Owens was a Cleveland native, starting his athletic career at East Technical High School, near the location of the new mural. He became world-famous at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, where he was the first American to win four gold medals for track and field.
“He’s been a role model to the community for many years and I am proud to be a part of continuing his legacy in his roots,” said Danny Carver, a professor at Cleveland School of the Arts who guided the creation of the artwork. “This mural will serve as a reminder of him, his family, his legacy, and his achievements.”
The mural will be officially unveiled on Thursday, July 30, at 11:30 a.m. in a ceremony attended by city officials as well as students and faculty members of Cleveland School of the Arts.
The Lonnie Burten Recreation Center is located at 2511 E. 46th Street.
This article appears in Jul 22-28, 2015.
Jesse Owens – who was born in Oakville, Alabama, and moved to Cleveland with his family at age nine during the “Great Migration” – had the most poignant comment on the hypocrisy of amateur athletics, when everyone but the star competitor setting records is rolling in cash: “I had four gold medals, but you can’t eat four gold medals.”