"Unforgivable Blackness" Tonight On PBS

Though I won't be watching it in first run on Monday and Tuesday night, I will be making time on my TiVo for Ken Burns' latest documentary, "Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson".

For those of you unfamiliar with Johnson's story, he was the first African-American to become Heavyweight champion of the world back in 1908 -- an achievement, that in tandem with his flamboyant personality -- earned him the scorn and emnity of millions of his contemporaries, even as it amazes us today.

Here's an excerpt from Tom Shales' review in the Washington Post:

Johnson was, as dozens of photographs and rare ancient film footage keep verifying, a magnificent figure, whether dandied up in bow tie, straw hat and tailored suit, or nearly naked, proud of his tremendous strength and musculature, fighting in tight shorts rather than the laughable baggy silks favored today. Naturally, inescapably, white men saw him as a sexual threat, and just in case they didn't, Johnson made anything but a secret of his preference for white women. He had a series of white mistresses and wives who were photographed proudly and adoringly at his side. The hubris, considering the time in which he lived, still seems awesome.

Indeed, it does. Johnson's story is one worth telling again, and one worth listening to. I'll have my own review after I finish watching the series later in the week.

To purchase the DVD, click here.

Other reviews:

Washington Times, New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Sweet Science, and the Dallas Morning News.

Eric 12:41 AM

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Posted by: at January 17, 2005 11:08 AM

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