User talk:Designer216

I have been reading various and numerous articles about the first Black heavyweight champion of the world, namely Jack Johnson, for several years now. After coming across the biography of him on this website, I am very pleased with what has been written, even the fact that his actual birth name appeared correctly, Arthur John Johnson.

What I am actually writing about is to inform the writers/editors of any information on Jack Johnson is that Jack Johnson has living descendants as of this writing. Anyone reading this information may very well be skeptical, or think this a hoax. I assure you, it is not.

I have found that MANY people never knew that my great-great uncle had several sisters, and only one had children. HIs sister, Jane is my great-grandmother (Ken Burns mistakenly called her Jennie)and she had 4 children, which are obviously deceased. However one of her daughters, married and had my mother, who is now his OLDEST living descendant, being 78 years of age. Her name is Dorothy Cross.

We all live in Chicago, and this information can be verified by Graceland Cemetary. The Office manager, Ms. Aki Lew, knows who we are, and this can be verified by birth certificates as well. Some of us, namely me, have been interviewed by CBS, in December of 2008. My mother and I appear on camera talking about our uncle, it aired on December 21, 2008. We also were interviewed by Rusell Walker of Demus Productions, in Scotland, Uk on December 3. I gave MIchael Rosenthal of Yahoo news a telephone interview sometime this past summer.

Additionally, in August of 2005, while Hurricane Katrina was devastating New Orleans, my mother and I were flown to New York, to receive a placque for my uncle's posthumous induction into the Black Sports/Entertainers Hall of Fame, where we both spoke and thanked them for the placque and having him inducted. The former heavyweight champion Eddie M. Muhammed met me and my mother personally, as he was in attendance at the ceremony. All of this information can be verified through these individuals, hence proving that I am telling the truth.

Ken Burns of Florentine Films and his office was contacted by me personally (He never responded, but his office and producer did) and he is now aware that Jack Johnson has living relatives. I have made it my business to let everyone and anyone know that my uncle does have many nieces and nephews.

I have since written Peter King,(author of the resolution for my uncle's pardon) and spoke to him directly to inform him as well. In conclusion I just wanted to let you/the contributors know that even though my uncle never had any children, he did and does have nieces and nephews. Thank you for your contributions.

Sincerely, Linda E. Haywood/great-great niece of John Arthur Johnson, aka Jack Johnson--Designer216 (talk) 08:17, 7 February 2009 (UTC)