ipl-logo

How Did Jesse Owens Affect African Americans

1528 Words7 Pages

Jesse Owens was an African American track star in the 1930’s who competed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. His name is one that American athletes know and respect, yet deserves a closer look. The career of Jesse Owens had a profound effect on American athletes and African Americans in the United States. In this paper, Jesse Owens’ life will be explored to show how he affected American athletes and African Americans. He is believed to be one of the outstanding track and field athletes who ever lived. James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens was born on September 12, 1913 in Alabama. He was the last of ten children. Due to racial discrimination, Alabama did not afford his family many opportunities. Therefore, his mother, Emma moved the family from Alabama to Cleveland. Also, his father worked as a farmer and could get a better job in the North as a factory worker to help support the family. When in Cleveland, his soon to be high school coach, Charles Riley, set up a 100-yard dash for him. Jesse ran the race in 11 seconds. Charles Riley said, “No kid should be running that fast.” (Schapp). The world record was 9.6 seconds and Jesse was only in 8th grade. Jesse would train with Charles Riley …show more content…

Jesse Owens had a great career at Ohio State. One memorable moment was the NCAA Championships. Jesse Owens competed in the 100-yard dash, 200-yard dash and the broad jump. Jesse Owens won all three of these events. Ohio State came in second place just behind USC. Jesse Owens was responsible for 40 of the 40.2 points that Ohio State had during the event. In December, Jesse Owens would be stripped of his athletic eligibility and could not compete in the spring games. Jesse failed his psychology course in the fall. The hardest part was breaking the news to Snyder. Snyder said it was actually a good thing allowing him to prepare more for the Olympics. Jesse’s remarkable talent would soon be

Show More
Related

  • Jesse Woodson James Research Paper

    854 Words  | 4 Pages

    Jesse Woodson James was born in Clay county, Missouri, near the present day town of Kearny on september 5, 1847. The particular area that Jesse was born in happened to be settled by many people that were originally from the upper south, such as the states of Kentucky and Tennessee. This helped the plot of territory earn its nickname “Little Dixie”. Jesse was born into a family of two other full siblings, his eldest brother, Alexander Franklin James, and a younger sister, Susan Lavenia James. His father, Robert S. James, was a commercial hemp farmer, and baptist pastor who originally lived in Kentucky before coming to Missouri.

    Read More

  • Jesse James Research Paper

    1616 Words  | 7 Pages

    Background Jesse James was born on September 15, 1847 in Clay

    Read More

  • Jackie Roosevelt Robinson Research Papers

    1135 Words  | 5 Pages

    The early 1900s were a time in American History where blacks were not given equal rights based on the color of their skin. On January 31, 1919, Jackie Roosevelt Robinson was born. Robinson was the youngest of five children, living with his mother, Mallie Robinson, in a ramshackle house in Pasadena, California (Robinson, 1994). As his father deserted Robinson when he was just six months old, he worked many jobs throughout his childhood to support his family. Robinson was a portal because throughout his life, he was under constant criticism and scrutiny, but he still managed to break major league baseball’s unofficial color barrier and open the door for African American’s success in various professions across the country through toughness and

    Read More

  • Jim Thorpe Accomplishments

    273 Words  | 2 Pages

    As he was passing by the track field one day, he saw the team practicing the high jump. Thorpe stopped to ask if he could try. As a joke, the members of the team put the bar higher than anyone had ever jumped. They were shocked when Thorpe cleared the bar. Thorpe had broken the school record on his very first attempt!

    Read More

  • Ondell Beckham Outline

    141 Words  | 1 Pages

    Family Odell’s family is very interesting . His dad was a running back and his mom was in track .

    Read More

  • Jackie Robinson Research Papers

    1244 Words  | 5 Pages

    Jackie Roosevelt Robinson was born January 31st, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. He was raised by a single mother and had three brothers, along with one sister. (“Jackie Robinson Biography”). His older brother Mack was a high school star athlete, Jackie looked up to Mack when he was a child

    Read More

  • Jackie Robinson In The Outliers By Malcolm Gladwell

    1291 Words  | 6 Pages

    It is hard to believe at one point in time that African Americans were not allowed to participate in all the same activities as whites were. Something as simple as drinking out of a drinking fountain wasn’t quite as simple for someone of color and African Americans playing baseball, America’s sport, was not even thought of. Well, not until Jackie Robinson came along that is. Jackie Robinson was the first African-American successful in breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball. To do so, Robinson presented with a few of the characteristics that Malcolm Gladwell introduced us to in his book “Outliers.”

