Born in Oakville, Alabama on September 12, 1913, James Cleveland Owens would prove to be one of the greatest athletes of his time. He was the seventh child born to Henry Cleveland and Emma Alexander Owens. Being that Owens was the son of a sharecropper, a grandson of a slave and an African-American, he was treated with disrespect and indecency (Trust 1). “J.C.”, as people called him, was not born into fame and a luxurious lifestyle; however his determination and willingness to succeed made his family background seem inconsequential. Defying the beliefs of racism during his time, James Owens (later known as Jesse) was one of the first men to change the way people viewed athletes of his kind, but more importantly the people of his race. Since Owens and his family were living during a time of segregation, they were not given equal opportunities or rights. The children had to work every day to help make enough money for the family, making school unimportant. When Owens did not have enough clothes to wear, he hid from neighborhood girls to cover his body. Being kind of ashamed of his lifestyle, he made sure to work hard in school and set goals for himself. Only learning limited reading and writing during his first year of school, Owens came home with the motivation to someday go off to “kolledge”. His mother stated that if he worked hard, maybe someday he could go (Josephson 16-17). The Owens family moved to Cleveland, Ohio when James Owens was just nine years old, where he would get the name that came to be known around the world. Because Owens had a southern accent, J.C.’s teacher heard ‘Jesse’ when she asked him his name (Trust 1). The Owens’ house had exciting new luxuries and they got to eat more often. The whole family worke... ... middle of paper ... ...emic probation during his second semester (JOF 3). In 1934, the Amateur Athletic Union elected Owens into the All-American Track and Field Team. His nickname became the ‘Buckeye Bullet’ because OSU’s sports teams were called the Buckeyes (Josephson 38). Owens attended the Big Ten Conference Championships on May 25, 1935, and left with three world records and tied a fourth (Trust 2). Later on, his coach Larry Snyder explained “There is no pounding of the track when he runs; his feet kiss the track like a billiard ball when it clicks; he doesn’t bruise the cinders” (qtd. in Josephson 45). In between setting world records, attending college, and working on his strength, Owens had to have many jobs to support him and his young wife, Ruth. Some of his jobs were the following: night elevator operator, waiter, page in the Ohio statehouse, and he also pumped gas (JOF 3).
“Life of Jesse Owens.” African American Heroes. Ed. Marshall McCoy. Detroit: Gale, 2004. U.S. History in Context. Web. 6 Feb. 2014.
Since there were few blacks in the school and he was slightly a target of biggotous remarks he went back to getting attention by clowning around in class again. He was later sent to Germantown Highschool where all his neighborhood friends went. He was back with his friends but his grades started to drop. He was left back twice. He was also too old to participate in the city track meets (which he could easily win).
Jesse Owens' childhood was unparalleled to any other child's with how hard it was. His parents struggled to get everyone in his family fed since their family consisted of twelve people (“Jesse Owens”). Many of his siblings were too busy to help their parents because of school. Jesse Owens was still too young for school which led to Owens having to help his parents out by earning money and buying food. This was an enormous responsibility for such a young child, especially with that big of a family. What topped it all off was he was an African-American and in that time period, African-Americans were greatly judged. Owens was cheated out of many opportunities for being an African-American, but that didn't stop him as he still found ways to help his family out in any way he could. Owens was forced to become a man at a very young age and made him mature very fast.
Jack “Jackie” Roosevelt Robinson was born January 31, 1919 in Cairo Georgia. There he lived with his family in dire poverty on a sharecropper’s farm. Abandoned by his father, at age one, his mother moved their family to Pasadena, California; there she raised Robinson and his four siblings all by herself. Jack became a star athlete in high school excelling in football, basketball, track, and his weakest sport baseball. Jack was not the only athlete in his family. His brother Mack, won a silver medal in the 1936 Berlin Olympics for the 200 meter dash finishing second to Jesse Owens. When his brother returned the only job he could get was sweeping the streets. Robinson grew to hate Pasadena, according to Ray Bartlett, a friend he would later meet at UCLA. (Jerome 71) While Mallie, Jack’s mom, struggled to raise her family alone, she instilled the values in Robinson that made him fight not just for himself, but for others. (Berkow A16)
Jesse Jackson had a hard but ultimately successful early life. He was born on October 8, 1941 to Helen Burns and her married neighbor, Noah Robinson. Jesse was taunted as a child for being "a nobody who had no daddy” (notablebiographies.com). While Jesse was originally named Jesse Louis Burns, at age fifteen he took on the name of his stepfather, Charles Jackson, who had adopted him earlier. Jesse attended Sterling High School in South Carolina, where he “was elected president of his class, the honor society, and the student council, was named state officer of the Future Teachers of America, finished tenth in his class, and lettered in football, basketball, and baseball (Ryan, encyclopedia.com). Jesse’s athletic success in high school earned him a football scholarship to the University of Illinois, which he left South Carolina to attend in 1959. Then, during his freshmen year there, Jesse became displeased with football and the way he was treated on campus, and transferred to the “predominantly black Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina in Greensboro and received a B.A. in sociology in 1964” (Ency...
