[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 29 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.Con.Res.29
                                         Agreed to July 29, 2009        

                      One Hundred Eleventh Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE FIRST SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
             the sixth day of January, two thousand and nine


                          Concurrent Resolution

Whereas John Arthur ``Jack'' Johnson was a flamboyant, defiant, and 
  controversial figure in the history of the United States who 
  challenged racial biases;

Whereas Jack Johnson was born in Galveston, Texas, in 1878 to parents 
  who were former slaves;

Whereas Jack Johnson became a professional boxer and traveled 
  throughout the United States, fighting White and African-American 
  heavyweights;

Whereas after being denied (on purely racial grounds) the opportunity 
  to fight 2 White champions, in 1908, Jack Johnson was granted an 
  opportunity by an Australian promoter to fight the reigning White 
  title-holder, Tommy Burns;

Whereas Jack Johnson defeated Tommy Burns to become the first African-
  American to hold the title of Heavyweight Champion of the World;

Whereas the victory by Jack Johnson over Tommy Burns prompted a search 
  for a White boxer who could beat Jack Johnson, a recruitment effort 
  that was dubbed the search for the ``great white hope'';

Whereas in 1910, a White former champion named Jim Jeffries left 
  retirement to fight Jack Johnson in Reno, Nevada;

Whereas Jim Jeffries lost to Jack Johnson in what was deemed the 
  ``Battle of the Century'';

Whereas the defeat of Jim Jeffries by Jack Johnson led to rioting, 
  aggression against African-Americans, and the racially motivated 
  murder of African-Americans nationwide;

Whereas the relationships of Jack Johnson with White women compounded 
  the resentment felt toward him by many Whites;

Whereas between 1901 and 1910, 754 African-Americans were lynched, some 
  for simply for being ``too familiar'' with White women;

Whereas in 1910, Congress passed the Act of June 25, 1910 (commonly 
  known as the ``White Slave Traffic Act'' or the ``Mann Act'') (18 
  U.S.C. 2421 et seq.), which outlawed the transportation of women in 
  interstate or foreign commerce ``for the purpose of prostitution or 
  debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose'';

Whereas in October 1912, Jack Johnson became involved with a White 
  woman whose mother disapproved of their relationship and sought 
  action from the Department of Justice, claiming that Jack Johnson had 
  abducted her daughter;

Whereas Jack Johnson was arrested by Federal marshals on October 18, 
  1912, for transporting the woman across State lines for an ``immoral 
  purpose'' in violation of the Mann Act;

Whereas the Mann Act charges against Jack Johnson were dropped when the 
  woman refused to cooperate with Federal authorities, and then married 
  Jack Johnson;

Whereas Federal authorities persisted and summoned a White woman named 
  Belle Schreiber, who testified that Jack Johnson had transported her 
  across State lines for the purpose of ``prostitution and 
  debauchery'';

Whereas in 1913, Jack Johnson was convicted of violating the Mann Act 
  and sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in Federal prison;

Whereas Jack Johnson fled the United States to Canada and various 
  European and South American countries;

Whereas Jack Johnson lost the Heavyweight Championship title to Jess 
  Willard in Cuba in 1915;

Whereas Jack Johnson returned to the United States in July 1920, 
  surrendered to authorities, and served nearly a year in the Federal 
  penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas;

Whereas Jack Johnson subsequently fought in boxing matches, but never 
  regained the Heavyweight Championship title;

Whereas Jack Johnson served his country during World War II by 
  encouraging citizens to buy war bonds and participating in exhibition 
  boxing matches to promote the war bond cause;

Whereas Jack Johnson died in an automobile accident in 1946; and

Whereas in 1954, Jack Johnson was inducted into the Boxing Hall of 
  Fame: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that Jack Johnson should receive a 
posthumous pardon--
        (1) to expunge a racially motivated abuse of the prosecutorial 
    authority of the Federal Government from the annals of criminal 
    justice in the United States; and
        (2) in recognition of the athletic and cultural contributions 
    of Jack Johnson to society.
Attest:

                                               Secretary of the Senate.
Attest:

                                 Clerk of the House of Representatives.