[
on hearing that Jesse had received $10.000 from an unknown benefactor in 1936]
Lew Gilbert:
What is the straight story behind that money, Mr. Owens?
Jesse Owens:
You want the truth? I was paid $10.000 to support Alfred M. Landon's campaign againt Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Lew Gilbert:
Were you ashamed of that?
Jesse Owens:
Some people thought I should be, but I wasn't. Celebrities endorse cigarettes, banks, automobiles. Why was it wrong for me to endorse a Republican? Besides, it wasn't just for the money. I believed Landon would be better for the Black man.
Lew Gilbert:
What made you think so?
Jesse Owens:
Adolf Hitler made my name a household word when he wouldn't shake hands with me. President Roosevelt didn't shake hands with me, either. Governor Landon did.
Mel Walker:
Being a champion meant staying at the same hotel as the White athletes, at least in New York. It did not mean going in the *front* door.
[
Black athletes entering through loading dock and riding in freight elevator to their rooms]
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