James (Jesse) Cleveland Owens
He was born in Danville, Alabama, on September 12, 1913. As a child he was often sick and was not able to assist his sharecropper father. He got his nickname due to a public school teacher who wrote Jesse instead of James. After high school track, numerous universities wanted to recruit him; in the end he went to Ohio State University in Columbus. Jess Owens became a hero of the 1936 Olympic games for African-Americans. It was the age of Hitler supremacy and Jesse Owen's received 4 gold metals. After the Olympics, he had financial trouble and was forced to take strange jobs. 40 years after the Olympics, he was invited to the white house to receive a medal from President Gerald Ford. A new award was name in his honor, the Jesse Owens International Trophy for Amateurs, and was deemed a legend. 10 years later, he received a Congressional Gold Medal; the highest award. He died on March 31, 1980 in Tucson, Arizona.
Basketball
The Harlem Rens was the first all-black basketball team to win a world championship. Their rivals were the Harlem Globetrotters, but would clown around in hope to get approve from the Americans. On the other hand, the Rens were all business and looked for respect. The team's attitude refelcted those of the Harlem Renaissance, the social movement and their was an African-American operated club with the same name. The Renaissance Casino and Ballroom was used for practice; they would play in between band sets. They barnstormed throughout Midwest, South, and Northeast.
Ballroom-The Savoy
During the 1920's swing dancing was paired with jazz music and new creations were commenced at The Savoy Ballroom; the Linda Hop was their new style created in response of the European social dances. There are multiple swings, like the Linda Hop, Balboa, St. Louis Shag, Jittterbug, East Coast/West Coast, Boogie-Woogie, and Shag. Swing was a sort of mockery of Europe's sedate waltz. It spread all of the United States in night clubs, soon regional styles were made.