The same federal law that destroyed boxing legend Jack Johnson in 1913 just convicted Sean 'P Diddy' Combs in 2025, and the connection reveals a disturbing pattern of prosecutorial targeting that spans over a century.
In this explosive episode, King Kurus exposes how the Mann Act, originally passed in 1910 to stop a 'white slavery' trafficking network that never existed, became the perfect weapon against successful Black Americans who refused to stay in their place. From the first Black heavyweight boxing champion to one of hip-hop's biggest moguls, discover how the same vague federal statute continues to be weaponised across generations.
What You'll Learn:
- The shocking truth about the fake 'white slavery' moral panic that created the Mann Act
- Jack Johnson's incredible rise from Texas sharecropper's son to world champion who drove Jim Crow America insane
- How the 'Great White Hope' campaign and July 4th, 1910 fight triggered nationwide race riots
- The explicitly racist federal prosecution that forced Johnson into 7 years of exile
- Why P Diddy's 2025 conviction under the same law reveals the complexity of modern justice
Historical Deep Dive Includes: Jack Johnson's childhood in post-slavery Galveston, Texas; his gold-toothed grin, fast cars, and unapologetic lifestyle that enraged white America; the marriage to white socialite Etta Duryea and the tragic aftermath; Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis's role in both Johnson's persecution and baseball segregation; Johnson's exile years wandering Europe and South America as a fallen champion; the 2018 presidential pardon that acknowledged 'racially-motivated injustice'.
King Kurus connects today's headlines to yesterday's injustices, showing how understanding Black history helps us navigate modern complexities. Whether it's clear historical persecution or today's messy legal overreach, our job is knowing the difference, even when that difference isn't easy to see.
Jack Johnson, P Diddy, Sean Combs, Mann Act, white slavery law, Black boxing history, Jim Crow era, Great White Hope, federal prosecution, racial bias, criminal justice system, Black History Buff, King Kurus
#BlackHistory #JackJohnson #PDdiddy #MannAct #BoxingHistory #CriminalJustice #BlackHistoryBuff
---
The Black History Buff Podcast is a fully independent project.
We aren't backed by a publishing house, advertising partners or a major enterprise. For our existence, we depend on our loyal listeners – we depend on you.
So, if you enjoy our content and want to support the creation of more, join our history village and support our mission to share hidden stories from Black Culture, join my free Patreon:
Membership benefits include:
- Early access to new episodes
- Bonus episodes and content
- Be part of the creation of new episodes
- Guest memberships
- Get featured In Episode End credits
- Ad Free Episodes
https://www.patreon.com/Blackhistorybuff
Join my newsletter to be kept up to date with the latest posts
https://steadyhq.com/en/blackhistory
Find me on Social Media
https://linktr.ee/BlackHistoryBuff
Buy me a Coffee
https://ko-fi.com/theblackhistorybuffpodcast
Thank you for listening, sharing, and joining us on our mission.
Stay Blessed,
King Kurus, The Black History Buff
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/black-history-buff-uncovering-untold-stories/exclusive-content
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.