WEB Jesse Owens, Track and Field Legend
Early Life and Family
WEB Jesse Owens, born James Cleveland Owens on September 12, 1913, was the youngest of ten children. His father, Henry Cleveland Owens, was a sharecropper, and his mother, Emma Alexander Owens, worked as a domestic servant.
Growing up in poverty in Alabama, Owens faced many challenges. He attended integrated schools but often faced discrimination and prejudice.
Athletic Success
Despite the obstacles he faced, Owens developed an early interest in athletics. In high school, he set several track and field records. Owens went on to achieve international fame at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, where he won four gold medals.
Owens' accomplishments not only earned him worldwide recognition but also served as a symbol of hope for African Americans during a time of racial segregation in the United States.
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