*he was nine years old when the family moved to Cleveland,
Ohio, for better opportunities.
*when 1.5 million African
Americans left the segregated South.
J.C. = Jesse Owens
*When his new teacher asked his name, he said "J.C.", but
because of his strong Southern accent, she thought he said
"Jesse". The name stuck, and he was known as Jesse Owens
for the rest of his life.
He was born on September 12, 1913.
*Owens was the youngest of ten children.
*born to Henry Cleveland Owens and Mary
Emma Fitzgerald.
ADOLESCENCE
he was different jobs in his spare time:
*delivered groceries *shoe repair shop
CHARLES RILEY
*Junior High Track coach at Fairmount Junior High School. *Throughout his
life, Owens attributed the success of his athletic career to the
encouragement of Charles Riley. *He equaled the world record of 9.4s in the
100-yard dash and long-jumped 27 feet 9 1/2 inches at the National High
School Championship in Chicago.