Leonard Benker Johnson

aka Len Johnson, Len, English Flash

KS2

• Leonard Benker Johnson was born in Manchester in 1902.
• Johnson was a professional boxer.
• Johnson was banned from fighting for British titles because of his skin colour as he did not have two white parents.
• Johnson won the British middleweight Empire boxing title when he fought in Australia in 1926.
• In Britain, Johnson toured his fairground boxing booth for several years.
• At the start of WWII Johnson gave up the boxing booth and worked in Civil Defence.
• Johnson fought against the ‘colour bar’ in British society.
• After the war Johnson worked as a bus driver and then a lorry driver.

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