In his day, Jack Johnson—born in Texas, the son of former
slaves—was the most famous black man on the planet. As the first
African American World Heavyweight Champion (1908–1915), he
publicly challenged white supremacy at home and abroad, enjoying the
same audacious lifestyle of conspicuous consumption, masculine
bravado, and interracial love wherever he traveled. Jack Johnson,
Rebel Sojourner provides the first in-depth exploration of
Johnson’s battles against the color line in places as far-flung as
Sydney, London, Cape Town, Paris, Havana, and Mexico City. In
relating this dramatic story, Theresa Runstedtler constructs a global
history of race, gender, and empire in the early twentieth century.