Jesse Owens's Role In American Society

In Spite of the devastating history of segregation in the United States. A lot has changed in the past fifty years since segregation ended. The United States shifted from arresting African Americans for using “white only” facilities to integrated schools all over the country. Influential individuals such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr helped pave the way for African Americans to live as equals to along with their white counterparts in the United States of America.

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

American outlaw Jesse James was born September 5, 1847. Shortly after Jesse’s birth, his father set off for the California gold fields, where he died of pneumonia. Jesse’s mother, Zerelda, remarried twice finally settling down with Dr. Reuben Samuel. He lived on his stepfather’s farm with his newfound cousins, the Younger’s.

As a child his family and friends called him ‘JC’. When Jesse was nine years old, he and his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where his name changed from JC to Jesse, “The teacher was told, ‘J.C.,’ when she asked his name to enter in her roll book, but she thought he said, ‘Jesse,’ The name stuck and he would be known as Jesse Owens for the rest of his life,” (Jesse Owens Fund). In Junior High, Jesse wasn’t any ordinary kid, he broke his school record, by reaching 6 feet in the high jump and 22 feet 11 ¾ inches in long jump. Throughout high school, Owens won all the main track events, including the Ohio State Championship three years in a

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.

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.

People do not acknowledge the struggles that African Americans had to endure for them to be treated equally, the way a true American is supposed to be treated. One of the ways they were not treated equally was by not being able to participate in sports with whites. From the beginning of our nation, colored people were highly disrespected and treated as if they were some type of animals, which have no say in what happens to them. They were not given any opportunities and were treated harshly because their skin color was different. Whites were able to practically do anything they wanted, unlike blacks, who were racially discriminated or beaten for no apparent reason. African Americans were among the worst treated races in the US; however,

James Cleveland Owens was born in 1913 in a small town in Alabama to Henry and Emma Owens. When J.C. was eight, his parents decided to move the family to Cleveland, Ohio because Jesse's pnemonia was worsening, and their sharecropper wanted more of their money. They did not have much money, and J.C.'s father was hoping to find a better job. When they arrived in Cleveland, J.C. was enrolled in a public school. On his first day of class when the teacher asked his name, she heard Jesse, instead of J.C. He would be called Jesse from that point on.

Owens had to work several jobs in order to support himself and his young bride Ruth. He worked as an elevator operator, a waiter, he pumped gas, worked in library stacks, and worked as a page at the Ohio Statehouse. He did all of this while practicing, studying, and participating in record setting track events. This was just a preview of what was to become a legendary Olympic performance.

They all moved to Cleveland, where he would stay and go to school there. This would also be the place where he would meet his wife, Ruth, and they would have a child together (Buckley 5). After hearing of all the buzz from his high school career, Ohio State University accepted him into the program. There, in the year 1935, he broke five world records and equalled a sixth (“Jesse Owens Became A Sporting Legend…”). But, not only was it all in one year, it was all in one meet. In fact, it was all within 45 minutes (“Jesse Owens Became A Sporting Legend…”). His success in college is what helped him jump on the boat to Berlin for a chance to compete in the 1936

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 conclusion, Jesse Owens impacted Civil rights by accomplishing many things, hard childhood, and his racial inequality. Jesse Owens was a track and field star. His most famous moment came in the 1936 Olympics when he won four gold medals. Adolf Hitler hoped the Olympics would be a showcase for Aryan supremacy, but Jesse proved him wrong. In his later life, Jesse Owens became a role model for America and athletics. There was a significant change in civil rights due to Jesse

For instance, “new parameters were being drawn where previously African Americans could not stand” (“Glory”). At a time with little inspiration, he set a precedent for all future African Americans by demonstrating that they are equal to the rest of the world. More importantly,” he was unlike any other Olympian before him” because of his ability to conquer any barriers on his path to becoming an Olympic legend (“Glory”). The tremendous scrutiny Owens overcame exemplifies his ability to face obstacles and overcome them. However, the largest impact of Owens is that, because of him, “the South was conscious of African American achievement” (“Glory”). African Americans were being recognized in the media in an area in which they had been persecuted for centuries. They were finally becoming recognized by the South, which echoes the belief that Owens generated hope for all minorities. Jesse Owens was an inspiration all minorities and caused the United States to finally accept the achievements of African

Owens during, the Nazi Olympics, dominated the games taking gold medals and breaking records which resulted in Americans celebrating his victory disregarding the entire fact that he was African-American. At this moment in time it did not matter what race he was as an American he stood against Nazi Germany in stood victorious. Jesse Owens produce similar results when he had a match that would be looked at as the United States against Nazis. It helped the public mood and was great for publicity. Once again, when he won white Americans disregarded the fact that he was African-American because, as he stated, he was "fighting for America". However, of course there were some limits that came along with this. Though the barriers caused by race were beginning to slowly fall, it was still obvious that people were still against African-Americans stating that the only reason as to why they were good at physical activities was because they were born with physical advantages because they come from the jungle. What these achievements and limits say about the particular role that sports played was that when face with a common foe it does not matter who stands next to you in that small moment when winning against the real enemy (the Nazis) race is not a factor. In that small moment in time there were all Americans. However, when the fight is over and won,though sports helped

Some might say Jesse Owens is not controversial because he did not change the racism in America. Jesse Owens said “When I came back to my native country, after all the stories about Hitler, I couldn't ride in the front of the bus," Owens said. "I had to go to the back door. I couldn't live where I wanted. I wasn't invited to shake hands with Hitler, but I wasn't invited to the White House to shake hands with the President, either." This quote may be true, but Jesse Owens was influential and was an example that it does not matter the ethnicity or nationality, a hero is a hero.