Welcome to Bedtime History. Hello, this is Breck.

If you enjoy the show, be sure to subscribe to be notified about new episodes,

and to get our entire catalog of episodes ad-free, you can subscribe via Apple Podcasts. Also be sure to check out

our 400-plus educational videos on our YouTube channel. We also have a new show called

Bedtime Safari, so look for the link in the show notes of our most recent episodes.

Imagine standing on a track in a huge stadium.

The sun is shining down and the stands are packed with thousands of people from all over the world.

Flags wave in the breeze. The crowd buzzes with excitement, some cheering, some silent with anticipation. Music plays in the background and the

smell of hot summer air mixes with dust from the track. You're wearing a uniform with USA

across the chest and every eye in the stadium is on you. The fastest runners from around the

globe are lined up beside you. This is the Olympic Games, the biggest race of your life. You crouch down, fingers on the starting line, heart pounding. The starter raises his gun. Bang! You explode forward, legs moving fast, arms pumping hard. The crowd roars as you fly down the track. With each step,

you push harder, faster, determined to prove something important, not just that you're quick,

but that you belong here. For Jesse Owens, this moment wasn't just about winning a race. It was about

showing the world what one determined

young man could do even in the face of doubt, hate, and fear. At the 1936 Olympics in Berlin,

Jesse wasn't just running for gold. He was racing for dignity, equality, and history.

Jesse Owens was born on September 12, 1913, in Oakville, Alabama.

His full name was James Cleveland Owens, but everyone called him Jesse.

He was the youngest of 10 children in a large, hardworking family.

Life was difficult. They were very

poor and made a living by picking cotton in the hot Alabama fields. When Jesse was still a

young boy, the family decided to move north to Cleveland, Ohio, hoping they could find

...