Since brevity is the soul of blog posts, I'll keep this brief. Much of the conversation in class about cultural history is about how ambiguous it is as a mode of analysis. Much of this is because there's always a suspicion that the sampling of examples to illustrate culture at a given time is arbitrary. So I want to throw it out there now. Bederman uses Jack Johnson for a reason to further her argument. Do you guys find this valid or just another example of cherry picking actors to prove a cultural point? i for one believe he;s a perfect person to make Bederman's point for the very reason that he throws the characteristics of white masculinity consciously back in the face of his detractors, which Bederman claims galvanized them more than anything else. Do you guys disagree?
Also, here's a link to the trailer for "The Great White Hope," a wonderful movie about Johnson starring James Earl Jones. Even from the clips in the trailer, you see a lot of the themes presented in the book.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeiG7-0lQX0
I think it's definitely valid she uses the Jack Johnson-Jim Jeffries fight to begin her story. As a boxing aficionado, this was one of the pivotal moments of boxing history. The aftermath of this fight was huge. Not only did it spark race riots in various cities in the US, but Johnson became a marked man. If a white man couldn't dethrone him, the government was going to try to strip him with the Mann Act. Johnson's display of his "unforgivable blackness" made him one of the most polarizing figures of the Progressive Era.
ReplyDeleteBTW one thing that should be cleared up: Jim Jeffries didn't take on black fighters during his hey day not because he was racially prejudiced, but because nothing could be gained from fighting black boxers, especially a large box office gate. Jack Johnson himself didn't want to take on other black boxers either because of the same reason. Johnson often carried other black boxers in the ring (meaning he kept the fight going and made it more interesting by taking some punches) to not scare off future opponents, especially white opponents. It is nit picky since I loved Bederman's work but it was something I wish she mentioned more explicitly.
I don't know Chris. Obviously these are complicated human beings with their own motivations living within institutions of racism, and it may not do justice to simply label Jeffries as racist, but the quote "I am going into this fight for the sole purpose of proving that a white man is better than a negro" is pretty unambiguous evidence in regard to his motivation.
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ReplyDeleteWell, in contemporary times, Jeffries would be a racist but for his time, I am not certain what he would be labeled as. However, Jeffries (and other white fighters like previous heavyweight champion John L. Sullivan) did not take on black fighters because they had nothing to gain. It was a can't win situation. If a white fighter lost to a black boxer, then he would be greatly shamed and lose future earning potential. If he had won, well, chances are the purse wouldn't be as big and he was expected to win anyway. For business reasons, Jeffries didn't take on black fighters. When he took on Jack Johnson, he did so very reluctantly.
ReplyDeleteIn the early 1900s, there were plenty examples of casting calls for the "Great White Hope", like the White City, White led riots in Altanta, Chicago, Tulsa, OK(Black Wall Street), and other atrocites all in the name of creating and maintaining White superiority. Just look at the example of Teddy Roosevelt our illustrious White Superior minded President who stated that Negroes were a stupid race and Chinese were a decadent race and other epithets against non-White people. Mind you, Black soldiers of the 9th and 10th Cavalriese(Buffalo Soldiers) fought with Roosevelt at San Juan Hill only to be cut out of the original victory photographs for their service.
ReplyDeleteOh, another important example of White Supremacy under Tedd Roosevelt: In 1901 Roosevelt invited Booker T.Washington (President of the Historicall Black College, Tuskegee University)to the President's Mansion or Executive Mansion. Explanation: The President's Mansion was changed to the WHITE HOUSE after the visit of the Black Leader Booker T. Washington.
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