Wednesday, February 24, 2016

John Malveaux: I saw the movie RACE (Jesse Owens story) and was appalled by the unethical conduct of US Olympic Committee member Avery Brundage

John Malveaux and Race Poster

Marty Glickman

John Malveaux of 
writes:

On Feb. 23, 2016, I saw the movie RACE (Jesse Owens story) and was appalled by the unethical conduct of US Olympic Committee member Avery Brundage. I already knew the back story and became jubilant when the movie character of Brundage mirrored the true story. American Jewish runners, Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller were members of the USA  4x100-meter relay team for the 1936 Games (Berlin). Their relay team won all trial/preliminary races and they had the fastest time going into the finals. On the day before the finals, they were replaced by Jesse Owens and Ralph Metcalfe, the team's two fastest sprinters (both African American), who had not trained with the relay team. The restructured team won the Gold in record time just as the original team was prepared to win.


As an athlete whose University education was financed through a track scholarship and a humanitarian, I befriended Marty Glickman in 2000 and he accepted an invitation to be Grand Marshall for the 2001 Long Beach Martin Luther King Jr, Parade & Celebration. Unfortunately Marty died a few weeks before the Parade & Celebration. I am still devastated by the injustice perpetrated against our two Olympic runners. The movie concluded with Jesse Owens with wife unable to access an event in his honor through the front door. Jesse with wife entered the event through the service elevator. Jesse’s father was given a janitor job at Ohio State University. Jesse Owens was not invited to the White House. Marty and Sam died without the opportunity to stand on the victory stand in Berlin after doing everything necessary to run in the finals. Please see picture of me at Baldwin Hills Rave and Marty Glickman during his senior years.

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