Two Jewish runners were denied almost sure Olympic gold
in the 1936 Games. Racism robbed them of the medals they'd worked a lifetime
to earn.
I'm Bill McCartney... It's 4TH and Goal!
At the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin, German dictator Adolf Hitler
hoped to prove the Nazi myth of Aryan superiority. Unfortunately
for Hitler, American heroes Jesse Owens, Ralph Metcalfe, Foy Draper and
Frank Wycoff, two of them black, easily won gold for the United States
in the 400-meter relay.
While their victory was a triumph, the tragedy of the 400-meter relay
race was that two Jews should have been running for the U.S. team. Marty
Glickman and Sam Stoller were on the team until race day, when without
explanation, they were told they wouldn't be running.
Glickman and Stoller returned to America as the only U.S. Olympians
not to compete in Berlin. The exact details of the race remain a
mystery. Of course it's not documented that anti-Semitism kept the
men from running.
But, the two themselves, and even Metcalfe, who did run in the race,
agreed that the Jews were held out for political reasons. Certain
powerful people didn't want to see Hitler triumphed by Jewish athletes.
Sadly, a gold medal, marking one of our country's defining moments,
is a sad illustration of racism. An otherwise glorious achievement
is darkened by injustice.
Let's work to cripple racism and its harms. First we can expose
it. Then, we can refuse to tolerate it. When we see racism,
or prejudice around us, let's take a stand against it, and let the world
know that it's not acceptable to treat someone unequally because of race
or ethnic heritage.
Let's work toward a day when, as the great Martin Luther King said,
"A man is judged not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his
character." And, men, may the content of our character uphold the
value of the human race.
I'm Coach Bill McCartney.
Source Material: Abrahamson, Alan. "Shame of the Games."
LA Times, January 7, 2001.
************************************************************
Copyright (c) 2000 Promise Keepers.
4th and Goal - Coaching for Life's Tough Calls, with Bill McCartney,
is a radio ministry of Promise Keepers.
Heard on more than 470 outlets nationwide, 4th and Goal - Coaching for
Life's Tough Calls, with Bill McCartney, is a 3-minute daily radio commentary
providing men with a hope-filled approach to issues that men deal with
every day. The program addresses vital topics such as parenting, the fatherless,
teenage alienation, and marriage relationships, as well as reporting on
breaking news and research related to men's daily interests. 4th
and Goal transcripts are also available on the Internet.
Copyright Issues: E-mailed transcripts of 4th and Goal broadcasts
may be re-transmitted by electronic mail, and individual printed copies
of a particular 4th and Goal transcript may be copied and distributed,
provided that each such copy contain the credit line shown below, and any
such reproduction and distribution is not used for fundraising, or for
a profit or other commercial purpose. This permission does NOT extend
to recording or other sound reproduction of any 4th and Goal broadcast.
4th and Goal broadcasts also may NOT be reproduced in any form on the World
Wide Web or in broadcast media, print media or other media without express
written permission. Promise Keepers considers requests to reprint,
transmit, or otherwise reproduce 4th and Goal (or portions thereof) in
broadcast, print, or other media on a case-by-case basis; please contact
Promise Keepers Media Relations at (303) 964-7777 or media@promisekeepers.org
to submit a request.
Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other reproduction
of 4th and Goal must contain the following credit line, in full, at the
conclusion of the portion of 4th and Goal that is reproduced:
Copyright (c) 2000-2001 Promise Keepers. Reprinted with permission.
"4th and Goal - Coaching for Life's Tough Calls," with Bill McCartney,
is a radio ministry of Promise Keepers.
Promise Keepers may withdraw or modify this grant of permission at any
time. "4th and Goal" is a trademark of Promise Keepers, a Colorado
nonprofit corporation.
http://www.4thandgoal.org
http://www.promisekeepers.org
