Driving through South Phoenix, a centralized   section of new development surrounds Jesse Owens Avenue.  At first glance, I recall the familiarity of the name Jesse Owen and his name conjures image of the Olympics.   Upon second glance, I wonder what is the connection between Jesse Owens and South Phoenix.

James Cleveland Owens, better known as Jesse Owens, was the first American-African Olympic Gold Medalist.  Jesse was born in Alabama in 1913 and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio.  He attended the University of Ohio State on a full scholarship after his high school coach, Charlie Riley, instantly recognized him as a superior running talent and placed him on the high-school track team.  At Ohio State University in 1935, Jesse struggled with segregation and open racism as he traveled with the track team throughout the Midwest.  In Ann Arbor, Michigan, at a track meet on May 25, 1935, Jesse set three world records and tied for a fourth.  He accomplished this while suffering from injuries resulting from a fall down stairs the day before.

In the 1936 Olympics, dubbed the “Hitler Olympics,” Jesse won four gold medals.  Jesse is the first American to ever win four gold medals in the Track and Field events in a single Olympics.  He was awarded gold medals in the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, the broad jump and as a member of the 400-meter relay team. 

Even with Jesse’s amazing performance at the 1936 Olympics, he was never offered any endorsements.  Due to financial restrictions, Jesse left the University of Ohio during his junior year to pursue a professional running career.   As he traveled to different running engagements, Jesse was often asked to speak to regarding his experience at the Olympics.  Jesse became an articulate and enjoyable lecturer on athletics and the importance of religion, hard work and loyalty.  Eventually, he started his own public relations firm and spoke on behalf of world-known entities such as Ford Motor Company and the United States Olympic Committee.  He served as Secretary of the Illinois State Athletic Commission.  He also made goodwill visits to India and the Far East for the State Department and sponsored youth sports programs for underprivileged neighborhoods along with many other community events.  Mr. Owens understood that the effect of segregation on black well-being was structural and not individual as Massey and Denton wrote in American Apartheid: Segregation and the Making of the Underclass (1993).  As Massey and Denton point out, it is important to recognize that although today it is widely believed that segregation is part of America's past, the presence of structural segregation is alive throughout our cities.

In 1976, Jesse was awarded the Medal of Freedom by Gerald R. Ford, the highest honor an American civilian can receive.

In 1980, Jesse Owens died at the age of sixty-six in Tucson, Arizona.  Even after Jesse’s death, he continues to be recognized for his lasting achievements.  In March of 1990, then-President George Bush, presented Jesse Owens with the Congressional Gold Medal, which was accepted by Mrs. Jesse Owens.  In honor of Jesse Owens, his family constructed The Jesse Owens Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides support to youth development, promoting youth to reach their fullest potential through the Ruth and Jesse Owens Scholars Program.

Yet, what is still not apparent, is Jesse’s connection to South Phoenix.  It is not common knowledge why a large thoroughfare and an Urgent Care Center bear his name in South Phoenix.  

To answer this question, I contacted by email, the Jesse Owens Foundation in hopes that I could discover Mr. Owens’ link to Phoenix, Arizona.  I was surprised when Mr. Owens’ eldest daughter, Marlene Owens Rankin, wrote back and explained that her father lived in Phoenix from 1972 until his death in 1980.  Mr. Owens was first hospitalized at Good Samaritan Hospital during his illness, but primarily treated at a Tucson hospital, where he died.  Jesse Owens served on the board of Phoenix Memorial Hospital when the medical center was first established to service the residents of South Phoenix.  The medical facility was named for Jesse Owens, along with the street adjacent to the medical center.  Before being flown to Chicago for funeral services and burial, Jesse Owens lay in ceremony in the Arizona State Capital rotunda in Phoenix where thousands came to pay their respects.  Ms. Owens Rankin assured me that this is her father’s Arizona history, as she lived it (Owens Rankin, 2004).   

South Phoenix also holds an 8-kilometer run/walk and other fundraising events  to support community efforts in remembrance of the great humanitarian.

Jesse Owens will always be remembered as an extraordinary athlete and an extraordinary person, one who was caring, compassionate and giving.  He will always hold the hearts of the South Phoenix and metropolitan Phoenix residents. 

Follow the links for more information about Jesse Owens and the Medal of Freedom.