Manchester-born Len Johnson was barred from earning titles because of the colour of his skin - he fought for racial justice inside and outside the ring his entire life
Len Johnson: The British boxing legend compared to Muhammad Ali you’ve never heard of – because he was black
During his 11-year career, Johnson won 92 of his 127 professional fights, including victories against some of the biggest names in the sport at the time. At the start of the 20th century, the British Establishment feared that the symbol of a black boxer beating his white counterpart might embolden its colonial subjects around the globe and lead to an uprising.
For the rest of his life, Johnson proved to be just as formidable an opponent outside the ring as he was in it., a singer and civil rights campaigner from the US, and began championing the cause of communism and anti-colonialism. But once peace was declared, many reinstated a so-called “colour bar”, which meant separate queues for white and non-white workers.In 1953, he walked into a pub in Greenheys, an estate in Moss Side, called the Old Abbey Taphouse and ordered a round of drinks for some friends but was refused because of the colour of his skin.A stand-off ensued which led to police being called and over the next three days hundreds of people, of all ethnicities, joined protests outside the pub.
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