The U.S. Congress passed the Mann Act, also known as the White-Slave Traffic Act, on June 25, 1910. Though the law aimed to combat human trafficking by banning the transport of women across state lines for “immoral purposes,” it was often used to criminalize consensual interracial relationships. The most infamous case involved heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson, who was targeted and convicted under the act in a racially motivated prosecution. The law became a tool of racial control and moral policing during the Jim Crow era.

Key changes:
1978 & 1986: The Mann Act was amended to remove outdated and vague language like “immoral purposes,” replacing it with more specific terms related to prostitution and illegal sexual exploitation.

1986 Amendment: This was especially important—it removed the language that had been used to target consensual adult relationships, effectively ending its misuse in cases like that of Jack Johnson.

2018: Jack Johnson was posthumously pardoned by President Donald Trump, acknowledging the racial injustice in his Mann Act conviction.