Jesse Owens

Jesse Owens

By Grace Berberian

Jesse Owens-Introduction

Jesse Owens was born on September 12,1913.

He was a son of a sharecropper and grandson of enslaved humans. Owens grew up with lung problems but still picked up 100 pounds of cotton a day to help keep food on his family's table. Jesse Owens graduated from Cleveland High School and went to Ohio State University.

Multiple Choice

When was Jesse Owens Born?

• October 24,1978

• February 12, 1946

• September 12, 1913

• April 21, 1917

Multiple Choice

What High school did Owens graduate from?

• East Technical School

• Cleveland High school

• Ohio State University

• Walnut Hills High School

Jesse Owens-What was going on in the world at the time?

At the height of Hitlers rule, Germans and many around the world believed the tragic and absurd notion that white skin color indicated superiority. Hitler was incensed and outraged that a black person could dare compete against what he believed was the superior Aryan race.

Jesse Owens-Rewards And Events

 Jesse Owens set many world records while competing in the Olympics and many other events. He equaled 1 world record and broke three others while competing for Ohio State University. Owens tied a world record in the 100-yard dash and set a long jump record at the 1953 Big Ten championships. Hitler criticized the United States for including black athletes on its teams But that didn't make Jesse stop competing. 

Multiple Choice

What year did Jesse Owens play the Big Ten Championships?

• 1953

• 1985

• 1943

• 1951

Jesse Owens-Conclusion

Jesse Owens believed that everybody should be treated equally. He was and will always be remembered as a civil rights activist and leader.

His life paved the way for the black community to challenge segregation. Jesse Owens once said “It's not black and white, it's fast and slow.” Jesse Owens lived for 66 years but died of lung cancer on March 31, 1980. 

THE END