Hidden History of African American Texans | Episode 4

Black History Month is an opportunity to commemorate great struggles and celebrate great accomplishments, and in the person of Jack Johnson, we have an individual who encompassed both. Historian Sam Collins brings us a more intimate look at the first African American heavyweight champion. Born in Galveston to parents who had endured slavery and growing up in poverty, including having the family home destroyed in the Great Storm of 1900, the tough Galveston Giant wasn’t always the fighter that we know him to be. Joining Sam Collins is Johnson’s great-great niece, Linda Haywood, who will not only uncover personal stories of the challenges he faced in his life but also recount how she fought to get her uncle finally pardoned in 2018.