On this episode of Our American Stories, the story of United States Olympic legend Jesse Owens' and Nazi long jumper Luz Long’s friendship demonstrates how sports can unite people even in the toughest circumstances. Here to tell the story is the Jack Miller Center’s editorial officer and historian, Elliott Drago.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
And we continue with our American stories. The story of
United States Olympic legend Jesse Owens and Nazi long jumper
Lose Long's friendship demonstrates how sports can unite people even
in the toughest of circumstances. You to tell a story
is the Jack Miller Center's editorial officer and historian, Elliot Drago.
(00:35):
The Jack Miller Center, by the way, is a nationwide
network of scholars and teachers dedicated to educating the next
generation about America's founding principles and history. To learn more,
visit Jackmillercenter dot org. Let's take a listen.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Jesse Owens stood in gay across Berlin's Olympic Stadium in
August nineteen thirty six, the first week of the eleventh Olympiad.
The immense structure, an architectural marvel, shook whenever the crowd
of one hundred thousand Germans in attendants roared and their
cheers and booze began to unnerve Owen's who was arguably
one of the most disciplined athletes in history. This entire
(01:21):
spectacle was almost too much for him. He was more
than just mad. He was, in his words, hate, mad,
Owens steeled himself for his second long jump attempt. His
first attempt left him both winded and disheartened, as not
only did he fail to hit his mark, he also
received a foul from the German official. True to form,
(01:41):
Owens refused to make excuses and later admitted that the
foul on his first long jump attempt was fair. I
will be more careful with my second jump, he thought,
there's no sense of being fouled twice. He began his
second attempt running leaping, but before he even landed, he
heard the German official shot foul, foul, foul. Even though
(02:02):
he played it safe, perhaps too safe, Owens cannot get
over the injustice of that second foul was the official
fair yeah, Owens later wrote, but a Nazi. Returning to
his starting position, Owens caught a glimpse of his nemesis,
the German long jumper Lose Lng, who seemed to embody
the Aryan ideal. He was tall, blonde haired, blue eyed,
(02:26):
and above all, a ferocious competitor. After Owen's second jump
and foul, Long appeared to snicker with his German teammates,
adding insult to injury. The host of the nineteen thirty
six Olympics himself, Adolf Hitler, left his seat to avoid
watching Owens, someone he considered sub human, compete in the event.
(02:47):
Owens would not let Hitler's disgusting racial views, warped reality,
and cowardice jeopardize his performance. Owens had overcome so many
hurdles already by age twenty two, and so by tapping
into his competitive speed, he he would soon overcome the
leader of the Third Reich. The son of sharecroppers and
the grandson of enslaved Alabamians, Owen's work atic, combined with
(03:10):
his big heart, produced an unbelievable athletic career. As a
high schooler, he won all the major track events, including
the state championship three years in a row. Nicknamed the
Buckeye Bullet. At Ohio State University, Owens broke three world
records and tied another in one afternoon. Even more incredible,
Owens accomplished these feats during a time of rampant segregation.
(03:33):
He never received a college scholarship, never stayed in the
same hotels as his white teammates, and despite serving as
varsity captain of the track team, Jesse Owens was forced
to live off campus. Meanwhile, as a nineteen thirty six
Berlin Olympics approached, many Americans urged the US to boycott
the games. Initially, Owens sided with the boycott, stating in
(03:54):
November nineteen thirty five that if there is discrimination against
minorities in Germany, then we US withdraw from the Olympics.
