BLACK IN TIME: A Moment In OUR History

Jesse Owens

On August 3, 1936, At The Olympic Games In Berlin. Germany, Jesse Owens Won The 100-Meter Sprint, Capturing The First Of His Four Gold Medals.

Over The Next Six Days, Owens Also Won Olympic Gold In The 200-Meter Dash, The Broad Jump And The 400-Meter Relay.

Owens' Success Was Seen As An Affront To Nazi Claims Of Aryan Racial Superiority. Therefore, Rather Than Present Medals Himself, Adolph Hitler Watched The Presentation Of Medals From The Stands.

Jesse Owens Was Born September 12, 1913, In Alabama. His Name At Birth Was James Cleveland Owens, Or J. C. He Became Jesse When A Cleveland High School Teacher Misunderstood The Pronunciation Of J. C. And Called Him Jesse. Later He Became An Ohio State University Track Star And Was Named The "Buckeye Bullet."

Following The '36 Olympics, Owens Was Unable To Capitalize On His Success. American Athletic Officials Withdrew His Amature Status And Effectively Ended His Career.

Over The Next Several Years He Did Everything From Running A Dry Cleaning Business To Pumping Gas. He Eventually Filed For Bankruptcy. In 1966 He Was Found Guilty Of Income Tax Evasion.

President Gerald Ford Awarded Jesse Owens The Presidential Medal Of Freedom In 1976. In 1984, The City Of Berlin Named A Street And Secondary School After Him. And President George H. Bush Posthumously Awarded Him The Congressional Medal Of Honor, America's Highest Civilian Honor, On March 28, 1990.

Jesse Owens Died Of Lung Cancer In Tuscon, Arizona, On March 31, 1980.

JESSE OWENS - 1936 OLYMPICS





"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.

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