*** Posted to the African-American Group ***

[1StrongBlackMan]

I saw the movie Race about Jesse Owens and the 1936 Olympics. His 4 Gold Medals (setting 3 world records, in the process) were hailed as a blow against, and victory over, aryan (white) supremacist.

I didn't know that upon his return, he, and the other African-American on the relay team, became the first, and to date, the only American Olympic gold medalist(s) that wasn't invited to the White House, or acknowledged by a sitting President.

The President was FDR.

[brer cat]

1. Adding to the long list of things I never knew.

That was one of the most significant Olympics ever because of Jesse, and FDR ignored his achievements. smh

[Recursion]

2. FDR couldn't afford to because he needed white populists

Fortunately the nation (meaning the people of the country) is continuing to change.

[1StrongBlackMan]

3. He couldn't afford to acknowledge what the country embraced? ...

Owens' 4 Gold Medals (and 3 world records) in victories over (primarily) the Nazis?

[Recursion]

4. Have you heard Coughlin's and Long's attacks on him at the time?

Some of the most despicable vitriol from the US in the 1930s.

"He couldn't afford to" was probably the wrong way to put it: he was not willing to antagonize white populists. He probably could have "afforded to" (since none of them were going to vote Republican at that point), but chose not to.

[kwassa]

12. Back then all the racist Southern politicians were Democrats ...

Known as Dixiecrats, they were for the party that was not Lincoln's.

FDR needed their support to pass his New Deal legislation. His wife was much more supportive of civil rights.

[JustAnotherGen]

5. Yeppers

I don't think it was in the movie The Jesse Owens Story - but that was "known" in my household as a result of watching it when I was a little girl.

As the President - he could have prevented this too:

http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/features/1.586231

FDR had a tough job - but the reality is we were an after thought on his road to "greatness".

I reserve the "idol" status for LBJ. Good, Bad, Indifferent as an individual - a bigot or not . .. he made us a priority - not an option.

[1StrongBlackMan]

6. Yeah, that was messed up, too.

I reserve the "idol" status for LBJ. Good, Bad, Indifferent as an individual - a bigot or not . .. he made us a priority - not an option.

I wonder how much of that was heart-felt; as opposed to, a recognition of the peril the nation faced by the government continuing to sanction discrimination? Remember, at the time there was a REAL revolutionary spirit in the wind and there were more than a million U.S. military-trained and armed Black veterans (and more were being created, day by Vietnam, day) suffering under the oppression they were sent to fight against.

[JI7]

8. i would say much of it was heartfelt since he also knew

It would result in democrats losing the south even with the changes going on in the country.

[wildeyed]

14. My sense is that there was a fair amount of ego involved.

LBJ was a badass when it came to getting legislation passed. He knew which button to press and levers to pull to get the votes, and his will was inexorable once he started. He took great pride in his abilities and felt that Voting Rights was the true proof of his genius. He though (probably correctly) that no other politician could have pushed that through.

He WAS being pushed by current events too, but he was also a real liberal and wanted to do the deal.

[JI7]

7. he needed racist whites to pass his agenda

Even though it left out some groups.

FDR was a great president and did great things but had faults .

[1StrongBlackMan]

9. Acknowledging what all Americans were celebrating, even southern racists ...

wouldn't have alienated racist whites ... At least, I don't think so.

[JI7]

10. yeah but it just shows civil rights was not much of an issUe for him

[Number23]

11. Yep. That sums it up beautifully.

[Chitown Kev]

13. Know this story very well...

FDR did meet with Joe Louis prior to the second Schmeling-Louis fight though but there are no pictures of Louis with FDR that I know of...and FDR was a fan of Louis.



That picture of FDR and Schmeling was taken in 1932, I believe.

[heaven05]

15. yep