e!ess. 'dditio!ally, he was a "erfor$er a!d a! ad%o#ate who dared the "oli#e, the $edia, the "oliti#ia!s a!d the "ubli# throu h a stro! "erso!ality a!d "rofessio!al a##o$"lish$e!ts. His i! e!uity, for e)a$"le, saw hi$ o"e! the

Garrett (abaret de (ha$"io!, a "rofitable a!d "o"ular establish$e!t that hel"ed i! su""orti! his fla$boya!t lifestyle. Howe%er, the establish$e!t would later be #losed after ,oh!so!*s li&uor li#e!se was re%o+ed by the authorities 23oberts189-1604. Des"ite ,oh!so!*s wea+!esses as a "erso!, his re5e#tio! of all se re atio!ist restri#tio!s i!di#ated a stro! se!se of #hara#ter. This re5e#tio! of i!5usti#e was $ade re ardless of all "oliti#al, le al a!d e#o!o$i# #o!se&ue!#es. 'dditio!ally, his beha%ior was deter$i!ed by his se!se of $orality a!d $oti%es a!d !ot those of the wider 'fri#a! '$eri#a! #o$$u!ity. This fa#tor "lays a! i$"orta!t role i! the #o!fli#ti! i$"ressio!s that ha%e bee! #reated arou!d ,oh!so!. 0hile others %iewed hi$ as a! e$barrass$e!t to the Bla#+ #o$$u!ity, others saw hi$ as a! i!s"iratio! to their drea$. ,oh!so!*s life story a!d #lai$ to fa$e a!d fortu!e i! the fa#e of ad%ersity is itself the e"ito$e of the .'$eri#a! drea$.* / thi!+ ,oh!so! is worthy of res"e#t be#ause of his arro a!#e to sta!d before a ra#ially se"arated so#iety a!d do e%erythi! he #ould to li%e i!side the 0hite $a!*s world a!d e!5oy so$e of the sa$e freedo$s that 0hites had, su#h as $arryi! a 0hite wo$a!. To a lar e e)te!t, ,oh!so! deser%es res"e#t i! the way that he u!der$i!ed the dee" rooted #ultural "re5udi#es a!d the hero worshi" that e)isted duri! the ti$e.

Garrett 0or+s (ited 3oberts, 3a!dy. Papa Jack: Jack Johnson and the Era of White Hopes. :ew ?or+@ Free Aress, 1986. Ari!t.