Jesse Owens Research Paper

“Although I wasn’t invited to shake hands with Hitler, I wasn’t invited to the White House to shake hands with the President either.” - Jesse Owens. Jesse Owens was an African American athlete that won four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics at Berlin during the Nazi regime. The 1936 Olympics was quite controversial because of the Nazi’s and their policies for minority groups like the Jews. It was so controversial that the United states nearly pulled out of the international spectacle. Germany wanted to use the Olympics to showcase their country. But Jesse Owens took much of the attention away due to his athletic display. Even with his legendary performance in Berlin, it didn’t change much of his status in the US as a black man. In the

Jackie Robinson once said, “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives” (“Jackie”). Jackie Robinson was a major star athlete from the very beginning, always excelling in whatever he did, and his biggest achievement was breaking the color barrier of major league baseball. Robinson is an American Revolutionary Figure because he changed many things for African Americans while also inspiring others to further advance and make changes as well.

There are many people in the world who have made an impact on America. Many people are known for their strength ,courage, and willingness to fight for their beliefs. That is what Jackie Robinson and Jesse Owens have in common; they fought for what they believed in. They broke color barriers, set records, and changed American history. Although they bear some minor similarities, the differences between Jackie and Jesse are clear.

Even though there was animosity between these two races, Jackie Robinson’s success was necessary for increased equality for blacks. Jackie Robinson was influential because he had a positive impact on black baseball players and on black and white societies. Throughout Jackie Robinson’s life, he had endured many obstacles and challenges that influenced many

The African American community has experienced many triumphs and tribulations throughout its history. Jackie Robinson is an iconic and inspirational figure within this community. I admire him because his successful life has allowed me to have the confidence to overcome adversity in the classroom and on the tennis court because of my race.

In Race, Jesse Owens had a conversation with the head of the NAACP where he was asked to not participate in the 1936 Olympics. Jesse Owens was put in a situation where he had to what he wanted to do and why, knowing that his decision would either be one that he would regret his whole life, or one that he would be standing alone for. Also, in the movie Race, when Jesse Owens was in Berlin for the Olympic games, him and Luz, his opponent, publicly demonstrate kindness towards each other in front of everyone at the Olympics. Jesse Owens was in a country where the locals hated him and stood up for himself by going to the Olympics, and had someone by his side to show them all that there’s no reason to hate people based off of appearance. Just like Jesse, many people have been in situations where they needed someone to stand up for or with them at some points in their life, and have or have not had someone to be there for

Being at the Olympics shaped him into becoming a role model, not just because of how astonishing his performance was but the place he did it and the era made a huge impact. Owens was trying so hard to make America united and equal, he was trying trying to make America come together. He worked and was determined to succeed he was the one who made it through it all he flew above all the discrimination and prejudice. Owens was not about just looking good when running or getting medals. He pushed himself in all aspects in order to help each African American, u.s citizen,

One of the most influential events in American history occurred when Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. This accomplishment and others that he would achieve in his life time, were inspiring given the historical context in which he rose to fame. Jesse Owens created a historic legacy not just because of his record finishes on the track, but also due to the challenging times in which he competed.

Owens' achievements on the track in high school were so phenomenal that he caught the attention of several Big Ten universities, including The Ohio State University and the University of Michigan. It came down to which school had the best offer, and in the end, OSU’s proposal that Owens could work part-time as a freight elevator operator at the State House while training and going to classes was the winning one. After passing a series of exams that summer to qualify him to enter college (he was a few credits shy of graduating from high school), Owens started classes at OSU in the fall of 1933.

Because he is well-known as being one of the first African Americans in the Games, many people believe that he had a luxurious life filled with fame and money. However, the documentary "More Than Gold" reveals that this was not the case. Amidst the "Black Power" time of the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Owens exclaimed that "The black fist is a meaningless symbol. When you open it, you have nothing but fingers - weak, empty fingers" ("Quotes by Jesse Owens"). Owens, who just wanted to participate in Track and Field alongside other spectacular athletes, reinstated the important principle that "individual excellence, rather than race or national origin, distinguishes one man from another" ("About Jesse Owens"). Although he did not have the lucrative career that he deserved (like many other minority athletes of the time), Owens refused to let his message go to waste. He often spoke with younger generations, trying to iterate to them that underprivileged youth should still have the opportunity to make it "big" if they have the talent to. For this, he was considered a "champion on the playground of the poorest neighborhoods" as much as he was a champion of the Olympic Games ("About Jesse Owens"). Even through a life of financial hardships, Owens inspired many African American athletes to achieve their utmost

He was also an amazing athlete when he was a kid. In middle school he was

Jesse Owens allowed for people to look up to someone to regain their hope. Looking up to Owens gave the people a mentality that if you can do

Jesse helped create some church organizations and he lead civic meetings. Grievously, in 1980 he passed of lung cancer. James Cleveland Owens, also known as Jesse Owens, will always be known for his determination and success as a world record setter in track and

Jesse Owens is influential because, he is the best example of the “American Dream.” Jesse Owens was “The son of a sharecropper and the grandson of slaves. Citation1” So Owens started at the very bottom. It shows that no matter how low you may be there is always a way up with the American Dream. As “A frail child, Owens was often sick from his battles with chronic

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.