The TRUTH About Jesse Owens and the 1936 Olympics

Berlin Monument to Jesse Owens

With the film "Race" set for release next month (February 16th, 2016) it's important to remember some inconvenient truths about those Olympics and their aftermath.

(1) The USA caved into pressure to replace two Jewish runners on that 4 X 100 meter relay, including one (Sam Stoller) who'd beaten Jesse Owens earlier in another 100 meter contest.

The sole reason for this was that the U.S. DID NOT want to embarrass Hitler by having two Jews on the medal platform. That's the sad truth.

(2) FDR NOT Hitler snubbed Jesse Owens: "In the immediate aftermath of the Berlin Games, a myth arose that Hitler, enraged at the triumph of an African American, refused to congratulate Owens on his victories because he failed to shake his hand. However, the press reported that the German leader gave the American sprinter a “friendly little Nazi salute,” and Owens said that the two exchanged congratulatory waves. In fact, it was the conduct of Roosevelt– who never invited Owens to the White House or acknowledged his triumphs–that disappointed the Olympic champion. “Hitler didn’t snub me - it was our president who snubbed me,” he said months after the Games. “The president didn’t even send me a telegram.” (http://www.history.com/…/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-j…)

(3) The USA DID NOT humiliate Germany in those Olympics. Germany won the medal count, including the most gold medals by a wide margin (https://en.wikipedia.org/w…/1936_Summer_Olympics_medal_table). Germany won every medal count and bested the U.S. 89 - 56 overall.

(4) Jesse Owens ran all his races in German made track shoes (Adidas).

(5) To his death, Owens said that he was treated better in Germany than he was back in the United States! There remain enduring memorials to Jesse Owens in Berlin.

I just wonder how many of those actual truths will be included in the film, "Race".