Snubbing of Jesse Owens Myth - Hitler, WW2

Video Transcript:

Jesse Owens, the man who inspired a nation and became a cultural icon. As the day is going on though, it becomes clear that an African American is going to win the hydrogen. A few minutes before the competition ends, Hitler leaves the stadium. It starts raining, he's gone. Cornelius Johnson, African American wins gold medal. David Albright and Jesse Owens' best friend wins the silver medal. They're both black. Hitler's not there to congratulate them. There's a big uproar. How come? Why didn't he congratulate them? The Germans for their part, and remember, at this time they're trying to please as many people as possible. Not antagonize people. Say, Hitler was simply adhering to his schedule. He meant no offense. Now, when Owens ultimately won his first medal, there is this legend that he was snubbed by Hitler. Your book really sort of dispels that myth. Well, it's...there are two things. Now, you know, he wins his first gold medal the day after Cornelius Johnson wins the gold medal in the hijack. This story is already out there. The snubbing of the African American athlete, rather than the stubbing of Jesse Owens. By the time what happens overnight in the midst of this uproar, the head of the International Olympic Committee tells Hitler, this is unacceptable. You don't want a political controversy here. You either congratulate everyone or you congratulate no one. Hitler says fine. I won't congratulate anyone. And again, this is 1936. Hitler does not want to antagonize the head of the Olympic Committee on the first day of the games. But technically, I don't think you could say he snubbed him because he was told not to congratulate him publicly. Well, by eyewitness accounts at the time, including Owens himself, he didn't...he related that he didn't feel snubbed by Hitler. That's another element of the story. The story all over the United States in particular is how could the Chancellor of Germany show such disrespect for our black athletes? Banner headlines everywhere. Hitler snubbs Jesse Owens. Jesse Owens keeps telling anyone who listened. I wasn't snubbed. He couldn't congratulate me. In fact, I think he waved at me. And I waved back at him. He said this several times. Some of the black papers in the US reported that Hitler treated Owens quite well based on Owens' own comments. In fact, one of the African-American reporters who was covering the games in Berlin said there was a headline in the Pittsburgh Courier, the African-American paper at Pittsburgh, Hitler lords Jesse Owens, etc. etc. So there was a difference of opinion at the time. And Owens maintained for a long time that he was not snubbed. And in fact, said when he got home to the US after the Olympics, when he was campaigning for the Republican presidential candidate that fall out of land, and that it wasn't Hitler who snubbed him, but Franklin Roosevelt. The White Athletes were invited to be White House by FDR. And Jesse was not invited as well as any other black athletes. There wasn't much in the way of the government congratulating him. In fact, he didn't get invited to the White House or receive a telegram or anything like that. His fame having preceded him and in stark contrast to the way he had been treated in the States, Owens found himself treated warmly by the German people. When Owens won, the crowd which was mostly German really was enthusiastic in its support for him. Every time he stepped on the track, the crowd went wild for Jesse Owens. And that was a surprise to him. He had been led to believe that he would be received in hostile fashion. And in fact, he was exactly the opposite. I'm very glad to have won my three events on the game here at Berlin. It's been the first time since 1924, about 12 years ago, and I'm very proud to have won. One is the competition here at a wonderful stadium, and a wonderful crowd. And the days have been very nice. And the people here in Germany have been very nice to me, and I am very glad to display my talent. And the days have been very nice. And the people here in Germany have been very nice to me, and I am very glad to display my talent here.