African American boxing champion, Beau Jack (born Sidney Walker) (1921-2000), was raised in kinship care by his grandmother after his mother died.

Beau was only around 8 when he would get up early each morning so he could walk from the farm to the city of Augusta (home of James Brown) to secure the best spot for shining shoes. He learned to fight because the money he earned made him a target for bullies and thieves. He became a professional boxer in 1940 and was a popular fighter at Madison Square Gardens during WWII. Beau Jack retired from boxing in 1955 and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991.