On the morning of July 4, 1910, thousands of boxing fans stormed a newly
built stadium in Reno, Nevada, to witness an epic showdown. Jack
Johnson, the world's first Black heavyweight champion--and most infamous
athlete in the world because of his race--was paired against Jim
Jeffries, a former heavyweight champion then heralded as the "great
white hope." It was the height of the Jim Crow era, and spectators were
eager for Jeffries to restore the racial hierarchy that Johnson had
pummeled with his quick fists.
Transporting readers directly into the ring, artist Youssef Daoudi and
poet Adrian Matejka intersperse dramatic boxing action with vivid
flashbacks to reveal how Johnson, the self-educated son of formerly
enslaved parents, reached the pinnacle of sport--all while facing down a
racist justice system. Through a combination of breathtaking
illustrations and striking verse, Last on His Feet honors a contentious
civil rights figure who has for more than a century been denied his
proper due.