    Read More

  • How Did Booker T Washington Influence African Americans

    586 Words  | 3 Pages

    In what ways did Booker T Washington’s influence shape the economic and social advancement of black southerners, 1880-1920 Booker Taliaferro was born the son of a slave on 5 April 1856 in Franklin County, Virginia. His mother was a cook to plantation owner James Burroughs, while the identity of his father was unknown. Booker worked in the plantations mill, a heavy burden for a small child, and a place where he was sometimes subjected to beatings for not carrying out his work properly. Following the end of the Civil War the family moved to Malden in West Virginia where his mother met and married an African-American freedman – Washington Ferguson.

    Read More

  • How Did The Harlem Globetrotters Impact The Civil Rights Movement And Foreign Affairs

    512 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nong 1 Jeffrey Nong Mr. Bradshaw AP US History Period 5 Research Paper: Harlem Globetrotters To what extent did the Harlem Globetrotters impact the Civil Rights Movement and foreign affairs? Before the NBA there was a league called the ABA in the 1920’s this was a league where only whites were allowed to play on a team. This was because the Jim Crow laws were enforced. In 1926 a team known as the Savoy Big Five was founded in Chicago by a Jewish immigrant named Abe Saperstein.

    Read More

  • Terrell Owens Character Traits

    571 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the beginning of his seven years with San Francisco 49ers, Owens was drafted in the third round. This was a humble beginning. In his career, he soared to heights of greatness to become the second ranked player in NFL history after accomplishing 15, 934 receiving yards, 1,078 receptions and 153 receiving touchdowns. Further, he has won is a six times Pro bowl selection, five times first team all pro selection and three times NFL receiving touchdown leader. Three touchdowns ahead of Owens, is Randy Moss.

    Read More

  • 1936 Olympics Research Paper

    932 Words  | 4 Pages

    “His stunning achievement of four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin has made him the best remembered athlete in Olympic history” (“Biography”). It is a myth that Hitler did not want to shake Owens’s hand because he is black. Besides

    Read More

  • Impact Of Slavery On African American Culture

    1353 Words  | 6 Pages

    Being enslaved was not an easy job for African Americans. African Americans survived slavery through their connection with their culture. They then went on to contribute to the economic and social development of the South and America. African Americans survived the institution of slavery and Africanized the American South. They helped free themselves by sticking together as a family, resisting, as well as wanting slavery to change.

    Read More

  • Impact Of Jackie Robinson On African Americans

    930 Words  | 4 Pages

    Sports and America. Being a citizen of the United States aware that the only thing where we americans are united is with the platform of sports. Imagine a world without the talents and revelations of Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Muhammad Ali and others. Would professionals associations allow today foreign cultures compete in a high level? The government never had laws or requirements for African-Americans to join professional facilities but the owning did not like their participation.

    Read More

  • Eleanor Roosevelt's Impact On African Americans

    1642 Words  | 7 Pages

    Eleanor Roosevelt made some major and very significant steps towards changing the racism that the African-Americans constantly faced for generations. The New Deal aimed to secure equal rights for black people and these facts already show her significant role in bringing about the social changes for the African-Americans. Because of her involvement, the issue of racism towards African-Americans finally got recognized as a problem that needs to be solved, which made them feel more secure and like they had some support and hope that changes would finally come at some point. Eleanor Roosevelt had an influence on that, slightly increasing the feeling of security throughout the USA, by the impact she had on the New Deal and the will to bring about

    Read More

  • Essay On Racism In Sports

    1011 Words  | 5 Pages

    The white supremacy that flooded America in the 19th and early 20th century is no longer seen in the sporting world. This paper looked at sports through the lens of an individual athlete named Muhammad Ali (who definitively changed history for African-American people in the United States), as well as looked at sports as a whole throughout history. Through statistics and reports, proof has demonstrated that the sporting world has developed to give more of an opportunity for African-American athletes to compete than ever before. Athletics creates a platform that gives athletes an opportunity to be more than just an athlete. An opportunity to stand up for what they believe in and bring attention to some of the problems of the world.

    Read More

More about How Did Jesse Owens Affect African Americans

Open Document