Black History is American History

Black History, Sports, DEI, and Hitler’s 1936 Olympic Games

Yes, they are all connected

Kids playing basketball by RDNE Stock project via Pexel

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While summer 2026 might provide a more appropriate historical backdrop for this article, I can’t wait until next year.

Summer 2026 will mark the 90th anniversary of the 1936 Olympic Games. To welcome Germany back to the world community after their defeat in World War I, the International Olympic Committee awarded the Games to Germany in 1931, before Adolf Hitler rose to power. While initially uninterested in hosting the Olympics, Hitler eventually saw the Games as an opportunity to showcase Germany’s Aryan “master race.”

Dismantling the myth of white supremacy

While there were Jewish athletes that were qualified to represent Germany at the 1936 Olympics, the Nazis excluded Jewish athletes from Germany’s Olympic team. In the United States, Jim Crow discrimination was the order of the day. Jim Crow limited and restricted opportunities for Black Americans in every walk of life, including college and professional sports. Despite this fact, the U.S. joined most of the international community in condemning Germany’s ban…