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

Can you imagine embarrassing the infamous Adolf Hitler in front of the whole world? Jesse Owens did that in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. It was not an easy road for him to get there, but he did it by putting enough effort and hard work forward. Jesse Owens was able to overcome racial judgment by surviving a poverty struck childhood, training hard in school, and by winning the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

The first African American pro sports player, the former Brooklyn Dodger, Jackie Robinson, is the definition of the American Dream. He is the perfect example on what our country can bring to anyone that works hard enough for it. Jackie Robinson achieved amazing accomplishments during his time. Raised from a plantation in Georgia, Jackie Robinson was athletically gifted and was a stand out in high school and at UCLA where he did track, basketball, football, and baseball. On top of that Jackie Robinson went on to be the first African American in American pro sports and led to eventually all sports being filled with other races.

Jesse James was born in September 5 of 1847 and raised in Kearny Missouri; he was the product of Robert James and Zerelda James. His father, Robert was a Baptist preacher and slave holder who died in California by contracting cholera. His mother Zerelda had remarried after Roberts’s death three times and fully supported and defended Jesse with his crimes. He had seven siblings one who was his partner in crime, his older brother Frank James. Jesse was raised pro-confederate and pro-southern which meant that he was not against slavery. Jesse James had followed in Frank’s footsteps and became a marauding bushwhacker (a confederate guerilla fighter) and joined the confederate guerilla led by “Bloody Bill”. Later on Jesse had joined Frank along with other confederate guerillas to rob stagecoaches and do raids.

By that standard, he lived and few people—and no other athlete—this century has impacted more lives than Jackie Robinson. He was an exceptional athlete that was outraged at the injustice and quick to stand up for his rights. His natural instinct wasn't to turn the other cheek, but to face problems head on. His athleticism opened many doors for him. Being black did not stop Jackie Robinson from attaining his dreams.

After his retirement, Robinson became a successful businessman and active supporter of political causes, devoting many of his efforts to the pursuit of a better life for African Americans (Jackie Robinson, 1994). Jackie Robinson accomplished many things by persisting through challenges. Jackie Robinson has created many records for baseball, used persistence to innovate ways to overcome discrimination against him because he was black, and illuminated the world by inspiring other races to play professionally in sports.

Barry Sanders was, if not the best, one of the greatest football running backs in the history of the NFL. Barry was a hard worker at home, and that is what carried him in the game of football. This, in the end, is what helped him achieve a legendary status. In general, Barry Sanders was one of the most versatile football players, but was also a very quiet person on the inside.

Jackie Robinson broke many barriers, creating a positive role model for young children and adults alike. Robinson was one of many talented black athletes, but he was just able to get the

Robinson had important accomplishments including, breaking the color barrier. He participated in organizations and events to be a voice for African Americans. Robinson's goal was to create racial equality in society and wanted to terminate segregation; especially in sports. Robinson was an inspiration, a leader, an influential athlete and figure in the twentieth century. He paved the way

When he was in high school, he was told that he should focus on baseball because he was too small to be any good at football. Instead of listening to them, he kept trying. He was 5’4 but was still determined to be the best he could be in football. He was always trying to be better at football, he would keep practicing the plays until he had them memorized. He ended up being a great player, and breaking a record for tackles with 224, which still stands today. He wasn't the fastest, or the biggest, but he still tried to get better everyday.

Jesse Jackson was born on October 8, 1948, in Greenwood, South Carolina. His actual name when his was born was Jesse Louis Burns. His parents were Helen Burns and Noah Robinson, but were never married. A year after Jesse’s birth, his mother married Charles Henry Jackson, an office maintenance worker, who later adopted him. That’s how Jesse’s last name became Jackson.

His brother Matthew Robinson really inspired him to continue in athletics. Matthew won a silver medal for the 200-meter dash-

Jesse Owens was born on September 12, 1913, in Oakville, Alabama. Jesse’s father was a sharecropper which meant he was paid to farm other peoples’ land. Jesse had six siblings who picked cotton with him on a rich man’s farm in Alabama when they were young. At age nine the Owens family moved to Cleveland, Ohio. Jesse

Jesse James was born in Clay County, Missouri near modern day Kearney. The date of his birth was September 5th, 1847. His parents were Zerelda and Robert James and they had 4 kids. Jesse James was the second oldest of all four children. He had an older brother Frank, a younger brother Robert, and a younger sister Susan. Sadly, Robert died as an infant. When Jesse was only three years old, his father traveled

The world record holder Jesse Owens digs his own starting blocks into the cinder track, Ready, Set, Go. Jesse sprints the 100 meters and gains one of four gold medals. Jesse Owens is one of the greatest track athletes that ever lived. He ran jumped and in his later career even won against horses. Many called him the fastest man alive. Although some may say Jesse Owens did not change America’s position on racism, he was an influential and controversial person because he made the American Dream and did what no one expected.