In the USA, in 1924, a poor and black child was born, and as poor and black he lived many humiliations.
That boy named Jesse Owens, studied in a public school and since he could not pay for transportation, getting to class was an intense race every day.
And from school he went out to work as a delivery boy, loader and messenger, always on foot, running from one place to another, in order to pay for his education.
One day, in an athletic school competition, Owens stopped the clocks at a time that seemed like a mistake. Shortly thereafter, at the University, Jesse Owens, in the hundred-yard race, matched the world record.
Owens became the great living legend of the USA. But since he was black he could not live inside the University, he never gave him a scholarship, as he did with the other athletes.
On trips, Owens was forbidden to eat with other athletes, in white restaurants or sleep in white hotels.
Afterwards, Owens achieved two feats: in 45 minutes he broke four world records and then competed in the Olympic Games organized by Nazi Germany.
There he won four Olympic medals and - it is part of the legend - Hitler, not to hand them over, left the stadium.
Owens, the black and poor child humiliated Hitler, the man who thought he could humiliate the world.
And Owens also humiliated racists from the United States and elsewhere, and showed that there are no superior races, only superior attitudes.
Jesse Owens, the great athlete was born on a day like today, September 12, 1824.
And he still asks us when we will take the first step in the great race for human dignity.
This story was originally written by my friend Ramiro Díez in his web page under the following address: http://www.radiolavida.com/ramirodiez/12-de-septiembre/#sthash.DjHQR9d2.dpbs If you are going to use it, please quote our source and place a link to the original note. http://www.radiolavida.com
