Rajo Jack - Racism

Racism

Rajo Jack raced in a time of racial prejudice, and he was frequently a target of racism. He raced long before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to make room for a white passenger, and over a decade before Jackie Robinson first played in Major League Baseball. When he first started racing, he would duck his head behind the cowling when someone was taking a picture. He was respected among his peers for his talent, so he was generally allowed access to racing circles in spite of his color. Drivers often drove between tracks as a group. One restaurant owner refused to serve Rajo Jack. The other drivers said that they all would be served or they all would leave. The owner served all of them. The same thing frequently happened at motels and the drivers would band together. He often claimed to be a Portuguese man named Jack DeSoto to be able to race. Other times he claimed that he was a Native American to get around the color barrier. But fans' acceptance had limits. His wife Ruth had to be with him every time he won because she would do the trophy girl's job: give him the trophy and a kiss. He once let the other driver win in a two lap match race because he knew that he couldn't kiss the white trophy girl.

Jack was considered a true "outlaw" racer since he never raced in the AAA, the prominent racing association of the time in the United States. Only AAA members raced in the Indianapolis 500, the premiere race in the country. He claimed that he would never pass the physical examination because he was blind in one eye. His fellow racers knew it was because of his skin color.