2. Jack Johnson
American boxer Jack Johnson comes at number 2 on our list. The oldest person on this list, he fought at a time when African Americans were still considered lower strata of the society. Johnson holds the distinction of being the first boxer to have a fighting career over five decades. He became the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion. In his documentary, American filmmaker Ken Burn stated that Johnson was the most famous and notorious African-American on Earth for 13 years. He died at the age of 68 in 1946.