Last on His Feet: Jack Johnson and the Battle of the Century

On July 4, 1910, a significant boxing event unfolded in Reno, Nevada. It featured Jack Johnson, the world’s first Black heavyweight champion, against Jim Jeffries, a former heavyweight champion known as the "great white hope." This match occurred during the Jim Crow era, with many spectators hoping Jeffries would overturn the racial hierarchy challenged by Johnson’s prowess.

In Last on His Feet, artist Youssef Daoudi and poet Adrian Matejka transport readers into the boxing ring. The narrative intersperses dramatic boxing scenes with flashbacks, illuminating Johnson’s journey as the self-educated son of formerly enslaved parents to the apex of boxing, all while combating a racist justice system. The book combines vivid illustrations with striking verse, paying tribute to Jack Johnson, a contentious civil rights figure who has been overlooked for over a century.