Jesse Owens Informative Speech

Jesse’s parents having a lower education both had to work two jobs to make ends meet and Jesse was forced to grow up in a small apartment with 5 adults and 15 kids. He didn’t receive the attention, support, and affection that all young kids need and this unquestionably contributed to how he developed as a person and student.

Jesse Owens, as you might know, was an African American runner in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He won four gold medals, similarly, Rudy Steiner is the Jesse Owens of Himmel Street. “He smeared the charcoal on, nice and thick, till he was covered in black. Even his hair received a once-over.” (Page 57 Zusak) Rudy was ready to run. On this night, he became

That day he won four events, set three world records, and he tied a fourth record all in forty-five minutes. He tied the world record by running the one hundred yard dash in nine point four-seconds. He then broke a world record by jumping twenty-six feet eight and one quarter inches in the long jump. Later, he finished the two hundred twenty yard dash in twenty point three-seconds for another world record. That same day, he broke a third world record by finishing the two hundred twenty yard low hurdle race in twenty-two point six seconds.(Shwartz 1) He was so outstanding at track and field, that during his junior year of college he won every single one of the forty-two events in which he competed. Three of those events were Olympic trials for the 1936 Olympics (“About Jesse Owens” 3) guarantying that he would be going to Berlin to compete for a medal.

How did attitudes towards Jesse Owens, as well as his successes, and struggles affect the status quo of race in sports. That is the question that this essay attempts to answer, by exploring Owens' early life, to his first success in 1933, to his record setting eight individual NCAA championships, four each in 1935 and 1936, to one of his greatest achievements on May 25, 1935 during the Big Ten meet at Ferry Field in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he set three world records and tied a fourth. Then moving to arguably some of his most important victories in 1936 when Jesse Owens represented the United States of America in the Summer Olympics held in Berlin, Germany. It is there that he defied the odds by winning 4 gold medals as well as

With his success in high school, many college schools around the country recruited Jesse and wanted him come to their school. Jesse decided to go to school at the Ohio State University. At the time, Ohio State could not give track scholarships to anyone, but Jesse still wanted to go to Ohio State. This made life very hard for Jesse. Jesse was also married when he was at Ohio State so he had to find a way to make money and still be a college athlete. He tried his best to make money by working when he had time to do so

While Jesse was a student at Cleveland Fairmount jr high, he was recognized as a sprinter with enormous potential.(bio#2). Jesse set his first two world records with a jr high level, a long jump of 22 ft. and a high jump of 6ft.(bio#2). With Jesse entering E. technical high on the fall of 1930, Jesse beat high school records with a 200 yard with 20.7 sec.; a 100 yard dash with 9.4 sec.(bio). Owen was offered admittance to many colleges, and was promised an essay job so that he could pay his expenses.(bio) Back then scholarships were really rare for tack & filed, only arrangements were common place.(bio#2). Jesse’s big day was not a surprise, he prove that at the Berlin Germany Olympics the following year.(bio#1).Then

In 1928, when he graduated racism was still strong and alive, and the desegregation of sports was slowly beginning, but black athletes started achieving recognition especially for someone as talented and committed to achieving success as Jesse Owens was (Gale). Jesse Owens wasn’t successful just because of his talent, he was successful because of his hard work and determination. He “worked a number of jobs including elevator operator, a waiter, pumped gas, worked in the library, and served a stint as a page in the Ohio Statehouse, all of this in between practice and record setting on the field in intercollegiate competition” (JesseOwens.com). Not only did Jesse Owens work endless hours, he practiced endless hours, it’s rare to see someone with the work ethic Owens had, he clearly wanted to be successful putting all of his time and effort towards achieving it. He even broke three records in a span of forty five minutes while injured, and nearly broke a fourth (JesseOwens.com).

During the early 20th century in America, segregation not only separated African Americans from daily life but it also carried over to athletic events. The Olympics is a worldwide sporting event that today includes a diverse number of races; however, it was not always that welcoming. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Jesse Owens faced racial slurs and discrimination both on and off the track field. In spite of the racism, he gave African Americans hope for change by proving Adolf Hitler’s ideas of Aryan supremacy false. Owens used his athletic ability to break the social and color barrier for the U.S.

He not only have many achievements but he also change the perception on black athletes. He made society realize that skin colour isn't what makes you great. He showed them that blacks aren't any worse than whites. Getting onto his long list of achievements. Michael and the Bulls where 6 time NBA champions.

He trained for most of his Elementary and High School career with Charles Riley. It was Riley who taught Jesse not only technical skills but mental skills. He used to tell him to “Train for four years from next Friday”(Haire, Kelvin. “Jesse Owens | Growing Up.” Jesse Owens | Growing Up, Ohio State University, 2010,)

Jesse Owen is a track athlete. He is a four time gold medal champion for the Berlin Olympics. The Berlin Olympics is also known as the nazi games. He married his wife Minnie after being the mother of his child for three years. After winning the Olympics he received many endorsements for many different companies. Later he created a dry-cleaning business but it unfortunately went bankrupt. After the bankruptcy he went back to school in order to finish his degree. During this time he would help around with multiple community sports groups for children.

Owens athletic feats confronted American racial discrimination. In a country that fostered athletic success, Americans would only accept someone as a role model who was athletically successful. The idea of Owens representing the U.S.A. is ironic because Owens was an African American experiencing repression by the Jim Crow laws. Owens obligated not only American Whites to challenge their ethnic ideas and celebrate his success, but for Germany and the rest of the world too. The force of specific individuals to influence change is exemplified by Owens here. Interestingly, both President Roosevelt and Hitler refused to shake Owens hand after he had won four gold medals. Owens never let any bigotry get to him, and by using his athletic prowess as

Transition. Despite being an Olympic hero for America, Jesse Owens becomes a victim to racial discrimination during the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Jesse Owens was the son of a share cropper and the grandson of slaves. At the age of 10, he was expected to pick 100 cottons a day to help support his family. In high school, Jesse started setting records for his local track team. He was known as the ‘Buckeye Bullet’ (Jesse Owens Biography) because of the overwhelming amount of records he set. In 1936, Jesse competed in his first ever Olympics, representing team America. News reporter William Shirer commented on the games: “’the berlin glitter as merely hiding a racist, militaristic regime’” (No place for games: Nazi Olympics exhibit opens in Illinois).

1976, March Hiroshi Miyamoto took 1st place as a freshman in the 100 meter dash state finals in japan. This is when his dream formed. Of going to the Olympics and compete with the sprinters around the world. Since then he started dedicating himself to running to achieve that dream. Training everyday in

In the 100-meter dash there were twelve preliminary rounds, which were all to be ran the first day of competition. In order to advance from there the top two runners of each race will go on to the semi-final. Owens's was scheduled to run in the last round, which was good for him because it let him see what he would have to race against if he made it to the finals. Jesse Owens didn't have to worry much about opposing team members very much with his speed.