Back in the early 1900s, boxer Jack Johnson was charged with violating the Mann Act, which forbid “transporting women across state lines for immoral purposes.” This act was intended to put an end to prostitution and an amended version is actually still in place. In 1913, Jackson was the first to be prosecuted under the act, and he was convicted by an all-white jury and sentenced to a year and a day in prison. After fleeing the country and living abroad for seven years, Johnson returned to the United States and served his sentence. Keep reading »
