African American Games In Berlin

Summer Olympic Games in Berlin

Even when there were people that did not like the African Americans reaching success, that never stopped them from doing so. In the Olympic games African Americans did not get any respect from some people. African Americans had to step up and prove that they can things just like everyone else or even better. The Summer Olympics in Berlin were controversial because of their location, the presence of African American athletes, and Germany’s superior mentality.

Summer Olympic Games in Berlin’s background shows where the Berlin games were associated with for to happen at this time. It was said that “The modern games were held every four years, beginning with the first, in Athens, Greece, in 1896” (Modern Olympics).

This is what Germany began to compare themselves to as these game transitioned over the years. So, Germany doing things on how the games begin and end similar to how it was in Athens, Greece. For example,“There were restrictions that were tened to enforce gender and racial biases, as many women and nonwhites could not afford the time needed to train or practice in sporting events” (Modern Olympics). At this time women and African Americans did not have many rights to do things. Women and African Americans were alike at this time for them not to be able to afford anything to participate in sporting events. This is how the Summer Olympic Games in Berlin began.
The African American Athletes did things that some people believe was not possible to do.

For they are known as successful athletes for a reason. Jesse Owens was a very popular African American athlete during the Olympic Games. “Jesse Owens sealed his place in the Olympic history by becoming the most successful athlete of the 1936 games. He became the first American athlete to win four gold medals in a single Olympics in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay, and long jump that stood unbroken for 48 years”(1936 Olympics). Jesse Owens became very popular at this time. He changed things only by his actions. Cornelius Johnson, a teammate with Jesse Owens, do extraordinary things. “Cornelius Johnson placed fourth in high jump when he earned a spot on the track team for the 1932 Los Angeles Games as a high school student at age eighteen. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, he became the first African American athlete to win a gold medal at the Berlin games” (Bachrach 97). For Cornelius Johnson to be the very first African American to win a gold Olympic medal, he began the revolution for African Americans. He made it possible that African Americans can be successful. This can be disbelieving to others to see African Americans to be so

successful.
Germany during the Berlin Olympics suspected their people to have the dominant attention in the games. Germany was trying to get more attention by using tourism. “Tourism was an important weapon in the struggle for the re-establishment of Germany’s world rank” (Bachrach 82). Germany were acting like they were the best of the best in the games. Once they entered the games, they expected them to always be at the top. Hitler did not treat the African Americans fairly. “Despite Jesse Owens popularity, Hitler never posed for photographs with him as he had with the blonde Sonja Henie during the winter Olympics” (Bachrach 96). Hitler never showed sportsmanship to the other Olympic players. He only respected the people from Germany instead of African Americans. This illustrates how Germany suspected their people to have the dominant attention in the games.
The Summer Olympics in Berlin were controversial because of their location, the presence of African American athletes, and Germany’s superior mentality. African American athletes now have more time to do sporting events. African Americans have more and better opportunities to be successful in sports. Life can be difficult. That is why people do all they can to go through it.