"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."

-Jesse Owens

	
	

	Jesse Owens, a black man who contributation to the world will be know to 

everyone. A man who has broken all the boundaries. A man who has won many names and 

awards. A man of many talents. A man with a title "fastest man ever". A MAN

	

	Jesse Owens, one of the eight children in his family, one of the best track and field 

athletes of all time. He was born 1913, on a farm in the city of  Danville Alabama, under 

his real name, James Cleveland Owens. He went to Fairmount Junior High School. Then
he 

went on to high school where he was a track athlete and there his high points were the 

running broad jump (long jump), the one-hundred meter dash and the two-hundred meter 

dash. After graduating from high school he attended Ohio State University (OSU). 


	Charles Riley taught him after he first saw him in junior high. He was a excellent 

track runner in high school, one of the best in the world. Like mentioned above, he was 

excellent in the broad jump, the one-hundred meter dash, and the two-hundred meter dash. 

He loved running when he was young, he said "...it would always get me where I was 

going..." He would always run. He then went on to attend Ohio State University and there 

he set the new worlds record for the broad jump at the length of 26 feet and one forth 


inch. Going on to the next year he set another worlds record for the one-hundred meter 

dash at the time of 10.2 seconds. He then was so good he went on to the 1936 Olympics
as 

a member of the U S Olympic team, the games were held in Berlin, Germany where blacks 

were not accepted as well as whites and because of that Reichfuekrer Adolf Hitler did not 

acknowledge the achievements that he did perform, despite his athletic ability. He won
four 

Olympic gold medals in the 200 and 100 meter dash, the broad jump, and also the 400 

meter relay with the other four people that ran with him. He was one of the four
Americans 

who have one three or more gold medals in one of the games. The Chicago Defender 

wrote an article which came from Berlin which reads: "Jesse Owens is the god of the 

sports fans here. He has effectively demonstrated his superiority in winning the finals in the 

100 meter event which he equaled the worlds record and by blasting the Olympic mark 

of Eddie Tollan, another race star, set back in 1932 over the 200-meter route. He was the 

first Negro to hold such position on any Olympic team at this time.



	Jesse Owens was proud of his race and wasn't afraid to show it to anyone. He ran 

for his race in all the Olympic games he attended. He gave hope to all the blacks when he 

did what he did and they had more reason to be treated like the whites in the world. Alot 

of African Americans look up to him as a black man for all he did for the black race. He 

showed the world that the blacks are the same as everyone else and that we all have the 

same blood.


	Jesse Owens went on after his career and attended many foundations and programs 

to show that he cares for who he is. He eventually died at the age of 77 in 1980 and he 


finished off with many awards from his track seasons. He will be looked up to and 

respected by all and will never be forgotten. 


	I think Jesse Owens is a great role model for all ages and he should be looked up 

to. He stood up for what he believed and had respect for who he was. I look up to him 

because I think that the racism in the world has been reduced because of people like him. 

I think he has made a great contribution to everyone. 

"When I came back, after all those stories about Hitler and his snub, I

came back to my native country, and I could not ride in the front of the

bus. I had to go to the back door. I couldn't live where I wanted. Now

what's the difference?"

-Jesse Owens