Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson

He did not want to be a slave (Original Title: Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson) is a documentary that was produced in 2004 by Ken Burns in the United States. As a narrator in the original act Wynton Marsalis, Samuel L. Jackson and Alan Rickman. Basis of the film is a book of the same name by Geoffrey C. Ward ( 2004). The documentation was erstausgestrahlt in two parts on 17 and 18 January 2005 of the PBS television.

Content

The documentation describes the rise and fall of the first African-American heavyweight boxing world champion, Jack Johnson. This made ​​it from a poor family, the son of former slaves to the top of the sports world. His indomitable character and his dandy-like lifestyle in the midst of a deeply racist society meant that haunted him the white Establishment, questionable legal means and his career took as basis. The film is composed of interviews, contemporary newspaper reports and original recordings of WM - fighting. In the newspapers Johnson was usually referred to as the Negro or Ethiopian. In addition, he was presented as Zulu warriors. Be mentioned, for example, the proposals Seaborn Roddenberys to close the ban interracial marriages to tighten. In addition, sections of the racist film Birth of a Nation are shown a film that fueled the hatred of the black race and became a huge success. The film ends with the death of Johnson and shows the crowds who showed him their last respects.

Award

Burns won with this film in 2005 an Emmy Award for best director for a documentary. David won an Emmy for best speaker role.