Jesse Owens started his great career at Ohio State University. In 1933 he won three events at the national championship, then two years later for Ohio State he tied one world record and broke three others. In 1935 at the big 10 championship he was known as the "Buckeye Bullet". His success there led him on to the AAU championship, and then the the Olympic trials. Jesse Competed in 42 events this year and won them all.
The Olympic games in Berlin, Germany. Jesse led the USA with four gold medals. Hitler and Germany lambasted america for including black athletes on their rosters. USA won 11 gold medals, six of those were won by black athletes. When Owens won, and was being awarded the medals, Hitler tried to have the cameras turned off so no one could ever see it happened. But someone didn't listen and recorded it anyway. This gave the Renaissance hope and a path to greatness. Owens wasn't properly acknowledged till 1976. But all the people involved in the Renaissance defiantly knew how important those gold medals meant.
"We all have dreams. In order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort." - Jesse Owens
Thing don't come easy, especially a gold medal. When people are constantly saying you don't belong here or you can't win it's even harder. Jesse didn't have much support while he was going for gold, he had a even harder time then others.
"You worked – possibly slaved is the word – Jesse, for many years for this. And you deserve everything they're saying about you and doing for you." –Minnie Ruth Solomon, Jesse's wife
Jesse worked so hard it was almost as he was a slave to his work. Everything that he gained from his winnings he deserved every last part of.
The Harlem Renaissance was a movement that helped shape the black culture movement with; art, music, literary, and even sports. Harlem was the center of spiritual coming of age, spanning from early 1920's to late 1930's. It's considered to what gave this culture hope after the first world war ended, and right around the great depression. This culture was looking for leaders to show people the way to greatness.