August 3, 1936– Jesse Owens wins Olympic Gold in the 100 Meters Race
In 1931, the International Olympic Committee awarded the 1936 Summer Olympic Games to Berlin. The choice brought Germany’s return to the world community after its isolation in after defeat in World War I.
Two years later, Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany and quickly turned the nation’s fragile new democracy into a one-party authoritarian government that persecuted Jews, Romani, Homosexuals, and all political opponents. The Nazis claimed control of all aspects of German life, including sports.
Hitler:
“The sportive, knightly battle awakens the best human characteristics. It doesn’t separate, but unites the combatants in understanding and respect. It also helps to connect the countries in the spirit of peace. That’s why the Olympic Flame should never die.”
German imagery of the 1930s served to promote the myth of Aryan superiority and physical prowess. German artists idealized the country’s athletes’ muscles and heroic strength and accentuated their Aryan facial features.
In August 1936, Jesse Owens arrived in Berlin to compete for the USA in the Summer Olympics. Hitler was using the games to show the world his new Nazi Germany. Nazi propaganda promoted concepts of Aryan racial superiority and depicted Africans and people of African descent as being inferior. Owens countered this by winning four gold medals.
Most Americans assumed that our Black athletes would be treated badly in Berlin, but 100,000 Berliners chanted “Jes-say O-vens” as he won the 100 Meter race. Owens and his Black teammates enjoyed freedom of movement and equality that they didn’t have back in the the good ol’ USA.
International Olympic boycotts threatened the games. So, the Olympic Village was integrated and all racist propaganda was suspended for the duration of the games. For those two weeks in August 1936, Hitler hid Germany’s racist agenda while hosting the Summer Olympics, giving many foreign spectators and journalists an image of a peaceful, tolerant Germany.
When we refused a boycott of the 1936 Olympics, the USA missed the opportunity to take a stand that might have slowed Hitler’s policies and bolstered resistance to Nazi tyranny.
Owens achievement of setting three world records in less than an hour at the 1935 Big Ten track meet in Ann Arbor is considered one of the greatest 45 minutes ever in Sports History. But, in Berlin, 87 years ago, Owens did even better, winning four gold medals: the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, and 4×100 meter relay. He was the most medaled athlete at the Berlin games and single-handedly crushed Hitler’s myth of Aryan supremacy.
Evil Nazi Albert Speer wrote:
“Hitler was highly annoyed by the series of triumphs by the marvelous colored American runner, Jesse Owens. ‘People whose antecedents came from the jungle were primitive, Hitler said with a shrug; their physiques were stronger than those of civilized whites and hence should be excluded from future games’.“
During the Olympics, Owens stayed in the same German hotel as white athletes and crews while in the USA at the sane time, Black citizens had to stay in segregated hotels while traveling.
Owens returned home to the USA a national hero, and more importantly, also a Black national hero. Still, he and his family had trouble finding a hotel room in Manhattan. The Olympic Champion was forced to use a service elevator to attend the banquet held in his honor. Olympic success made Owens famous, but did not give him equal rights.
Owens went to the podium after winning the 100 Meters, and Hitler gave him a “friendly little Nazi salute”.
When Owens returned to the USA, President Franklin D. Roosevelt neglected to invite him to the White House or even acknowledged his triumphs in Berlin, and that must have really hurt. Owens wrote:
“Hitler didn’t snub me, it was our president who snubbed me. The president didn’t even send me a telegram.“
Hitler left his box when Owens took his victory walk around the stadium. This was Hitler’s cute little way of not recognizing Owens because he had humiliated Hitler for proving that Blacks were not a lesser race as Hitler had told the world.
After the Olympics, Owens struggled. He found it difficult to find a job, and he had to participate in stunt races against dogs, motorcycles, and horses between doubleheaders at the Negro League baseball games. Owens:
“People said it was degrading for an Olympic champion to run against a horse, but what was I supposed to do? I had four gold medals, but you can’t eat four gold medals.“
Owens won those gold medals wearing shoes given to him by Adolf Dassler, the founder of Adidas, who was a Nazi. Dassler apparently didn’t care as much about Nazi propaganda as he did his athletic shoe business.
Owens and the German silver medalist in the Long Jump, the aptly named Lutz Long, became friends during the 1936 Olympics. Long congratulated and embraced Owens after his win. They corresponded until Long was killed by the Allies in Sicily in 1943. He was just 30 years old when he was killed. Owens said:
“It took a lot of courage for him to befriend me in front of Hitler. You can melt down all the medals and cups I have and they wouldn’t be a plating on the 24-karat friendship that I felt for Luz Long at that moment.“
