Trump Grants Posthumous Pardon to First Black Heavyweight Champ Jack Johnson

EXCERPT:

TRUMP: "They say he violated the Mann Act and he had a conviction that occurred during a period of tremendous racial tension in the United States more than a century ago. Johnson served ten months in federal prison for what many view as a racially motivated injustice. He was treated very rough, very tough. Born in 1878 in Galveston, Texas, to former slaves, Johnson overcame difficult circumstances to reach the heights of boxing. One of the greatest that ever lived. Both Deontay and Lennox were telling me they studied those tapes. Truly one of the greatest that ever lived. He overcame these difficult circumstances to reach the heights of boxing in the boxing world and inspire generations with his tenacity and a very independent spirit. Congress has supported numerous resolutions calling for Johnson’s pardon, went through Congress numerous times. No president ever signed it, surprisingly. They thought it was going to be signed in the last administration and that didn’t happen, so that was very disappointing for a lot of people. These resolutions enjoyed widespread bipartisan support, including from the Congressional Black Caucus. The Black Caucus supported it very, very powerfully, very strongly, but they couldn’t get the President to sign it."