Of all the athletes during the nineteen thirties it is quite possible that Jesse Owens was one of the greatest. The color of his skin was no barrier for what he chose to achieve in his sport, which was one of the reasons for his fame. Though he faced many challenges he broke through the racial barriers, and was able to break many world records and set new standards for those who chose to follow in his footsteps.

James Cleveland Owens was born in Oakville, Alabama. He attended Ohio State University, after being denied entrance to numerous colleges because of his race, where he became an All- American and his career began. At the AAU nationals in Ann Arbor, Michigan, her broke five world records and tied a sixth. He proceeded onto the 1936 Olympics where he won gold medals in the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, the long jump, and as a last minute fill-in in the 400-meter relay race. By doing this, he proved to Adolph Hitler, who had promised that the "Aryans" would prove their superiority, with their many victories, that they were in fact, not. After the 1936 Olympics, he went into public relations traveling the country and giving speeches on good sportsmanship, American pride, and other things of that nature.

After his many accomplishments during his college years and the 1936 Olympics, Jesse Owens had set a new standard. In a world where African Americans were looked down upon he had set seven world records and come out on top. In an effort to conceal his accomplishments and discriminate against African American runners, Southern newspapers refused to print his picture saying that he was still just "the colored runner".Despite their attempts however, he became more famous than many of the Caucasian runners in this decade.

Jesse Owens was truly a representative American of his time. He represented the American spirit through his patriotism and pride in a time when pride was hard to come by. He used what he learned throughout his life for the betterment of others, and encouraged fair play and good sportsmanship, saying that that was what would lead to equal rights for African Americans. With his talent he changed the way many thought about black athletes, opening a door for many black athletes, such as Jackie Robinson, to pass through. He represented this decade and the many decades to come in the world of sports.