African Americans have played an important role in American boxing. Not unike other sports, African Americans had to overcome race and racism to succeed. Black participation has grown since the early 20th century, when Blacks were systematicaly exclude from the sport and literally had to persuade or provoke white champions to fight them. This was the case with Jack Johnson, the first Black heavyweight champion. Johnson was the World Colored Heavyweight Champion as early as 1903. Johnson became World Heavyweight champion after defeating Jim Jeffries in 1908. Johnson's victory over Jeffries led to race riots around the country. Defeated in 1915 by Jess Willard, an African American would not hold the title again until Joe Louis regained it in 1937. Since this time 19 Black fighters have held the heavyweight title. African Americans have also held titles in other divisions. African Americans make up about 13% of all boxers. Below please find an informational blog below on Black boxers.
NOTE--This informational blog is compiled by (with the exception of the introduction and photograph) and reprinted with permission from Abdul Akalimat, PhD
General Olympics Individual Men Individual Women
General
Black boxing history https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwDcEdFn_TI
Black v White https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuDdp35Mhjw
Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:African-American_boxers
Cuba https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mHe1xVWWto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwVJQyqYkNA
Olympics
1952 Floyd Patterson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxO2pi3wITk
1952 Charles Adkins https://www.dvarchive.com/920-8913/1952-American-Charlie-Adkins-defeats-Soviet-Viktor-Mednov-for-the-Olympic-gold-medal-in-light-welterweight-boxing.html
1952 Norvel Lee https://www.wdbj7.com/video/2022/03/01/profile-olympian-norvel-lee/
1956 Jim Boyd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Boyd_(boxer)
1960 Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8Z5aB9sA0E
1960 Wilbert McClure https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz19pmSMjPw
1964 Joe Frazier https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u54_cVITXI0
1968 George Foreman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NZL7WTm3iQ
1972, 1976, 1980 Teofilo Stevenson (Cuba) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCooZA-qMak
1976 Michael Spinks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF0uFnmVlPU
1976 Ray Leonard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eaj2GFcDhok
1984 Henry Tillman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEZqieLMZ8c
1984 Jerry Page https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rpx2aZ2AlZk
1984 Frank Tate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdXBc-a9lfY
1988 Ray Mercer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmaXY7LM268
1988 Kennedy McKinney https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7VBXyhG6F4
1988 Andrew Maynard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJeUJ1HmTeE
1992, 1996, 2000 Felix Savon (Cuba) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFplAXGgNKs
1996 David Reed https://www.facebook.com/boxingnewsandhistory/videos/onthisday-in-1996-philadelphias-david-reid-was-the-only-boxer-from-the-talented-/345404820167751/
2004 Odlanier Solís (Cuba) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJwcBWgf4fU
2004 Andre Ward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoe8u6CKBUA
2012, 2016 Claressa Shields https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck8kLNUBLXU
2020 Julio César De La Cruz Peraza (Cuba) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ycnu7GYvNvc
Individual Men
George Dixon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Dixon_(boxer)# https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qvO2fwYUTY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFqZRRCMTP8
Jack Johnson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9vZ3cY4-Aw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD9pWduebqk
Sam Langford https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edYGbJW17XY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioEphXMrbC8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtQiWh5wcp8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHERL733Yn8
Joe Louis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK_i12K4g74 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch-QZePtql8
Sugar Ray Robinson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4eP1TTedYc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEsp5QXWsfY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byw-Ge9DoYA
Kid Gavilan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kid_Gavil%C3%A1n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQf05Vuh0JE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2-TY5joxtw
Sugar Ray Leonard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_Ray_Leonard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sV-uSNzfZo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XEHR8XoFXs
Archie Moore https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4ZaxX_OCpw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk-r0G1_zV8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEiycrgPcMc
Muhammad Ali https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ybnXgMMb5g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4fQhDox2I8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV4OQvr5HtM
Larry Holmes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNNjHbe75Gw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKxp4bhRsNo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQKR2DE47Uc
Individual Women
Laila Ali https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSHqmTZiYdg
Claressa Shields https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbKxBSxraqo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJs59rSSu5s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11TUnoiIm5M