Hitler and other Nazi officials, however, assured America that Jewish
and black athletes would receive equal treatment. These assurances from
Hitler and his regime, anathema as they sound to us today,
proved decisive. The American Amateur Union threw its weight behind
(04:18):
the American Olympic Committee, effectively avoiding a US boycott. Owen's
committed to participating in the Games, and responding to his critics, said,
since we are all Americans, black Americans should have a
chance in every sport. Certainly, the showing of black Americans
and track events shows that if they have half a chance,
(04:39):
they produce the goods now. In Berlin, making his third
and final attempt at the long jump, Jesse Owens stood
in total panic near his starting position. He couldn't stop
thinking about Hitler's snub, the bogus foul, the smirk from
his worst enemy, lose Long, Owens started to feel faint
and began gasping for breath. The anxiety might double him
(05:01):
over the eyes of Nazi Germany, and indeed the entire
world bore down upon him. He instinctively turned away from
the crowd. Owens wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing
him rattled Still, Owens almost dropped to the ground in
front of a hundred thousand chanting Germans, who, in his words,
were hatefully gleefully hoping that he would fail. Knees shaking,
(05:24):
he clenched his jaw to stop his thoughts from racing,
and then it happened. Suddenly, Owens felt a firm hand
on his arm. He turned and looked into the sky
blue eyes of his worst enemy, Lose Long, the poser
child for Hitler's aryan ideal, touched Jesse Owens, a black man,
in full view of the entire stadium, like a family member.
(05:46):
Long gently took Owens aside, his arm around his shoulder.
Long knew that Hitler had insulted Owen's he knew the
stakes of Owen's pending jump, and most importantly, Long knew
that he and Owens were essentially the same, I have thought.
Long told him, you are like I am. You must
do it correct. Owens nodded, Yet you must be sure
(06:10):
not to foul. Owen's name blared out of the stadium loudspeaker,
announcing what would be his final attempt at the long jump.
Both men knew that time was of the essence. Leaning
closer to Owens, Long spoke quickly and resolutely. Then you
can do both things, Jesse Long reassured him. You remeasure
your steps. You take off six inches behind the foul board.
(06:32):
You jump as hard as you can, but you need
not fear to foul. Now with a towel carefully marking
six inches before the takeoff board, Owens ran, jumped, and
won the gold medal. By the end of the Olympics,
Owens produced the goods, as his efforts contributed to four
out of the United States eleven gold medals. Long's advice
(06:55):
left an indelible mark on Owen's After he failed to
beat Owens at the long jump, Long raced over to Owen's,
grabbed his hand, and marched toward the stands, chanting Jesse Owens,
Jesse Owens, Jesse Owens. In full view of Hitler, who
had by now reappeared in the stands to watch Long's performance.
Long and Owens became fast friends and spent many nights
(07:17):
talking politics, philosophy, and sports in the Olympic village. The
German explained that although he did not subscribe to Hitler's
racial fanaticism, he loved his country and would fight for it.
After the Olympics, they remained in touch. In nineteen thirty nine,
Owens received a final letter from Long, who wrote, things
become more difficult, and I am afraid, Jesse, not just
(07:38):
the thought of dying. It is that I may die
for the wrong thing. But whatever might become of me,
I hope only that my wife and son will stay alive.
I am asking you, who are my only friend outside
of Germany, to someday visit them if you are able
to tell them about why I had to do this
and how the good times between us were signed loose.
(08:00):
Long died fighting for the German Wehrmacht after succumbing to
wounds he received during the Allied invasion of Italy in
nineteen forty three. Reflecting on his experience in the long jump,
Owens did not waste ink writing about Hitler. His lasting
memory of the Olympics was the relationship he formed with
Lose Long. I loved Lose Long as much as my
(08:21):
own brothers, Owens wrote years later. I still love Lose Long.
Their friendship came from what Owens described as the priceless
knowledge that the only bond worth anything between human beings
is their humanness. Owens recognized that if Long, a human
being living in Nazi Germany, could walk arm in arm
(08:41):
with him around the Olympic stadium in Berlin, then all
humans could strive to recognize each other's fundamental human equality and,
in his words, be a human being first and last,
if not always. Jesse Owens continues to inspire us as
we longed to realize the dreams offered by our names
founding principles, and lest we forget, Owens will advise us.
(09:05):
We all have dreams, but in order to make dreams
come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication,
self discipline, and effort.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
A terrific job on the production, the editing and storytelling
by our own Greg Hengler, and a special thanks to
Elliott Drago at the Jack Miller Center. He's the editorial
officer and Resident Historian, And what a story we should
be telling everyone near and far about not only Jesse Owens,
but about Los Long and that final letter he wrote
(09:39):
in nineteen thirty nine, I may die fighting with the
wrong thing, and of course he did. The story of
Jesse Owens and Lose Long, a friendship forged in competition,
and of course encourage and love here on our American stories.
