The world was a scary place in the 1930s – and unfortunately it was about to get worse before it got better. There was, however, a small glimmer of hope. This happened rather unexpectedly at the Olympic Games held in Berlin, Germany in 1936. The event was poised to be the feather in the cap for Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, but this aim was derailed in large part thanks to one man: Jesse Owens.
In years to come the event would be shrouded in myth and hearsay thanks to reports of interactions (or lack thereof) between Hitler and Owens, but it’s true to say that Owens dampened any hopes of Hitler proving the superiority of a resurgent Germany. It’s this achievement in which Owens is most commonly remembered, but his story actually started 23 years earlier.
Owens was born in Oakville, Alabama in September 1913. It wasn’t an easy childhood for Owens, who suffered from bouts of chronic bronchial congestion and pneumonia. While Owens’ life would actually take him along a most extraordinary path, his youth was in line with the typical experience you would expect at this time for African Americans.
Take, for instance, that Owens had to work numerous jobs throughout his childhood just to contribute to the household budget. There’s also the fact that when he was nine his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio as part of the Great Migration. It was here, however, where Owens began to stand out as a superior athlete – one who would be deemed world-class before he’d even left high school.
A natural in track and field, Owens actually equaled the world record in the 100 yards dash and long jump when he competed at the National High School Championship in Chicago. He’d soon earn himself the nickname ‘the Buckeye Bullet’ by the time he enrolled at Ohio State University. It was here where he received expert coaching and could further hone the craft that he’d been passionate about since he was a youngster.
The Olympic Games were on the horizon, but Owens was already taking every opportunity to prove his worth. It wasn’t easy. Due to his skin colour his faced overt racism and on occasion was forced to use separate facilities from his teammates and fellow competitors. Despite this, he would ultimately win a record eight individual championships while competing in the NCAA.
It must have been an incredibly empowering feeling for Owens, who in later years would talk about the freedom he experienced from running. The New York Times quotes him as saying:
“I always loved running – it was something you could do by yourself and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs.”
In 1935, Owens would accomplish his most impressive feat at that time when he smashed an incredible three world records during the 1935 Big Ten track meet in Michigan. It was here where Owens set world records in the long jump, the 220 yards sprint and 220-yard hurdles. He also successfully equaled the world record for the 100-yard dash. Known by many as the most impressive 45 minutes in the history of sport, it would serve as the perfect prelude to the Olympic Games in 1936.
These, of course, weren’t just any version the Olympic Games. Instead, the event was shrouded in politics and controversy. The world was just three years away from war and the host nation, Germany, was attempting to write a new narrative about racial superiority. The notion that a black athlete could win just one gold medal would be detrimental to this narrative being spread by the Nazis – and this only made Owens’ performance even more symbolic.
Owens won not one, but four gold medals at the Olympics. These came in the 100 metres, long jump, 200 metres, and 4 × 100-metre relay. In the process, Owens is said to have angered Hitler to the point where he walked off and refused to shake his hand. This wasn’t necessarily the case, with Owens later clarifying the matter once he returned to the United States.
In a speech made during a rally just two months later, Owens would say:
“Some people say Hitler snubbed me. But I tell you, Hitler did not snub me. I am not knocking the president. Remember, I am not a politician, but remember that the resident did not send me a message of congratulations because, people said, he was too busy.”
These words pretty much sum up Owens’ own focus on uplifting his race in his own country. While America’s treatment of its non-white citizens paled in comparison to that seen in Nazi Germany, they were far from perfect. Even Owens – an athlete who had won four gold medals in a single Olympics – wasn’t treated equally. This could be seen immediately upon his return to the country, when he wasn’t allowed to enter the Waldorf Astoria Hotel through the main door following a parade to celebrate the winners from the Olympics.
Owens retired from competition shortly after the Olympic Games. Unfortunately, there were limited opportunities for him to capitalise on the fame from his victories. A civil rights movement was developing, but it wouldn’t start to make steam until the 1950s. Owens would thankfully get to live through this new wave of equality which came thanks to legislation such as the Civil Rights Act 1964 and the Voting Rights Act 1965. He would sadly pass away from lung cancer in 1980.
To this day Owens is still celebrated to varying degrees. In 1983, he was inducted into the inaugural class of the US Olympic Hall of Fame. In addition, one of track and fields greatest accolades, the Jesse Owens Award, is named in his honour and given each year to the country’s top performer in track and field.
What is Owens’ most shining achievement? Arguably, it’s that it’s rare to hear a conversation about the greatest Olympian ever without someone mentioning Owens and his outstanding feat in 1936.