Jesse Owens wins his first of four gold medals in Berlin
Track and field athlete Jesse Owens was already a phenom by the time he qualified for the 1936 Berlin Olympics. But his performance at those Summer Games was even more noteworthy, particularly against the backdrop of Adolf Hilter’s leadership in Germany.
For Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games were expected to be a German showcase and a statement for Aryan supremacy. Hitler lambasted America for including Black athletes on its Olympic roster. But it was the African American participants who helped cement America’s success at the Olympic Games. In all, the United States won 11 gold medals, six of them by Black athletes.
Owens was easily the most dominant athlete to compete. The 22-year-old captured four gold medals—in the 100 meter, long jump, 200 meter, and 400-meter relay—and broke two Olympic records along the way. Owens’ world record for the long jump lasted for 25 years until being broken by Olympian Ralph Boston in 1960.
Several contemporary newspaper accounts report that Hitler waved at or saluted Owens immediately after his victory in the 100-meter event. However, because Hitler had previously stopped inviting any athletes into his box at the games, other reports accused Hitler of “snubbing” Owens, and the story was repeated in various American newspapers.
While Owens helped the United States triumph at the 1936 Olympics, his return home wasn’t met with the kind of fanfare one might expect. President Franklin D. Roosevelt failed to meet with Owens and congratulate him, as was typical for champions. The mild-mannered Owens seemed not the least bit surprised by his home country’s hypocrisy.
“When I came back to my native country, after all the stories about Hitler, I couldn’t ride in the front of the bus,” he said. “I had to go to the back door. I couldn’t live where I wanted. I wasn’t invited to shake hands with Hitler, but I wasn’t invited to the White House to shake hands with the president, either.”
The athlete wasn’t properly recognized until 50 years later when Gerald Ford awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1976.
