Going for the Gold: The History of the Olympic Games at Northwestern and in The HistoryMakers Digital Archive
Track and field athletes, including Northwestern alum William Porter, run in the 110 meter hurdles final at the London 1948 Olympics.
From their origins in ancient Greece to the beginning of the modern Games in 1896, the Olympic Games bring athletes from nearly every nation together to compete in incredible acts of showmanship every four years. This year, the Olympics were held in Tokyo, Japan; despite a postponement and many limits due to COVID-19, the Olympics were still a platform for thousands of athletes to showcase their strength and agility to the world. In honor of these great Games, I researched the Olympics in The HistoryMakers Digital Archive in order to learn more about the Olympic Games’ impact on Black lives throughout History.
Track and field athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos represent the Black Power movement at the Mexico City 1968 Olympics.
American shot put silver medalist Raven Saunders stands up for intersectionality at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The earliest recollections of the Olympics in The HistoryMakers Digital Archive come from Judge Earl Strayhorn, Garth Reeves, James H. Gilliam, and Claude Walton. All of these men recall the 1936 Olympics, which took place when they were teenagers. Some of them even participated in the Olympic Trials. Many of them recalled the racial tensions of the event, as it was held in Berlin, the capital of Germany, during the rise of the Nazi party. Racial tensions were exacerbated when the foundation of Hitler’s ideology was seemingly disproved by runner Jesse Owens’ incredible performance at the Olympics. While these tensions seemed detrimental to the social and political developments taking place in Nazi Germany, the performances of Jesse Owens and other Black athletes were a source of pride for Black Americans at home. Judge Strayhorn spoke about how he and his community felt about the Olympics in 1936. “Well, we were, of course, proud… of what he and, and Jesse Owens - and there was another black sprinter in that… So those three men, they really did the race proud and the country proud in those Olympics there under--and, and they stuck, they stuck the flag right in Hitler's face…” (The HistoryMakers). The Olympics have long been an important platform for the advancement of racial equality and antiracism.
Iconic track and field athlete Jesse Owens stands on the podium after winning one of the four gold medals he would go on to win at the Berlin 1936 Olympics.
As activists in the United States pushed for more progressive actions, the Olympics continued to be a platform for Black excellence and the breaking of many stereotypes. There are more recollections of the Olympics during the 1940s, 50s, and 60s in The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. HistoryMaker Herbert Paul Douglas, Jr. talks about the 1948 London Olympics. The 1948 Games were the first Summer Games since 1936 due to World War II, so many people were excited to begin getting back to the Games. Douglas was a football and track and field athlete who ran the hundred meter dash and the broad (long) jump. He recalled his experience qualifying for the Olympics; the American Olympic trials took place in Chicago in 1948, and the track and field events held their trials at Northwestern University. According to Douglas, the Black athletes who qualified for the Olympics in 1948 were very close. “…so we would say, "We're gonna make the boat," what we were trying to do was just make the Olympic team, and the interesting thing about it, the eight of us who made the Olympic team in track and field, we all pushed for one another. The camaraderie was really there, they're all gone now but four of us, of the eight. But I'll tell ya, we were always rooting for one another, no matter what” (The HistoryMakers). While Douglas has fond memories of running while in college and in preparation for the Olympics, he expressed remorse that track and field was often the only athletic avenue available to Black students, because colleges were not ready to let Black students play basketball or other sports. Ultimately, Douglas enjoyed his time at the Olympics. Traveling to London that summer was his first time out of the country, as he did not fight in World War II, and he won a bronze medal in the long jump.
HistoryMaker and track and field athlete Herbert Paul Douglas, Jr. speaks about his experiences at the London 1948 Olympics.
For four decades, the Olympics continued to be a platform for Black athletes to break stereotypes and represent their communities with pride. The Olympics became more personal in 1984 and 1996, when the Games were held in Los Angeles and Atlanta, respectively. At these Olympic Games, Black American athletes were able to show their country and the world what they were capable of while staying close to home.
Throughout the history of the Olympic Games, Northwestern University has had a role to play. This year, in Tokyo, a number of Northwestern student athletes and alumni were able to show the world what they are capable of in their sports. Alumna Andrea Filler and 3rd-year undergraduate Federico Burdisso both competed for Italy; Filler played on the Italian softball team, while Burdisso swam in individual and team events. Burdisso won the bronze medal in the 200-Meter butterfly and the 4x100-Meter relay. Alumna Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah competed on the Nigerian women’s basketball team. For over a century of Summer and Winter Games, Northwestern’s long history of academic and athletic excellence has been apparent.
Northwestern alumna Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah poses in her Team Nigeria jersey.
As athletes around the world prepare for the Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, along with several Winter Olympics Games, many have taken the time to consider the role the Olympics will play moving forward. In a world with rapidly advancing technology and an increasingly globalized economy, do countries need a large sports event in order to come together? Additionally, some do not consider the Olympics to be worth the billions of dollars that it takes to build new stadiums and revive cities in order to make them welcoming to thousands of athletes and spectators. While the future of the Olympics might be uncertain, the history of the Olympic Games is an important piece of the world’s history. Learn more about the Olympics and many other topics using The HistoryMakers Digital Archive.
