9 of 43
© 2021 Chris Rusanowsky
Jessie White from Southern California started boxing at the age of fourteen years old. Jessie, raised by his mother, faced hardship in his youth, which drove him to feel unconfident in his childhood. While walking in his neighborhood, Jessie was jumped; this experienced scared and drove Jessie to find a way to defend himself. He went to a local karate dojo, but after hearing the rates for a membership, he turned away from the thought of learning karate. He then discovered a boxing gym that was famous in the neighborhood because legendary fighters would stop by.
Jessie went into the gym to check it out; little did he know Mohammed Ali was in the gym at the time. Ali saw Jessie and went up to him and gave him some words of encouragement. This interaction with Ali inspired Jessie to move forward with boxing and learn how to fight. To Jessie White, boxing is more than just a sport, its a lifestyle, its life. Boxing is a sport that has many dark racist pasts, and these experience has affected Jessie in his late fighting career. He has lost fights due to the color of his skin, he said. Jessie took one of his stole fights to court, and after the court reviews the boxing match on video, Jessie was awarded the win. Jessie explains how black fighters have to work harder than white fighters, that it's more than just winning fights; they have to prove more in and out of the ring.
Jessie White does not fight as a career boxer today. His focus has turned into training young children in the sport. He works with some of the most influential people in the Black Boxing community, such as Laila Amaria Ali, Muhammad Ali's daughter. Jessie also is training his twelve-year-old son in boxing to teach him what he was taught in his childhood.
Boxing has played a past time in American society, and the sport has brought some talented and strong African American fighters. Throughout American history, black fighters have faced a history of racism and segregation at white men who controlled
