No one foresaw the mere African American Alabama cotton picker child Jesse Owens as a four-time Olympic gold medalist at the age of nine. Many people believe you are not born with a certain destiny, but pave your own path throughout life as you go. James Cleveland Owens known to the world as Jesse Owens not only achieved four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics, but also did so with a hard childhood, extreme racial obstacles and barriers, and a later life of little opportunities(IMDB.com, Wiki.com,
Jesse Owens is a significant person to America because he defended the rights of African Americans to protest racism and injustice and admitted that equality had not dawned for most African Americans who suffered from limited job opportunities and ill health. James Cleveland Owens was born on September 12, 1913 in Oakland, Alabama. He was the 10th of 11 children to Henry and Emma Fitzgerald Owens. J.C. lived in extreme poverty, poor housing, inadequate food, and no extra money for medical care.
“Owens won four gold medals and set three Olympic records at the Berlin games, and his achievements shattered Adolf Hitler's assertions of Aryan supremacy. Although Owens became an international celebrity after the 1936 Olympics, he had to struggle to support himself and his family. In fact, Owens really didn't get his due until 1955”(Jesse Owens and the 'Triumph' in Berlin). “He became a convenient goodwill ambassador for the United States, for American industry, for the American government. He
November 30, 2015 Jesse Owens Do you know who Jesse Owens is? Jesse Owens was one of the greatest track runners in the history of track and field. He won four Olympic titles. He was a black runner that broke the record for high jump and the long jump. Jesse Owens was born in Alabama and moved to Cleveland when he was 9 years old. He grew up in poverty and had to help his family make money so he got a job delivering goods and working in a shoe repair shop. When he was little Jesse learned that he
Grover Cleveland Hannah Compton Citizens Christian Academy Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland was on born on March 18th, 1837 in Caldwell, New Jersey to Richard and Ann Cleveland. Cleveland was fifth out of nine siblings. Cleveland’s family was very well respected in the community, his father was a Presbyterian minister and his mother stayed at home and cared for all the children. His family had little money but they still lived comfortably (Gaines, 2009). In 1841, Cleveland’s family
How much time does it take to change history? In the case of one man named Jesse Owens, it only takes 45 minutes to change history. Jesse Owens is an African American track star who ran for Ohio State University then later the U.S. Olympic Team. He had what’s considered the most impressive athletic achievement since 1850 where he broke 3 world records (in long jump, 200 yard sprint, and low hurdles) and tied the world record for 100 yard sprint in the Big Ten track meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan (Thomas
care for his fellow citizens. In addition, Franklin D. Roosevelt played a big role in the creation of the United Nations. The United Nations encouraged countries to get along and to help prevent war in the future. Although Franklin D. Roosevelt accomplishments were somewhat decent, his selfish decision-making skills and power-hungry nature outweigh his