James Cleveland Owens Character Traits

“You worked – possibly slaved is the word – Jesse, for many years for this. And you deserve everything they're saying about you and doing for you.” (Quotes) These words were spoken by the wife of a man who was once known as the fastest man alive, James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens. His significant performances as a track and field athlete led to worldwide changes on and off of the track. With that being said, James Cleveland Owens is awarded Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year 1936” for inspiring people of all color and proving that race does not determine an individual’s ability. James Cleveland Owens was born on September 12th, 1913 in Oakville, Alabama. He was the youngest out of ten siblings and his living conditions with his family were very destitute. At a young age, Owens worked in the fields picking a mass amount of cotton in order to help his family bring meals to the table.(Growing Up) Around this time, the states like Alabama were segregated between colored people and white people, and the whites saw the colored people as a minority. As a result, many colored families, including the Owens family, migrated towards the northern states for a better life. The Owens family left Alabama had moved to the state of Ohio in 1922 where James attended Bolton Elementary School. The move at such a young age affected him …show more content…
Charles Riley, a middle school track coach, was the man who experienced Jesse’s talent and encouraged him to join the track and field team. Soon, Jesse moved on to setting multiple records in high school. (Growing Up) After four successful years in high school, Owens earned a track and field scholarship at Ohio State University where his track and field success continued to thrive.He succeeded with breaking records in hurdles, sprints, and long jump. After his junior year, he left Ohio State temporarily to attend the 1936 Summer Olympics.(Ohio