Jack Johnson became the first African American World Heavyweight Champion in 1908.

Born to former slaves in Texas, Jack Johnson did the unthinkable. He won the World Heavyweight Championship in 1908. He held it for seven defiant years. In Jim Crow America, a Black champion was a threat. Johnson did not hide. He drove fast cars, wore fine clothes, and loved white women. He lived on his own terms. His victory in Sydney made him a global star, but it also made him a target.