Winner of the Spring 2017 StMU History Media Awards for
Best Article in the Category of “People”
On January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany. Hitler quickly turned Germany’s fragile Weimar democracy into a one-party dictatorship. During his rule, Hitler pursued a plan to harass one half-million German Jews to leave Germany. Hitler promoted a “master race” scheme that sought to keep the so-called Aryan race pure from racial contamination from all other races he deemed to be inferior. This Aryan race consisted of only Germanic peoples who had the characteristics of blond hair, blue eyes, and light colored skin. Three years after taking power, Hitler hosted the 1936 Olympics in the German capital of Berlin. This was his opportunity to put his “New Germany” on display for all the world to see.
As Hitler’s Nazi government prepared for these Olympics, athletes from the United States were also preparing themselves for the coming competition in Berlin. In the United States, African Americans were dealing with their own problems of racism. Not only was life hard as an African American in the 1930s, but life was even harder as an African American athlete. One African American, who would later become one of the most famous athletes in the history of Track and Field, was James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens. At the age of eight, he had moved to Cleveland, Ohio with his family, who had sought for better work and educational opportunities. “On his first day of school, he introduced himself as ‘J. C.,’ but his teacher misunderstood him to say “Jesse.” The young Owens bashfully accepted the mistake, thus taking on the name by which he would become famous.”1 Jesse Owens would grow up loving to run. He was the fastest runner in his school and loved competing against others. His dream was to attend the University of Michigan, but there were no scholarships offered in those days and his parents could not afford tuition. Instead, he attended Ohio State University, where he worked for the boosters to pay for his expenses.
In the Summer of 1936, at the Olympic trials, Jesse finished first in all three of the events that he competed in. He had trained hard in the preceding months, and the hard training paid off, allowing Owens to attend the Olympics of 1936, known as “The Nazi Games” or as “Hitler’s Games.” In actuality, these Olympic games were not originally intended to be games hosted by the Nazis: the “Nazis were never invited to host the Games—and probably never would have applied to do so. Instead, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had awarded the Olympics to Germany’s Weimar Republic in 1931 before the Nazi takeover as a way of welcoming Germany back to sports respectability.”2
Ironically, Adolf Hitler knew nothing about sports and expressed little interest in hosting the Olympics; instead he wished to host an all-German athletic celebration. “But Dr. Josef Goebbels, the influential minister of propaganda, glimpsed how Germany might score a tremendous public-relations coup and convinced Hitler to support both the Winter and Summer Games.”3 Influenced by Dr. Josef Goebbels, Hitler used these Olympic games as a political relation with other countries.
Several weeks after the Olympic trials, Jesse Owens competed in the Berlin Olympics and made a name for himself. He won four gold medals, in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relays, and in the long jump. Jesse Owens had set records and represented America in a humble and most respectable way, considering the circumstances. Even though many have claimed that Adolf Hitler refused to congratulate Jesse Owens, others go further by claiming that Hitler actually “snubbed” Owens:
By the end of that fabulous week in Berlin, an attractive yarn attached itself to the name of Jesse Owens. Supposedly, he was ‘snubbed’ by Adolf Hitler, who reportedly refused to congratulate him publicly after his victories. Actually, the story was concocted by American sportswriters, who were all too willing to read the worst of motives into Hitler’s behavior and to assume innocent excellence from America’s newest hero. Although it had no basis in fact, the story of ‘Hitler’s snub’ was repeated so often that people took it as truth. It remains one of the great anecdotes of American popular culture.4
Racism was as alive in the United States as it was overseas in Germany in the 1930s. German Jews were a persecuted minority in the 1930s, and African Americans were experiencing similar treatments of racism in 1930s America. “World reaction to Hitler’s program resulted in a movement to boycott Nazi goods and services, which included a movement to take away the 1936 Olympics from Berlin in an attempt to force the German government to cease its discriminatory practice against the Jews.”5 It was not until the United States entered World War II that sentiment against racism began to penetrate the American social consciousness. Even though Owens continued to face white racism in his own country subsequent to his Olympic victories, he later reflected on his experiences of racism: “What I’ve done is no more than countless other Negros (and Jews, Poles, Greeks and just Americans in general) have done…. I’ve been a Negro in America for fifty-seven years, and I want to tell you that [being black in America] can be pure hell at times and can shake anyone’s sureness. Often it’s worse if you were the world’s fastest human.”6 When Owens returned to the United States after the Olympics, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt refused to acknowledge his accomplishments or even invite him into the White House. It was not until 1979 that President Jimmy Carter presented Jesse Owens with the Living Legend Award. Forty-three years after his Olympic victories, Jesse Owens had finally been properly recognized for his great achievements.
Despite all the controversy that Jesse Owens encountered while doing what he loved, he is a true representation of perseverance and determination. Jesse Owens passed away in March of 1980 from lung cancer.