And we continue with our American stories. The story of
United States Olympic legend Jesse Owens and Nazi long jumper
Lose Long's friendship demonstrates how sports can unite people even
in the toughest of circumstances. You to tell a story
is the Jack Miller Center's editorial officer and historian, Elliot Drago.
(00:35):
The Jack Miller Center, by the way, is a nationwide
network of scholars and teachers dedicated to educating the next
generation about America's founding principles and history. To learn more,
visit Jackmillercenter dot org. Let's take a listen.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Jesse Owens stood in gay across Berlin's Olympic Stadium in
August nineteen thirty six, the first week of the eleventh Olympiad.
The immense structure, an architectural marvel, shook whenever the crowd
of one hundred thousand Germans in attendants roared and their
cheers and booze began to unnerve Owen's who was arguably
one of the most disciplined athletes in history. This entire
(01:21):
spectacle was almost too much for him. He was more
than just mad. He was, in his words, hate, mad,
Owens steeled himself for his second long jump attempt. His
first attempt left him both winded and disheartened, as not
only did he fail to hit his mark, he also
received a foul from the German official. True to form,
(01:41):
Owens refused to make excuses and later admitted that the
foul on his first long jump attempt was fair. I
will be more careful with my second jump, he thought,
there's no sense of being fouled twice. He began his
second attempt running leaping, but before he even landed, he
heard the German official shot foul, foul, foul. Even though
(02:02):
he played it safe, perhaps too safe, Owens cannot get
over the injustice of that second foul was the official
fair yeah, Owens later wrote, but a Nazi. Returning to
his starting position, Owens caught a glimpse of his nemesis,
the German long jumper Lose Lng, who seemed to embody
the Aryan ideal. He was tall, blonde haired, blue eyed,
(02:26):
and above all, a ferocious competitor. After Owen's second jump
and foul, Long appeared to snicker with his German teammates,
adding insult to injury. The host of the nineteen thirty
six Olympics himself, Adolf Hitler, left his seat to avoid
watching Owens, someone he considered sub human, compete in the event.
(02:47):
Owens would not let Hitler's disgusting racial views, warped reality,
and cowardice jeopardize his performance. Owens had overcome so many
hurdles already by age twenty two, and so by tapping
into his competitive speed, he he would soon overcome the
leader of the Third Reich. The son of sharecroppers and
the grandson of enslaved Alabamians, Owen's work atic, combined with
(03:10):
his big heart, produced an unbelievable athletic career. As a
high schooler, he won all the major track events, including
the state championship three years in a row. Nicknamed the
Buckeye Bullet. At Ohio State University, Owens broke three world
records and tied another in one afternoon. Even more incredible,
Owens accomplished these feats during a time of rampant segregation.
(03:33):
He never received a college scholarship, never stayed in the
same hotels as his white teammates, and despite serving as
varsity captain of the track team, Jesse Owens was forced
to live off campus. Meanwhile, as a nineteen thirty six
Berlin Olympics approached, many Americans urged the US to boycott
the games. Initially, Owens sided with the boycott, stating in
(03:54):
November nineteen thirty five that if there is discrimination against
minorities in Germany, then we US withdraw from the Olympics.
Hitler and other Nazi officials, however, assured America that Jewish
and black athletes would receive equal treatment. These assurances from
Hitler and his regime, anathema as they sound to us today,
proved decisive. The American Amateur Union threw its weight behind
(04:18):
the American Olympic Committee, effectively avoiding a US boycott. Owen's
committed to participating in the Games, and responding to his critics, said,
since we are all Americans, black Americans should have a
chance in every sport. Certainly, the showing of black Americans
and track events shows that if they have half a chance,
(04:39):
they produce the goods now. In Berlin, making his third
and final attempt at the long jump, Jesse Owens stood
in total panic near his starting position. He couldn't stop
thinking about Hitler's snub, the bogus foul, the smirk from
his worst enemy, lose Long, Owens started to feel faint
and began gasping for breath. The anxiety might double him
(05:01):
over the eyes of Nazi Germany, and indeed the entire
world bore down upon him. He instinctively turned away from
the crowd. Owens wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing
him rattled Still, Owens almost dropped to the ground in
front of a hundred thousand chanting Germans, who, in his words,
were hatefully gleefully hoping that he would fail. Knees shaking,
(05:24):
he clenched his jaw to stop his thoughts from racing,
and then it happened. Suddenly, Owens felt a firm hand
on his arm. He turned and looked into the sky
blue eyes of his worst enemy, Lose Long, the poser
child for Hitler's aryan ideal, touched Jesse Owens, a black man,
in full view of the entire stadium, like a family member.
