Y’all know that Emmie is my Sister From Another Mister (SFAM), right?
So that makes her kids auntie’s babies!
And I don’t know if y’all can guess this from my general behavior,
But I totally ruin kids.
So when she told me that auntie’s baby hadda do a book report
And that she didn’t want to do a report on somebody they’re gonna learn about anyways
I gave her some suggestions.
Here’s one of them.
Please to enjoy a random BHFOTD from 2012!
(Me. Warming up for February. When it’s hip to be black! Or know black people! Or talk about black people! Unless of course you’re calling them “thugs” or “hoodlums” or…I think y’all get the point)
Some background: When I wrote this post, I was on a leave of absence from work. I had just had minor surgery. But it was February! So I still wrote a fact.
Subject: I’d like to think if I lived in Hawaii again…
That I’d be listening to Jack Johnson while drinking Mai Tai’s by the beach. I’d like to think I’d be way more “adult”.
As opposed to doing what I did when I lived there: hanging out on Kaneohe Bay Beach with a bunch of Marines drinking Boone’s Farm straight from the bottle listening to Shabba Ranks and Shai. (Gimme a break y’all, it was 1993)
Sidenote: HI MOM!!!
Sorry, my sissie’s co-workers, you would have thought by now she would have warned you about me.
But I’m not going to lie:
1. I pretty much hate Jack Johnson (and I think his head is HUGE).
2. I had more fun hanging out with a bunch of Marines.
I’m fairly certain you’re trying to figure out what this has to do with the Black History Fact of the Day (which will be now known as BHFOTD …like RHOA, only less embarrassing to black people everywhere). Good question!
TODAY (February 3rd) in Black History, in 1903, Jack Johnson became the first Negro Heavyweight Champion. At first, I was all NO WAY! That guitar playing weirdo was a SURFER, not a boxer! But then I realized that it’s possible that there is more than one Jack Johnson in the world and that maybe that was the vicodin talking.
ANYWAYS, (John Arthur) “Jack” Johnson was born in Galveston, TX to former slaves Henry and Tina “Tiny” Johnson. Johnson credited his success in boxing from the coaching he received from Joe Choynski, who became his cellmate after the pair were arrested for fighting in Texas, where boxing was illegal at the time. Although Johnson is still considered one of the best, most powerful counter-punchers who ever stepped in a ring, He is often remembered more for a flamboyant lifestyle that, coupled with his skin color in “White America,” inspired unprecedented controversy and even rioting.
He transformed himself from the docks of Galveston, Texas, to early 20th-century glitterati. He had his own jazz band, owned a Chicago nightclub, acted on stage, drove flashy yellow sports cars, reputedly walked his pet leopard while sipping champagne, flaunted gold teeth that went with his gold-handled walking stick and boasted of his conquests of whites — both in and out of the ring. (So basically, boxers haven’t changed much from early 1900’s. Just change “had his own jazz band” to “Became a Rapper” and pet leopard for “Pit Bull”. Also? WTH? PET LEOPARD?)
Moving on… By 1902, Johnson had won at least 50 fights against both white and black opponents. Johnson won his first title on February 3, 1903, beating “Denver” Ed Martin over 20 rounds for the World Colored Heavyweight Championship. His efforts to win the full title were thwarted, as world heavyweight champion James J. Jeffries refused to face him then. Johnson DID finally win the Heavyweight Title in 1908. And in 1910, Jeffries later came out of retirement to fight Johnson in an effort to “reclaim the heavyweight championship for the white race” for the unheard sum of $120,000. Which, coincidentally is $55,000 more than they paid the Heavyweight Champion. Who won.
Anyways, this is getting long, and I’m getting tired. BHFOTD: Jack Johnson, 1st Negro Heavyweight Champion. Influencer of Muhammed Ali. Person that 1970 Movie “Great White Hope” is based on. Featured on EA Sports Fight Night Champion as downloadable content on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 as part of the “Legends Pack” with Jack Dempsey, Floyd Patterson, Joe Louis, and Rocky Marciano.
Yeah I said it 
