Mike Tyson urges Barack Obama to pardon boxing champ Jack Johnson

Retired boxing champion Mike Tyson is petitioning US President Barack Obama to pardon the first black heavyweight world champion Jack Johnson, who was imprisoned for having a relationship with a white woman.

Johnson was convicted by an all-white jury in June, 1913 for his consensual relationship with a Caucasian woman and was charged under the Mann Act, which was passed in 1910 and banned taking women over state lines for “immoral purposes.”

Tyson has taken up his cause, launching a Change.org petition urging the White House to posthumously clear Johnson’s record, News.com.au reported.

“This unjust prosecution ultimately tarnished Jack Johnson's legacy,” the petition said.

“Let’s show President Obama and the White House that we too care about Jack Johnson’s legacy by signing this petition. In doing so, we are also righting the legacy of our great country,” the petition added.

Tyson has been pushing his petition on Twitter, asking his 3.6 million followers to sign it.