The Bootlegging King: James “Cracker” Johnson and Prohibition West Palm Beach

This presentation will focus on the life of James "Cracker" Johnson who was an African American entrepreneur in West Palm Beach during the interwar period. He made his fortune as a bootlegger during the Prohibition era, and was the leader of a larger underground bootlegging empire that accumulated wealth and power for Johnson. This presentation will argue that African Americans in WPB during the interwar period found ways to secure economic self-sufficiency in the midst of racial violence and police surveillance.

Biography of Jermaine Scott, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of African American and Sports History at Florida Atlantic University. He's currently working on a book with Columbia University Press, called, "Black Soccer: Football and Politics in the African Diaspora," which seeks to understand how Black footballers challenged racist structures in the modern game while renegotiating the relationship between blackness and the nation. His writings have been included in ESPN's The Undefeated, the Journal of African American History and the Journal of Sports History. Jermaine teaches courses on African American and African Diaspora History and Sports History.

Cost:

Member - $30 or $100 for any combination of four FAU Lecture Series events. Bundle purchases are non-refundable.

Non-Member and Guest - $35