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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