LARRY NEAL
there. And while I was in Henderson, I heard a splendid concert of
operatic selections by Sissieretta Jones."
"Well what about the fight?" I asked.
"Oh ... the fight? Which fight?"
"It's hard to tell now; I asked you about the Ali-Frazier fight,
and you started talking about Jack Johnson which, it seems to me,
doesn't have much to do with this conversation."
"Let's put it this way son: You order me another one of these
Jack Daniels, and sit back patiently so you can learn something for
once in your life."
If you wasn't my Uncle Rufus, I would tell you to go and eat shit,
talking to me that way.
"Never mind that ... I want it on the rocks with water on the
side."
I ordered the drink. Ray came over, poured his drink then mine.
I think I saw them exchange winks.
"Well as I was trying to say, I was in Henderson, and I heard
that they was fighting and all."
"Who
was fighting and all?"
"The colored and white.
"They say, no sooner did Jack win the match than the fighting
broke out. Well, I was in Henderson, and I heard that they was fight–
ing in Evansville, Indiana. Evansville is right across the Ohio River
from Henderson, so I went up there. Man, even with the fighting and
all going on, them colored people was celebrating. But not like they
was doing in '35 when Joe Louis won his match against Camera. No it
was nothing compared to that. But it was still some celebration.
"The next day, after the all-night-Iong parties, some smart-ass little
colored boy by the name of Open Mouth Rainey got shot to death
in the Silver Dollar Bar and Grill. It seems this guy, Open Mouth,
strolled into the restaurant and asked the owner for a cup of coffee as
strong as Jack Johnson, and a steak beat up like Jim Jefferies. When
he said that, the owner slapped him, reaching quickly for his six-shooter
which was right under the counter. Open Mouth Rainey pulled his
forty-four, but it was too late. The man had gotten the drop on Open
Mouth. He burned him five times. Open Mouth barely had a chance.
Let me tell you: some of them crackers was sure mad that a nigger was
now the heavyweight champion of the world.
"But the colored knew that it was quite natural for there to
be
a
black champion. Since we was the first boxers in this country anyway.
You see, Larry, boxing started out in Virginia. There it was the custom
for the sons of aristocratic families to go to England where they re-
