United States President Donald Trump has presented a posthumous pardon to Jack Johnson, the first black Heavyweight Champion of the World.
Jack was the first African-American champion of heavyweight boxing and a legendary figure of the sport, who was unjustly jailed 100 years ago due to a relationship with a white woman which amounted to flagrant racial prejudice.
“I believe Jack Johnson is a worthy person to receive a pardon, to correct a wrong in our history,” Trump was quoted as saying on the Reuters website.
While signing the pardon, President added: there was “tremendous racial tension (when Johnson was champ). He really represented something that was both very beautiful and very terrible at the same time.”
Actor Sylvester Stallone, famous for his role in the “Rocky” boxing-movie franchise, and former world heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis, and current WBC heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder, were also present at the signing.