Experiencing personal triumph at the 1936 summer Olympics in Berlin, American Jesse Owens exhibited a resolute attitude and perseverance to overcome many challenges.
Born in Oakville, Alabama in a sharecropper’s cabin in 1913, Owens experienced poverty and racial inequality during his early years. During the Great Migration, his family found a home and better opportunities in Cleveland, Ohio.
left: Owens during his time as a member of the ohio state track team. right: Owens childhood home in cleveland, ohio. (Courtesy of pinterest)
Life’s stage was set for Owens to become the first Olympian to ever win four gold medals in a single Olympiad. As the final pieces of his life’s journey began falling into place, the relationships in his life helped to lead him to further greatness.
Track and field offered a unique opportunity to run for freedom in an integrated environment. Inspired by his high school coach, Charles Riley, Owens won all major track events and was an Ohio state champion three years in a row.
In 1933, Owens enrolled at Ohio State University, which was well-known for its tremendous track and field program. Under Larry Snyder’s coaching, Owens continued to mature as a sprinter and jumper.
left: coach charles riley with owens. right: later in life, owens with coach larry snyder. (courtesy of Pinterest)
Meanwhile in Germany, the Nazi regime radically altered the landscape with its Nuremburg Laws, which limited the rights of the Jewish population. Owens and German Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler, were headed on a collision course.
As America contemplated a possible boycott of the 1936 summer Olympics, Owens’ mentors encouraged him to stand tall in his desire to compete in the games. In hindsight, many saw the contrast of German Aryan race superiority and anti-Semitism with America’s own inequality and Jim Crow laws that faced many of the Black population. Owens became a light in the darkness lived by many.
Owens’ journey brought him and America respect internationally. Nazi propaganda failed to experience a victory at every Olympic event, and Owens’ exploits led the way.
He earned four gold medals in a single Olympiad with victories in the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, and 4 x 100 meter relay. The long jump competition infused Owens with a final relationship to cultivate.
In the trials of the long jump, each competitor received three jumps in order to qualify for the finals. Owens scratched on his first two attempts, and he faced one final attempt in order to make the final field of jumpers.
His primary German competitor, Luz Long, offered him a tip to move his take-off point well behind the board. Long’s wisdom restored confidence in Owens before he made his final jump, and he easily qualified for the finals.
Despite Long being German and Owens being American, both felt a bond. While Long settled for a silver medal in the long jump, he gained a friend in Owens. Both athletes found a reward far greater than medals and competition. Their relationship exceeded the drama which surrounded the games.
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