Journal article 1778 views 534 downloads
Boxing, Race and British Identity, 1945–1962
The Historical Journal, Volume: 63, Issue: 5, Pages: 1349 - 1377
Swansea University Author: Martin Johnes
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DOI (Published version): 10.1017/s0018246x19000724
Abstract
This article provides new insight into the study of race relations and British identity by exploring attitudes to black boxers in the post-war period. With a formal colour bar on British championships operating until 1948, boxing had long been a site where racial prejudice and discrimination were ar...
Published in: | The Historical Journal |
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ISSN: | 0018-246X 1469-5103 |
Published: |
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
2020
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Online Access: |
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URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52440 |
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2021-01-07T04:14:55Z |
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2021-01-06T17:01:32.5334638 v2 52440 2019-10-15 Boxing, Race and British Identity, 1945–1962 8aa6d8da22a168889f76c9a5a6e5fa84 0000-0001-9700-5120 Martin Johnes Martin Johnes true false 2019-10-15 CACS This article provides new insight into the study of race relations and British identity by exploring attitudes to black boxers in the post-war period. With a formal colour bar on British championships operating until 1948, boxing had long been a site where racial prejudice and discrimination were articulated and casually applied. But it was also a rare space where black men could be spoken about, discussed and celebrated without primary reference to their colour. This article argues that boxing reflected and contributed to the complex ways in which black people were received in British society. Small in number and generally not regarded as a threat to sport or wider society, British-born black boxers in the late 1940s were often accepted and celebrated. But as immigration increased during the 1950s and 1960s, and professional boxing declined as an industry, poor treatment and marginalisation became more common, especially for boxers from the Caribbean and West Africa. Above all, boxing highlights the ambivalence in racial attitudes that meant that even the most popular black fighters were rarely fully embraced as British heroes. Journal Article The Historical Journal 63 5 1349 1377 Cambridge University Press (CUP) 0018-246X 1469-5103 boxing, race, Britishness, national identity, racism, immigration 1 12 2020 2020-12-01 10.1017/s0018246x19000724 COLLEGE NANME Culture and Communications School COLLEGE CODE CACS Swansea University 2021-01-06T17:01:32.5334638 2019-10-15T09:45:21.8613376 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Culture and Communication - History Martin Johnes 0000-0001-9700-5120 1 MATTHEW TAYLOR 2 0052440-17102019103619.pdf 52440.pdf 2019-10-17T10:36:19.2570000 Output 198442 application/pdf Accepted Manuscript true 2019-10-16T00:00:00.0000000 Released under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives License (CC-BY-NC-ND). true eng |
title |
Boxing, Race and British Identity, 1945–1962 |
spellingShingle |
Boxing, Race and British Identity, 1945–1962 Martin Johnes |
title_short |
Boxing, Race and British Identity, 1945–1962 |
title_full |
Boxing, Race and British Identity, 1945–1962 |
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Boxing, Race and British Identity, 1945–1962 |
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Boxing, Race and British Identity, 1945–1962 |
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Boxing, Race and British Identity, 1945–1962 |
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Martin Johnes |
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Martin Johnes MATTHEW TAYLOR |
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This article provides new insight into the study of race relations and British identity by exploring attitudes to black boxers in the post-war period. With a formal colour bar on British championships operating until 1948, boxing had long been a site where racial prejudice and discrimination were articulated and casually applied. But it was also a rare space where black men could be spoken about, discussed and celebrated without primary reference to their colour. This article argues that boxing reflected and contributed to the complex ways in which black people were received in British society. Small in number and generally not regarded as a threat to sport or wider society, British-born black boxers in the late 1940s were often accepted and celebrated. But as immigration increased during the 1950s and 1960s, and professional boxing declined as an industry, poor treatment and marginalisation became more common, especially for boxers from the Caribbean and West Africa. Above all, boxing highlights the ambivalence in racial attitudes that meant that even the most popular black fighters were rarely fully embraced as British heroes. |
published_date |
2020-12-01T07:53:24Z |
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11.048064 |