Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

The Holocaust Center has arranged a special screening of ‘RACE,’ a new feature film about Jesse Owens’ 1936 Olympic experience, for Sunday March 6 at 2 p.m. at the Regal Winter Park Village Stadium.

After the film there will be a Q&A session with Orlando Sentinel sports writer Shannon Owens Green, who is Jesse’s great niece. She will be joined by Jesse’s great-nephew, Hayward Christopher Owens, who played for the NBA , and Mica Owens-Weary,  Shannon’s sister.

Dr. Richard Lapchick, head of the University of Central Florida’s DeVos Sport Business Management Program, and a recognized expert in the area of civil and racial justice in sports, will also be part of the discussion. 

For Adolph Hitler and the Nazis, the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games were expected to be a German showcase and a statement for Aryan supremacy. But it was the African-American participants who helped cement America’s success at the Olympic Games. Owens was easily the most dominant athlete to compete. He captured four gold medals and broke two Olympic records along the way.

Participants will need to purchase a regular admission ticket at the theater box office. Seating for this one-time opportunity is limited, so patrons are advised to arrive early.