How much should Jack Dempsey be blamed for the color line being drawn again

He shoulders responsibility by ultimately drawing a color line with that of his management as well as promoters.
Excusing Jack Dempsey entirely is a cop out.

 

Wills himself completely exonerated Dempsey. Dempsey drew the color line several times upon his managements urging but quickly reversed those statements stating he would fight anyone regardless of color. Dempsey fought 4-5 black opponents on his way up and had the Jamaica Kid, Big Bill Tate and other black fighters on his payroll as sparring partners. Tate was one of Dempseys dearest friends. He paid for Tates funeral when he passed away decades later.

Also Dempsey signed to fight Wills three times. The final contract in 1926 would have paid Dempsey one million dollars

 

The fact that Dempsey signed to fight Wills three times coupled with his personal correspondence that clearly shows his intent to fight Wills is enough to show he earnestly wanted the bout to occur. During this period (1925-1926) Dempsey was running out of money so he needed a payday.

Wills some 7-8 years later cast no blame upon Dempsey. “It was those who controlled the sport that didn’t want a mixed race bout to occur. I know if it were up to Jack we would have fought”.

 

You crazy.
It is 46.45% and not a notch less.

 

We need to understand the context and how that shaped Dempsey's decisions and actions.

Racism was thriving during the roaring 20s, KKK and all that. Thus it was not like drawing the color line was widely seen as an outrage, but like sort of normal. And boxing was not an exemption. It was still decades away that Jackie Robison would be allowed to play in a white team.

Sure Dempsey could have been braver and anti establishment; but it is easy to talk from our perspective. Risking a boycott to his boxing career must have been heavy in Dempsey's mind.

 

Hello, Joeywill,
I have read most of the arguments, one way and the other, and came away knowing nothing for sure. Having read nothing that convinces me they were both lying, I will just go with what Jack Dempsey, himself, and Harry Wills, himself, had to say about it, that Jack wanted the fight and tried to make it happen.