Discuss the “rise and fall” of Jack Johnson as a historical figure whose life was shaped by and challenged a variety of social forces

Discuss the “rise and fall” of Jack Johnson as a historical figure whose life was shaped by and challenged a variety of social forces. First, discuss the broader political context of the US in the first decades of the twentieth century. What was the racial climate in which Johnson grew up? What sorts of obstacles did he face as a black man growing up in the United States? Second, situate his boxing career within this broader political context. What obstacles did he face as a boxer? Why was US society threatened by his very presence? How did his success challenge understandings of race and white supremacy at the time? How and why did they ultimately bring Jack Johnson “down”? Finally, briefly compare his life to the “rise and fall” of Paul Robeson – who came of age a couple decades later and was openly political.