(05:46):
Long gently took Owens aside, his arm around his shoulder.
Long knew that Hitler had insulted Owen's he knew the
stakes of Owen's pending jump, and most importantly, Long knew
that he and Owens were essentially the same, I have thought.
Long told him, you are like I am. You must
do it correct. Owens nodded, Yet you must be sure
(06:10):
not to foul. Owen's name blared out of the stadium loudspeaker,
announcing what would be his final attempt at the long jump.
Both men knew that time was of the essence. Leaning
closer to Owens, Long spoke quickly and resolutely. Then you
can do both things, Jesse Long reassured him. You remeasure
your steps. You take off six inches behind the foul board.
(06:32):
You jump as hard as you can, but you need
not fear to foul. Now with a towel carefully marking
six inches before the takeoff board, Owens ran, jumped, and
won the gold medal. By the end of the Olympics,
Owens produced the goods, as his efforts contributed to four
out of the United States eleven gold medals. Long's advice
(06:55):
left an indelible mark on Owen's After he failed to
beat Owens at the long jump, Long raced over to Owen's,
grabbed his hand, and marched toward the stands, chanting Jesse Owens,
Jesse Owens, Jesse Owens. In full view of Hitler, who
had by now reappeared in the stands to watch Long's performance.
Long and Owens became fast friends and spent many nights
(07:17):
talking politics, philosophy, and sports in the Olympic village. The
German explained that although he did not subscribe to Hitler's
racial fanaticism, he loved his country and would fight for it.
After the Olympics, they remained in touch. In nineteen thirty nine,
Owens received a final letter from Long, who wrote, things
become more difficult, and I am afraid, Jesse, not just
(07:38):
the thought of dying. It is that I may die
for the wrong thing. But whatever might become of me,
I hope only that my wife and son will stay alive.
I am asking you, who are my only friend outside
of Germany, to someday visit them if you are able
to tell them about why I had to do this
and how the good times between us were signed loose.
(08:00):
Long died fighting for the German Wehrmacht after succumbing to
wounds he received during the Allied invasion of Italy in
nineteen forty three. Reflecting on his experience in the long jump,
Owens did not waste ink writing about Hitler. His lasting
memory of the Olympics was the relationship he formed with
Lose Long. I loved Lose Long as much as my
(08:21):
own brothers, Owens wrote years later. I still love Lose Long.
Their friendship came from what Owens described as the priceless
knowledge that the only bond worth anything between human beings
is their humanness. Owens recognized that if Long, a human
being living in Nazi Germany, could walk arm in arm
(08:41):
with him around the Olympic stadium in Berlin, then all
humans could strive to recognize each other's fundamental human equality and,
in his words, be a human being first and last,
if not always. Jesse Owens continues to inspire us as
we longed to realize the dreams offered by our names
founding principles, and lest we forget, Owens will advise us.
(09:05):
We all have dreams, but in order to make dreams
come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication,
self discipline, and effort.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
A terrific job on the production, the editing and storytelling
by our own Greg Hengler, and a special thanks to
Elliott Drago at the Jack Miller Center. He's the editorial
officer and Resident Historian, And what a story we should
be telling everyone near and far about not only Jesse Owens,
but about Los Long and that final letter he wrote
(09:39):
in nineteen thirty nine, I may die fighting with the
wrong thing, and of course he did. The story of
Jesse Owens and Lose Long, a friendship forged in competition,
and of course encourage and love here on our American stories.
Host
Lee Habeeb
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