The History and Influence of Jesse Owens
Jesse Owens was a great african american man who helped change the way people look at the african american these days. Without him the track and field sport would have probably taken great deal more time to change from white only to runners of all colors . Jesse Owens grew up poor, but he had the abilities to succeed with his great athletic talents. "The recognition received from his athletic accomplishments enabled him to become well known and promoted the understanding that African Americans are just as capable as any other individual." Jesse Owens was an African American athlete who ran in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. After his track and field career, Owens went back to his home town, Cleveland,
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He became a professional runner. He ran a series of entertainment races against horses, cars, and motorcycles. All the while, he was looking for other means of work. He was at one point a partner of a dry cleaning company but nothing seemed to provide him with a good enough pay In 1950, he moved from Cleveland to Chicago and began working with children as a director of the South Side Boys Club. He gave speeches, along with other celebrities such as the Harlem Globetrotters, on the Goodwill Tours in America. In the early 70's, he published two books, Black think and I Have Changed. Two years later in 1979, President Jimmy Carter awarded him with a Living Legend Award. Jesse Owens died on March 31, 1980 due to lung cancer. Ten years later in 1990, he was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal by President George H.W. Bush. As the son of a sharecropper and the grandchild of a slave, he had great deal to overcome. He worked hard his entire life to reach greatness. He was much more than a record setting athlete. He opposed segregation and racism. He would never go to the top and leave others behind, for example not taking off to college until he made sure his family would be able do without his financial support. He helped children in the Southside Club, and made every effort to use his accomplishments to better the world for
Raymond Gray “Ray” Lewis was a track and field athlete. He was the first African-Canadian to win a medal at the Olympics, but his life was much more than that. Born in 1910, he faced racism and prejudice for his black heritage, but that didn’t stop him from following his dream. He accomplished various things in his life, and was, and still is, a source of inspiration for many people.
One famous athlete that has been debatably persecuted by Hitler was Jesse Owens, an African American sprinter on the United States Olympic team. After winning three gold medals already, he had been ordered to switch places with two other American Jewish U.S. teammates; a controversial move. Given that the replacement enabled the United States to win another gold, it displayed the country’s fear of discrimination, had the other teammates lost. The reaction to Owen’s victory, however, was not celebrated by everyone. There are many claims that Hitler snubbed Owen’s by not shaking his hand to congratulate him. But there are also proposals that Hitler did not congratulate any of the competitors to remain Olympic neutrality. Given that both affiliates are deceased, the topic as of now remains unknown but often
James Cleveland Owens otherwise known as “Jesse” was an Olympic long jumper and sprinter whose speed and inspirational defiance of Hitler shocked the world. The 1936 Olympics were held in Berlin and Adolf Hitler of the Nazi party believed that these Olympic Games would showcase the great skill of the Aryan (Caucasian) race, and the last person he would expect to show him up would be an African-American man (Barnes 1). With sixty-six U.S. Olympic contestants competing in the Games, the American race was really put on the spot in front of Hitler, the most powerful man in the world (Smith 1). Jesse Owens was one of these men, and while being laughed at by Hitler during his one hundred meter sprint against six other Caucasian sprinters, he won by a landslide. With that victory and his other three Olympic gold medals the Owens name was able to be remembered and looked up to for eternity. Jessie Owens is such a great athlete and individual because he defied Adolf Hitler, achieved more than expected of himself, and broke records with ease.
Bo knows what it is like to be called one of the greatest athletes of all time. Vincent “Bo” Jackson had to overcome a lot as a child, he was the eighth of ten children that his mom took care of. His family was very poor, and not knowing his father very well did not help the cause. Jackson overcame poverty by working hard, excelling at multiple sports, and staying out of trouble.
After his retirement he continued working as an activist for social change, and worked in a business. He helped established the African-American-owned and-controlled Freedom Bank, and also worked as an executive for the Chock Full O’Nuts coffee company and restaurant chain. He worked on the board of the NAACP, and in 1967 was the first African –American to be drafted into the Hall of Fame. His number “42” was retired in 1972. On October 24, 1972 in Stamford Connecticut, Jackie Robinson died of heart problems and diabetes complications. After he passed away, his wife made the “Jackie Robinson Foundation” to help young people in need by giving them scholarships and mentoring programs, also to honor all the hard work and dedication he did in his lifetime.
Although Jackie Robinson was not the best African-American baseball player of his time, his attitude and ability to handle racist harassment led the way for the rest of his race to play Major League Baseball, amongst other sports. Being accepted into professional sports also helped African-Americans become more easily accepted into other aspects of life. Jackie's impact in the world for the black population is enormous.
