James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens (September 12, 1913 – March 31, 1980) was the youngest of ten children, three girls and seven boys, born to Henry Cleveland Owens and Mary Emma Fitzgerald in Oakville, Alabama, on September 12, 1913. J.C., as he was called, was nine years old when the family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, for better opportunities, as part of the Great Migration, when 1.5 million African Americans left the segregated South. When his new teacher asked his name (to enter in her roll book), he said “J.C.,” but because of his strong Southern accent, she thought he said “Jesse.” The name took, and he was known as Jesse Owens for the rest of his life.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Aug 2013 15:00:01 +0000
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