The Nazi Olympics: African American Athletes

Eighteen Black athletes represented the United States in the 1936 Olympics triple the number who had competed for the United States in the 1932 Los Angeles Games. African Americans dominated the popular track and field events, and in the end, Black athletes brought home 14 medals, nearly onefourth of the 56 medals awarded the U. S. team in all events. Many American journalists hailed the victories of Jesse Owens and other Blacks as a blow to the Nazi myth of Aryan supremacy. However, the continuing soci