Jesse Owens: He Belongs in the Hall of Fame
Jesse Owens was the first African American to hold world records for track and field. When large organizations such as the NAACP advised him not to go to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin due to discrimination against minorities, he went anyway to stand up for black athletes who were always seen as inferior. Jesse Owens deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame because of his achievements at the Olympics and his brave actions to risk his life to show support to other African Americans who had experienced racial discrimination in sports.
Jesse Owens was born on September 12, 1913, in Oakland, Alabama. He was born the son of a sharecropper, and the grandson of enslaved people. By the young age of 7, Owens was working with his family, picking cotton, to help supply his family with food. In 1922, when Owens was 9 years old, his family was
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He overcame many racial stereotypes by going to the Olympics and becoming the first African American track star. Before Owens went to the Olympics, many large organizations such as the AAU and NAACP suggested not competing and boycotting it. They said this because it was opened by Adolf Hitler, and they didn't want anything bad to happen to Owens from Hitler’s controversial beliefs. Jesse Owens decided that he would compete anyways. He wanted to stand up for athletes who had been denied the opportunity to participate in sporting events previously due to their skin color. When others found out his reasoning for competing in the games anyways, nearly 20 other African American athletes joined him. When Owens won his 4 gold medals, neither President Roosevelt nor Hitler shook his hand, but he didn't take it too hard, which is one reason why he had an effect on American society. Jesse Owens had an influence on the future of track and field, encouraging people in his community and American society that they can do just as much as anyone
Some of the greatest athletes of all time are African-American. But African American athletes should be know for more than just their accomplishments on the field or court, but more for what they have done to society. Many African-Americans athletes were great civil rights leaders. Many of them succeeded more as leaders than they did as athletes. One person who is very important to the African-American sports community is Jack Johnson.
Jim Thorpe was born into the Sauk and Fox Native American nation in 1888. His parents named him Wa-Tho-Huk, which means “Bright Path.” From a young age, he enjoyed hunting, riding horses, and playing outdoors on his family’s farm in Oklahoma. At sixteen, Thorpe went on to the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania.
Bo Jackson one of the best athletes to ever step foot on earth, a two sport pro athlete was the most epic hero of the 20th century. Whenever Jackson did something everyone knew about it, he was doing things that people did not believe were possible for a human to do even when he was a kid. Bo did the most amazing things that people had seen such as do a standing backflip in water up to his knees and land it perfectly. Anything Bo did he was a natural at he had god gifted ability to do whatever he tried making him uncomparable to any other athlete because everything he had was naturally gifted to him. Bo along with having talent had a great and very humble personality, he grew up very poor in a small town in Alabama but always remained humble throughout his whole career.
“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” This is a quote by famous baseball player and civil rights advocate, Jackie Robinson. I believe Jackie Robinson should be recognized as a major person in USA history. Jackie robinson was not perfect, he did many things that were not accepted when he was alive, such as playing a “white man's sport,” verbally assaulting an officer, and not giving up his seat on the bus, but there are many great things Jackie Robinson has done including, changing the face of baseball, having many great achievements, and being a civil rights advocate. To begin, Jackie had no right to play baseball with the pros.
He is also known for being one of the first handful of African American Olmpians. One thing Jesse did is right before the Olympics many people did not want him or any other colored athlete to participate in the 1936 Olympics. Even though all this hatred was coming to him and has black teammates he still decided to participate in 1936.One thing Jesse said and I 100% believe in is, “The only victory that counts is the one over yourself.” What this means to me is that you should feel good about yourself no matter
During the Civil Rights Movements, most of the problems were dealt with by politicians and movement leaders, however few would emerge of different status and be just as effective in gaining support with the people. Gaining support from a different status as a politician, at the time, would take an incredible amount of publicity. Status, such as an athlete, from the standpoint of a people’s person was a great way to unify people together. Athletes like Paul Robeson, Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, and Arthur Ashe were incredible athletes who had a large reputation in the media and Civil Rights activism. During the span of the Civil Rights Era, athletes were able to provide momentum for the movement in actions as well as portray themselves towards
Jim Thorpe is perhaps one of the best athletes the world has ever seen. His accomplishments throughout his life are records that might not ever be broken. He set the standard for being a prime example for an athlete in even the modern period we have today. On May 28, 1888 in Prague, Ok, an amazing athlete was born.
However what is majorly overlooked is the fact that the most famous athlete of his time, his outstanding displays of athletic abilities at the 1936 Olympic Games that captivated the world even as it infuriated the Nazis. Despite the racial slurs he endured, Jesse Owens ' grace and athleticism rallied crowds across the globe. But when the four-time Olympic gold medalist returned home, he could not even ride in the front of a bus. The events that followed in Germany, namely the Holocaust and World War II overshadowed the Berlin games. However, it is very important that a world gathering like the Olympics could take place in a country that was in the process of eliminating an entire race of people and yet the world stood
Even though he was the first to be black, he still showed that he is an amazing athlete and isn’t shaken by hate. Jackie Robinson should be remembered and celebrated for the amazing things he did for the MLB and the black community.
¨A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives,¨-- Jackie Robinson. (brainyquote.com). Jack (Jackie) Roosevelt Robinson is the person of the twentieth century as he is a legend beyond baseball. By playing baseball for so many years, he was able to prove that he was a remarkable baseball player. Robinson was also able to win numerous awards for all of his accomplishments.
Jackie Robinson is one of the most important people in the sports world that we have had the pleasure of seeing in the last century. He put his life on the line to do what he loved. No matter the color of his skin he wanted equality for all no matter the color of your skin. The commitment that Jackie Robinson gave to be the first African American in the Major League paved the way for other people just like him to be just as successful as him. Jackie Robinson was an amazing athletic back in the 1940’s playing the game of baseball in the Negro baseball league.
“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
Jackie Robinson pushes his way to Freedom. Jackie Robinson was a well-known baseball player that changed the world and the foundation of baseball in April of 1947. He became the first African American to play for the national baseball team and changed the respect of African Americans. He had many accomplishments during his life and faced many challenges throughout.
“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” (Jackie Robinson). Being born to sharecropper parents living in Georgia, Jackie Robinson faced racism and hatred early on. He overcame these adversities and became one of baseball 's most historic players for not only his lightning speed on the field, but his courage to break major league baseball 's color barrier. Jackie Robinson was the most influential sports athlete because he changed American society forever.
The past has shown us that athletes can contribute in changing the world and the star power African-American athletes have in the sporting world today is the proof. Athletes in professional sports today embrace their role in society as role models and for the most part understand they have the stage to be more than just athletes, but historical figures just like those before