Joseph Dorsey Jr. facts for kids

Joseph "Joe" Dorsey Jr. (born January 10, 1935 – died October 20, 2004) was an American professional boxer. He is remembered for winning an important court case in the 1950s. This case challenged a law in Louisiana that stopped people of different races from boxing together. Joe Dorsey was born in New Orleans and started boxing when he was 16. He finished his boxing career with 29 wins and 6 losses. He stopped boxing when he was 31 years old.

Joe Dorsey's Boxing Career

Boxing was very popular in New Orleans. However, the sport was segregated, meaning Black and White boxers were kept separate. This separation started early, even in 1892. By 1950, the state of Louisiana made this separation an official law.

Fighting for Fair Play in Sports

In 1950, Governor Earl Long signed a law that made segregation even stronger. This law banned many activities where Black and White people would mix. This included "dancing, social functions, entertainments, athletic training, games, sports or contests." It meant that sports like boxing could not have people of different races competing together.

Joe Dorsey lived in the 7th Ward of New Orleans. Even though he had lighter skin, he was considered Black. On July 28, 1955, he decided to sue the state of Louisiana. He also sued the Louisiana State Athletic Commission. He wanted the right to box against White fighters.

A Landmark Court Decision

The main newspaper in New Orleans, The Times-Picayune, did not give much attention to Dorsey's lawsuit at first. But in November 1958, a special federal court in New Orleans made a big decision. Three judges ruled that both Louisiana's law and the athletic commission's rule against mixed-race boxing were against the U.S. Constitution.

Judge John Minor Wisdom wrote the court's opinion. He stated that separating people based only on their race was against the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This part of the Constitution ensures that all citizens have equal protection under the law. He said that segregated boxing matches were not allowed under this rule. Louisiana tried to appeal this decision, but the Supreme Court upheld the ruling in May 1959. This important decision officially ended segregated sports competitions in Louisiana. However, it did not immediately change seating arrangements at sporting events, which remained segregated for a while longer.

Life After Boxing

Joe Dorsey stopped boxing not long after he filed his lawsuit. It became hard for him to find matches because he was seen as a troublemaker for challenging segregation. He was essentially blacklisted from the sport. After leaving boxing, Dorsey worked as a longshoreman, which is someone who loads and unloads ships. He did this for almost 40 years, retiring in 1997.

Joe Dorsey passed away on October 20, 2004, from cancer. He was survived by his wife, Evelyn, and their four sons and one daughter. His fight for equality helped change sports in Louisiana forever.