Analysis Of “Unforgivable Blackness”

863 Words2 Pages

Analysis Of “Unforgivable Blackness”

The documentary, “Unforgivable Blackness” directed by Ken Burns casts light on the extraordinary life story of legendary boxer Jack Johnson. The documentary is about the barriers Jack Johnson had to overcome to satisfy his hunger for becoming the best and living “The American Dream.” Johnson had humble beginnings in Galveston, Texas and it was in those beginnings that glimpses of his bright future were slowly but surely beginning to show. Through out his life, he showed independence, relentlessness, ability to improvise, call attention to himself and get around rules meaning to tie him down. Jack Johnson was a self made man who had the drive to go forward and achieve what he wanted to achieve through hard work, patience and all the skills he was blessed with.

No dream is ever for granted and Johnson realized and he chased after his for a very long time. Ever since his childhood, Johnson felt he had a purpose in his life, he was always relentless in anything he did, he had a fighting spirit in him and he started trying his luck at boxing after a famous boxer came to his town and told Johnson he had a lot of promise. Johnson took it to heart and that lead him to his first boxing match.. With his tall and muscular body he became well known in the white world as well as the blacks at a very quick pace . Over a few years Johnsons relentlessness in the ring eventually won him the African Heavy Weight Championship, which was the highest rank an African American could achieve. He believed that he was able to win the World Heavy Weight Championship which was then held by Jim Jefferies. Every challenge Johnson threw was met with closed doors. “African-Americans were considered unworthy to co...

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...rican American to hold the World Heavy Weight Championship. The American Dream is now accessible to anyone who has the drive to achieve it through hard work and motivation to jump obstacles in the path of the set goals. Jack Johnson achieved his dream despite of all the opposition, criticism, all the stereotypes, racism and all the other tough fights life threw at him and hence, paved a way for equality amongst the races in the future.

Works Cited

Poniewozik, James. "Too Black, Too Strong." Time 9 Jan. 2005: 65. Pro Quest. Web. 22 Feb. 2011.

Sandomir, Richard. "Forgiving 'Unforgivable Blackness'." The New York Times 18 Jan. 2005, Late Edition(East Coast) ed.: 3 D. Pro Quest. Web. 22 Feb. 2011.

Unforgivable Blackness - The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson. Dir. Ken Burns. Perf. Jack Johnson, Keith David, Samuel L. Jackson. Pbs Paramount, 2004. Film.

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