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The fact you use Jesse Owen's example is a bit ironic, since he was actually much better treated in Germany than in the United States where racial segregation w

by pyduan 13y ago

The fact you use Jesse Owen's example is a bit ironic, since he was actually much better treated in Germany than in the United States where racial segregation was still the norm. By his own account: "Hitler didn't snub me – it was FDR who snubbed me. The president didn't even send me a telegram." (Not making a point, just remarking.) > Could you imagine what was going through Adolf Hitler's mind when he saw Jeese Owens during the 1936 Olympics? For the curious, we actually know what Hitler's reaction was. This is how Albert Speer, who was in the box with him at the time, described it: "He was highly annoyed by the series of triumphs by the marvelous colored American runner, Jesse Owens. People whose antecedents came from the jungle were primitive, Hitler said with a shrug; their physiques were stronger than those of civilized whites and hence should be excluded from future games." [Inside the Third Reich, 1970]

arrrg 13y ago
He was treated normally (i.e. like hosts are expected to treat any foreign athletes) because Germany didn’t want to destroy its image. I mean, Germany almost snubbed Jesse Owens outright by not allowing any Blacks or Jews to participate, but after threats of boycott walked back on that (though did not change its mind, as is obvious from the quote you provided). The nature of the relationship between Hitler and Jesse Owens is quite different from the relationship between FDR and Jesse Owens. Points of comparison would either be a hypothetical successful German Black athlete and how Hitler would treat that person (not allow him or her to participate is the answer to that) or a hypothetical successful non-US black athlete and how FDR would treat that person. As is quite obvious from your quote, Hitler still perceived Jesse Owens (and black people in general) as sub-human and was very outspoken about that. There is racist ideology oozing out of that statement. It’s consistent with everything else he has said about race. FDR was obviously also racist, no question about that, but there is a difference between Hitler’s and FDR’s racism. Jesse Owens’ own focus was very understandably on his own and others’ Blacks troubles they were facing in racist segregated America at the time.

by pyduan 13y ago

arrrg 13y ago

He was treated normally (i.e. like hosts are expected to treat any foreign athletes) because Germany didn’t want to destroy its image. I mean, Germany almost snubbed Jesse Owens outright by not allowing any Blacks or Jews to participate, but after threats of boycott walked back on that (though did not change its mind, as is obvious from the quote you provided). The nature of the relationship between Hitler and Jesse Owens is quite different from the relationship between FDR and Jesse Owens. Points of comparison would either be a hypothetical successful German Black athlete and how Hitler would treat that person (not allow him or her to participate is the answer to that) or a hypothetical successful non-US black athlete and how FDR would treat that person. As is quite obvious from your quote, Hitler still perceived Jesse Owens (and black people in general) as sub-human and was very outspoken about that. There is racist ideology oozing out of that statement. It’s consistent with everything else he has said about race. FDR was obviously also racist, no question about that, but there is a difference between Hitler’s and FDR’s racism. Jesse Owens’ own focus was very understandably on his own and others’ Blacks troubles they were facing in racist segregated America at the time.