- Salem Press Biography Encyclopedia, January 2017, s.v. “Jesse Owens,” by William J. Baker. ↵
- John Rodden and John P. Rossi, “Berlin Stories,” Commonweal 143, no. 13 (August 12, 2016): 25. ↵
- John Rodden and John P. Rossi, “Berlin Stories,” Commonweal 143, no. 13 (August 12, 2016): 26. ↵
- Salem Press Biography Encyclopedia, January 2017, s.v. “Jesse Owens,” by William J. Baker. ↵
- D. A. Kass, “The Issue of Racism at the 1936 Olympics,” Journal of Sports History, no. 3 (1976): 223. ↵
- Joseph Boskin, “Jesse Owens: Running in the American Dilemma,” Review in American History, no. 3 (1987): 457. ↵
161 comments
Daniela Duran
It is impressive how racism can damage a person’s morale, for no good reason. Certainly, a world full of racism can end up demotivating people to chase their dreams and value themselves. Jesse Owens is a brave example of someone who, despite the fact he had to deal with racial discrimination, was still able to believe in himself and show the world what he was capable of. Sometimes, I believe, it requires faith and bravery to be like Owens, and stand up against all of those who refuse to believe you are capable of doing something. I am no one to judge Hitler, but I believe that the simple fact of not acknowledging someone’s accomplishments because of their race is not fair at all. Again, we are no one to judge, but if the President Franklin Delano and Hitler, both refused to congratulate him only because of his race, this seems to me as a very unfair behavior. I am glad, however, that in the end he got recognized for his triumph with the living legend award! Many of us should feel proud for him, and in fact we should feel proud for everyone whoa chives their goals, regardless of their racial or ethnic backgrounds.
Gabriela Ochoa
This is an amazing story, I have never heard of Jesse Owens or his accomplishments and way he changed history. Its amazing that he went so far in the Olympics during his time for things to be so hard for him to for him to follow his dreams and to not let the people in his life get in the way of that is inspiring. The fact that Hitler refused to recognize his accomplishment doesn’t surprise me, but to see that FDR refused to did. I am glad that he was recognize even if it took 5 decades for it to happen.
Alexander Manibusan
The first thing I thought of was the novel The Book Thief where one of the characters, Rudy, said aloud, “Jesse Owens! The fastest man on Earth!” He loved running just as much as the man he admired. And I can see now that Jesse Owens was indeed an inspirational figure. I can’t believe that even Franklin D. Roosevelt ignored his accomplishments- this makes me not only shocked, but also just plain outrageous. Though he had a tough life, I feel very glad that Owens persevered and continued what he loved doing.
Robert Freise
It is amazing despite such a unforgiving and harsh environment that Jesse Owens competed in. He accomplished his goal of obtaining the gold medal in Nazi Germany. It gave the US as a whole a boost of confidence in the world. The racial prejudice the Owens faced was unforgiving and morally incorrect. Jesse Owens accomplished so much for the whole African American community and he showed that African Americans have every sense of equality as anyone else. Great Article!!
Micaela Cruz
I first heard of Jesse Owens in the 2016 movie “Race.” I developed such a strong admiration for Owens after watching the movie because despite the constant adversity he faced in America as well as in Berlin, he overcame it all with class and through winning and breaking records of course. I found this article very captivating and well-written; I appreciated learning more about the backstory as to why the Olympics were held there in the first place and I also learned how it took over forty years for Jesse Owens to receive recognition by a U.S. president for his accomplishments. A great informative read.
Damian Jennings
I have heard of Jesse Owens, he was one of my favorite athletes because his act of achieving gold medals, yes plural, was a message to the racially motivated and discrimination of religion. He beat others who were training for the Olympics, his training outranked his opponents and he asserted dominance in every event. He is recognized in articles and news stories, but was never publicly recognized by the president of the U.S. because of the time era.
Harashang Gajjar
The story only touches on the fact that despite Jesse Owens being a world famous hero, back at home in the United States he was still a Negro and had to take the back entrance…even at events that honored him. Owens enjoyed very few luxuries after the Olympics, and this is where I feel the film was clumsy and missed important opportunities to tell the whole story of his life. The movie, instead, spends too much time establishing his life before college. It really could’ve started at Ohio State. His confrontations with racism, being poor and black, weren’t moments that had any real depth of conflict nor were they portrayed as turning points in his life. What seems more important is to show that after his Olympic wins, he could only earn a living by exhibition races against horses. Which those who knew Owens knew that he hated, especially hearing tales that slaves sometimes raced horses on foot for the entertainment of their masters.
Luis Magana
Living in that era facing so much criticism and racism Jesse Owens or J.C. was still able to prevail against all odds. Winning one gold medal is a bid deal, but winning four is incredible. It is sad to see how racially divided America was and the intention Hitler had of purifying Germany of all Jews and people who did not have certain characteristics. Jesse wasn’t even recognized by president FDR. Jesse Owens winning four gold medals showed how there is no superior race.
Peter Coons
It is amazing that the first global act of insurrection against the Nazi regime was a public display of embarrassment to German ethnic views. The fact that an African American, a non-Aryan, managed to achieve gold in four events over the “superior race” could be seen as a slap in the face to Hitler. More so, the fact that Owens represented the United States acted as a message of sorts to Hitler. A message that read “Democracy will prevail over dictatorship”. Thus, the first American salvo would be fired into Berlin, and arguably, the first American victory claimed in the war–All by the man that represented the ire of the German Reich.
Maxx Arizmendi
Jesse Owens is an iconic Olympic athlete, and his backstory was quite enthralling. Since this was during a time of racism in America, Owens’ story is inspirational because he overcame these obstacles to become a legendary athlete. I didn’t know that Owens was not recognized by President FDR when he returned from the Berlin games, because America was racially divided at the time. I found it sad that nearly five decades after the 1936 games, he was recognized by President Carter for his achievements. Other than that, this article was a great read.