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The Jim Crow Era

The Jim Crow Era

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Part 1

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Season 1 Episode 1
1:51:00
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Season 1 Episode 2
1:42:12
Episode 5: The Calling

The Calling

Season 4 Episode 5
53:05
When Whales Could Walk

When Whales Could Walk

Season 51 Episode 1
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Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson

Speeding Tickets

Jack Johnson was given speeding tickets scores of times over the years, sometimes because he really was driving too fast — and sometimes simply because white policemen couldn’t stand to see a black man behind the wheel of a costly racing car. He also later joined a vaudeville troupe, where he made good money under tough working conditions.

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1:42:12
See Jack Johnson's rise to the top of the boxing world and witness the country's reaction
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1:51:00
Follow Jack Johnson's remarkable journey from his humble beginnings to entering the ring.
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