James Cleveland Owens 9/12/1913 Oakville, AL, 3/31/1980, Tucson, AZ.
Athlete and author.
Moved to Cleveland at age 9 and grew up there.
Nickname was J.C. but teacher heard as Jesse because of his southern accent.
Received the first sponsorship for a black male athlete.
Won 4 Olympic gold medals in Berlin in 1936.
He said: “Hitler didn’t snub me–it was our president [FDR] who snubbed me. The president didn’t even send me a telegram.”
He was not invited to the White House either.
Married with 3 daughters.
Peace, love, joy, gratitude, faith, courage, compassion, and blessings.
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