I have been so fortunate to have the opportunity to work with the brilliant filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper. Our podcast discussion is timely for the Olympics and Black History Month. Through her acclaimed documentary film, Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, Deborah brought a vital American story back to life, projecting it onto the screen and into the history books.
In 1936, Jesse Owens was far from alone when he defied Jim Crow and stood up to Hitler to compete in the Berlin Olympics. Owens was one of 18 African-American athletes who represented the USA, winning glory and honor for a country who didn’t know how to love them back. Deborah researched far and wide to reconstruct this story that had almost been lost to obscurity—white mainstream news outlets at the time could not handle the full story of 18 Black athletes. The dominant press narrative collapsed the coverage into one overarching story of Jesse Owens’ achievements, instead of covering the collective teamwork of all 18 ground-breaking Olympians.
To bring the full story back to life, Deborah looked in family albums, school yearbooks, and numerous sports and historical archives. She conducted interviews around the world, with family members, past and present Olympians—and all the way to Berlin itself—to create a thrilling sports film that shares an important piece of civil rights history. I am proud to serve the film as an Executive Producer, and it has been a true honor to show the film around the world. Deborah’s advocacy has led to amazing changes—you could even say providing the opportunity to remedy significant historical snubs. It was a great honor that President Barack Obama invited 1936 Black Olympians’ families to the White House as part of the “Welcome Home Team USA” festivities in 2016, finally giving these athletes the Presidential accolades they so richly deserved.
I think this discussion with Deborah is the best interview I have done in my years of podcasting. We have a heartfelt connection, and we even came up with an original outreach idea together in real time. Listen in to find out more!
The film hits me in a different way in 2022 than it did in 2016. Deborah and I discuss the warning signs of mounting fascism and nationalism that were evident in 1936 Germany, and what lessons that can teach us today.
Deborah’s films and TV shows are available on streaming platforms including Peacock, iTunes, Amazon Prime Video and more. All are highly recommended. Learn more about her work at her website, DeborahRileyDraper.com
The documentary film Olympic Pride, American Prejudice and its companion book are must-have resources for every school or community library. The film and book have each been nominated for NAACP Image Awards. Share this important piece of American history with your family or classroom today!
Learn more about Deborah Riley Draper’s filmmaking accomplishments:
Podcast with Deborah Riley Draper, acclaimed filmmaker, Director of "Olympic Pride, American Prejudice" and more