The history of sports goes back since ancient times. It has been a useful way for people to explore nature and their environment. Sports include different activities and games such as football, soccer, basketball, and etc. to express their skills and talents. Also, sports are a way to relax and have fun; but are sports all our African Americans rely on? The dream to become future sports stars. The reason why Gates begins his essay with an anecdote is to show and compare how many african-american athletes were at work today and how little the chances of African-Americans becoming athletes are compared to being a lawyer, dentist, or even a doctor. African-Americans assume that they are born athletes and it’s because the school system doesn’t teach them reality and educate them to undertake more realistic goals for careers.
Following his success in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Jesse Owens stated that “[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.” While Owen’s words were brushed aside at the time, this statement illustrates the color barrier that stood strong throughout Owen’s many triumphs. Often thought of as one of the best presidents of the United States, FDR fell victim to the degradation of African Americans along with everyone else. Jesse Owens was the first in a series of African Americans who transcended the color barrier for brief moments when it was to the advantage of White America in a time where African Americans were treated as objects. However, his restoration to the lowly levels of American civilization quickly returned upon his reentry to the country he represented. While subjecting himself to this continuous ridicule and embarrassment, Owens persevered as a true hero for the African American race, as optimistic people capitalized on the fame he obtained for brief stints. Therefore, acting as the first “nonwhite” hope, the eventual reputation he garnered from
Henry and Emma Alexander Owens gave birth to James Cleveland Owens on September 12, 1913 in Alabama (www.jesseowens.com). At the age of nine, the family moved to Cleveland, Ohio for better opportunities as a part of the Great Migration. Owens went by J.C. for short however while taking roll in Ohio, a schoolteacher misunderstood Owens when he said “J.C.” and grasped the name “Jesse” as a result of his strong southern accent. From this day on, Owens went by the name Jesse.
Imagine being handed all the wrong cards as a child. From the beginning of his life, Jim Thorpe had to learn how to be strong and overcome. Stricken with poverty and living in the heart of Indian territory, he was able to achieve his dreams and then some. These things transferred to his athletics to make his family and the entire Sac and Fox tribes proud. Through hard work, determination, and overcoming many tragedies, Jim Thorpe became the greatest athlete of the 20th century, and his legacy even continues today.
"Black History in America: Athletes." Black History in America: Athletes. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.
Day two, the 100 meter dash. As heard on the day, "at the start, the athletes are toeing the line. Now the start. Ready. Set. Go! The Dutch runner is leading, now Jesse Owens is closing in, Metcalfe is trailing, Borchmeyer is fighting desperately. Owens is closing in on the finishing line with a large lead. First Owens. Second Metcalfe." After, Owens says, "I'm very glad to have won the 100 meters at the Olympic games here in Berlin. A very beautiful place, and a very beautiful setting. The competition was grand and we’re very glad to come out on top. Thank you very kindly." Owens has tied the world record and can check one goal off his list. Based off tradition, the leader of the host country would congratulate the gold medal winner, but Hitler did none of the sort. Louis Stokes, a Cleveland resident at the time said, "As an African American, all of us shared the snubbery by Hitler of Jesse Owens. Jesse was ours. He was us. He was me. And when Hitler snubbed him -- he snubbed every one of us." As Owens began to win, African Americans began to join and support him. Day three, the long jump. Owens came out sloppy in the preliminaries, but jumped far enough to qualify for the finals. During the event, "the leader changed constantly. When one athlete reached a certain distance the other countered. And for a long time, it was impossible to tell how the contest
Jim Thorpe was the greatest athlete of all time during 1912. Jim Thorpe had a tough childhood but he turned it around when he got the name “the greatest athlete in the world”. Even though he wasn't treated the same way as everyone else he still showed that he belonged and got through his tough times with the help of sports
In sports, there is no shortage of black success stories. Meanwhile, two black men of prominence in Odessa (who are not athletes) fell from grace. Willie Hammond Jr. (the first black city councilor and county commissioner) and Laurence Hurd (a minister and desegregation supporter) were glimmers of hope for the black community that were both snuffed out. Hammond was arrested on charges of arson conspiracy and perjury and Hurd is in prison for burglary and robbery, leaving a hole in the morale of the black community that was not repaired. These losses, combined the with negative news of black people circulated via media, made the possibility of succeeding in a white man’s world inconceivable. Yet, there is no shortage of black success stories in sports, like Michael Jordan and Bo Jackson; in every area that is not a “rich man’s sport”, black athletes dominate. To the poor children on the Southside, there is something very alluring about the “Cinderella stories” of men from poor black neighborhoods rising to prominence through sports. Based on these examples, there seem to only be two paths for a black teen to take: criminal or athlete. Many of these teens aspire to be sports stars and depend on nothing else because there is nothing else. Some may become the superstars they hope to be or they fall into ruin as Boobie Miles, Derric Evans, and Gary Edwards
Holloway, David. “Owens, Jesse (1913-1980).” St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 3. Detroit: St. James Press, 2000. 583-584. Student resources in context. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
Whitaker, Matthew C.. African American icons of sport: triumph, courage, and excellence. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2008.