...ame the vice-president for the Chock Full O' Nuts Corporation. He also served on the board of the NAACP. He created the Jackie Robinson Construction Company to build affordable housing for black families that did not have enough money. In the 1970s Jackie Robinson's heath got bad. On Oct. 15, 1972, he attended a World Series game in Cincinnati that celebrated the 25th anniversary of his breaking the color barrier in professional baseball. During pre-game ceremonies he said how he wanted to have a black manager to be hired for a team in major league baseball. Ten days later after the World Series game, Jackie Robinson died of a heart attack at his home in Stamford, Connecticut. Jackie will be remembered for his courage, determination, persistence, integrity, citizenship, justice, commitment, and his excellence. He is an inspiration for many people that have a dream.
In a book about African-Americans and Popular Culture Boyd (2008, pg.67) states that the politics of the Olympics combined with the spotlight enabled by television allowed Smith, Carlos, Muhammad Ali and countless other black athletes with a platform to give voice to those without voice. Also, to expose the pain and suffering that had long been ignored in the United States.
Jackie Robinson is important because he was the first black major league baseball player who was around during the Civil Rights Movement. Jackie Robinson’s older brother inspired him to pursue his talents and love for athletics as they were growing up. His older brother name was Matthew Robinson, who was a silver medal winner in the 200-meter dash. Matthew came in second place behind Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympic game in Berlin. Jackie Robinson is a very important athlete to this day because of his accomplishments and overcoming the hard times when major league baseball was a segregated game and back when the Civil Rights Movement was taking place and when baseball was just a white man’s sport but Jackie Robinson changed that (“Robinson, Jackie Biography”).
...obinson he made an impact on a lot of people’s life’s in that time. He showed that the color of your skin does not define what you can do in life. He made the path for all African Americans who wanted to play in the Major Leagues. In the article “Jackie Robinson: A Portrait in Courage” Richard Griffin states, “ I think the stress took 20 years off Jackie’s life, ‘he said, with a hint of sadness. ‘But I’ll tell you what. Jackie Robinson did more for all of us in his 53 years than any man who lived to 90 could ever do” (6). He was someone who risked it all to show the world that African Americans were equal when he could of turned Branch Rickey down the moment he asked him to join the Major Leagues. Jackie Robinson died in 1972 in October due to heart attack but his legacy will live on because there will be no other man like Jackie Robinson in Major League Baseball.
Jackie Robinson grew up with sports all around him. Jackie’s older brother Matthew was an Olympic sprinter in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin; he came in second in the 200 meter dash behind Jesse Owens. “Matthew inspired Jackie to pursue his talent and love for athletics (Robinson)”. Jackie continued his love for sports at the University of California, Los Angeles. Robinson became the university’s first four sport letterman. He excelled in track, baseball, football and basketball. If it was not for his brother Robinson might not have continued his love for sports, thus never playing in the major leagues and the integration of the United States might have taken longer. He was easi...
The history of sports goes back since ancient times. It has been a useful way for people to explore nature and their environment. Sports include different activities and games such as football, soccer, basketball, and etc. to express their skills and talents. Also, sports are a way to relax and have fun; but are sports all our African Americans rely on? The dream to become future sports stars. The reason why Gates begins his essay with an anecdote is to show and compare how many african-american athletes were at work today and how little the chances of African-Americans becoming athletes are compared to being a lawyer, dentist, or even a doctor. African-Americans assume that they are born athletes and it’s because the school system doesn’t teach them reality and educate them to undertake more realistic goals for careers.
...eaven for many blacks as their performances proved they are no different from their white counterparts. Not only did they rally white troops from their athletic performances, they were able to do so from their voices and personal life. They began to voice their displeasure through various media outlets. Their public outcry to end social injustice and race based discrimination came started to become a popular topic of discussion all over the country. They took a stand and were rewarded for their actions as race based discrimination is abolished and blacks have the same status as whites. Black athletes are becoming more and more recognizable all over the world as some become the faces of their sports. Sports came as a form of entertainment for many, but for black athletes it ended up being the most treasured source to reconstructing their race’s lives in America.
As a son of a sharecropper and grandson of a slave, Jesse Owens created History in 1936 when he achieved what no athlete had done before: four Olympic Gold Medals. (jesseowens.com). During this era, the United States had limited civil rights and was approaching a World War with Hitler rising into power in Germany. Although Owens was victorious on the track, because of the color of his skin, He was looked down upon and unrecognized by even his own country. Through the excessive racism, one may ask how Owens moved forward and dealt with such negativity in a situation that should have been celebrated.
Martin Luther King Jr. was the most influential leader of the American Civil Rights Movement as he fought for the freedom of African Americans. King’s most influential speech is his “I Have a Dream” given on August 28, 1963.1 King himself was a man whom thousands of people admired. Martin Luther King Jr. uses an expressive tone in his speeches by using verbal powerful imagery toward his audience, reminding them of the challenges facing them and defeating racism. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired others to take action, lead by example, as shown in his speeches and promoted non-violence as a method for change.