Jack Johnson, full-length portrait, standing facing front, wearing boxing shorts and boxing gloves. ca. 1910. Photograph. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/93511535/.
The lesson will begin with teachers asking students what they observe about the photo. What does his expression and posture say about his character? Students will write short answers to: How does Johnson’s pose demonstrate pride? How might this image have challenged stereotypes at this time in history? Students will be reminded to reflect on attitudes about African Americans in the early 1900s. At the conclusion of the lesson, students will be able to determine how Johnson’s overcoming challenges in boxing led to success for other Blacks.
Jack Johnson is the first African American heavyweight boxer. He was born in 1878 Texas during the time of segregation and Jim Crow laws, and he won the heavyweight title at a time when Blacks had no rights.
Source: https://www.loc.gov/item/93511535/
Source: : https://www.loc.gov/item/93511535/
- Why do you think a Black boxer is featured as the content of the photographic postcard?
- What do you notice about his stance?
- Why is there a shadow behind him?
- Do you think the shadow is significant? Why or why not?
- What can you say about his facial features?
- Extension Questions: In what ways might this postcard image have shaped how the public perceived Johnson—not just as an athlete but as a cultural figure? How might media images of athletes today play a similar role?
ELA Standard
7.6I. Response. Reflect on and adjust responses as new evidence is presented.
Social Studies Standard
7.7D. History. Describe and compare the civil rights and equal rights movements of various groups in Texas in the 20th century and identify key leaders in these movements such as James L. Farmer Jr., Hector P. Garcia, Oveta Culp Hobby, Lyndon B. Johnson, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Jane McCallum, and Lulu Belle Madison White.
Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
- Students will begin the lesson by viewing the photo silently for 30 seconds and jot down their first thoughts.
- What do you see?
- What do you wonder?
- Why might this photo be controversial?
- Students will then share findings with a partner before sharing as a whole-class discussion.
- Using their notebooks, students will answer and discuss the following question: Can the image be a form of protest? Explain.
- A brief reading or video on Jack Johnson will be used to show the racial climate of the time.
- Students will write a journal entry from the perspective of a young Black student answering the following: How did Jack Johnson’s image disrupt the racial norms of his time?
- Students will create two captions for the image, one written for 1910 and the other for 2025.
- Students will conduct a Gallery Walk with quotes, images, and newspaper articles of the time. Students will rotate to different stations, adding sticky notes with questions, inferences, and reactions to the walk. This activity culminates with a class discussion on the question, Why was Jack Johnson seen as a controversial figure during this time?
- Students will conduct a Think-Pair-Share utilizing the questions below:
- How does Jack Johnson’s story relate to the later Civil Rights Movement?
- How does Jack Johnson’s life story demonstrate how African Americans were denied basic rights?
- In what ways did Jack Johnson use his status to challenge the rules of his time?
- This PBS site provides an article and video of Jack Johnson. Students will get a better view of Jack Johnson and his challenges. There is also a picture with Johnson and his wife. The site will provide background and insight on Johnson’s life.
- A few discussion prompts:
- Jack Johnson’s image was more than boxing, it was . . .?
- How do photos and media shape our understanding of people then and now?
- How did Jack Johnson’s success challenge the status quo of early 20th-century America?
- Why would the photo be controversial?
- How can athletes influence change in society?
- What athletes have influenced societal changes (e.g., Muhammad Ali, Serena Williams, or Colin Kaepernick)?
The Ogden Standard (Ogden City, Utah), July 4, 1910. 1910. Newspaper. Library of Congress Chronicling America. https://www.loc.gov/item/sn85058398/1910-07-04/ed-1/.
“Jack Johnson vs. James Jeffries: Topics in Chronicling America.” Library of Congress Research Guides. Accessed 9 July 2025. https://guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-johnson-vs-jeffries.