Chicagochicago school closingsCPSjesse owens

Jesse Owens' Family Fighting CPS To Keep Olympic Star's Name On South Side School

Family Fighting To Keep Olympic Legend's Name On School

As Chicago Public Schools endures a PR nightmare over parent protests, "safe passage" violence and budget woes, the district continued its spiral when it erased the name of a long-time Chicagoan -- an Olympic hero who humiliated Hitler -- from one of its schools.

The daughters of Olympic track and field legend Jesse Owens are fighting to keep their father's legacy alive on the South Side elementary school that has bore his name since the '80s.

When school starts back up for CPS students next week, former students of Jesse Owens Community Academy in West Pullman will head to Samuel Gompers Elementary. The district voted to shutter Owens last spring and consolidate it with Gompers, though CPS is keeping the Owens building open under the Gompers name for K-3 students.

"It is just beyond me as to why they would do something like that," Owens' youngest daughter, Marlene Owens Rankin, told the Tribune "It is disrespectful."

“He called everyone champ, to him every child was a champ, all they needed was the opportunity to be one,” added Owens’ eldest daughter, Gloria Owens Hemphill.

Owens, who spent much of his post-Olympics life in Chicago, is buried at Oak Woods Cemetery on the city's South Side. Owens Elementary was dedicated several years after his death in 1980.

Owens' daughters, who live in Chicago, passionately fought during April's public school closure hearings to save the school. They've also reached out to Mayor Rahm Emanuel, local aldermen and others for support, but say they've heard nothing back.

A CPS official said the naming decisions are left up to the Local School Council, NBC Chicago reports. Gompers' principal said she won't stand in the way if the community decides in favor of changing the name to Owens.

"What he did in his lifetime meant a lot -- to a lot of people," Rankin told WGN (embedded above).

The Tribune's Mary Schmich noted as much in a stirring recent column underscoring the value a CPS school's name holds for its neighborhood and residens.

"Reading the list of schools on Chicago's chopping block is like taking a tour through the city's past, witnessing vanished heroes in neighborhoods whose ethnic identities have, in many cases, long since changed."

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Chicago School Closings
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Students march through the Loop protesting the city's plan to close more than 50 elementary schools on March 25, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. Last week the city announced the plan claiming it was necessary to rein in a looming $1 billion budget deficit. The closings would shift about 30,000 students to new schools and leave more than 1,000 teachers with uncertain futures. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(02 of16)
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Students protest outside the Chicago Public Schools headquarters against the city's plan to close more than 50 elementary schools on March 25, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. Last week the city announced the plan claiming it was necessary to rein in a looming $1 billion budget deficit. The closings would shift about 30,000 students to new schools and leave more than 1,000 teachers with uncertain futures. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(03 of16)
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Alan Mares and other students demonstrate outside the office of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel protesting the city's plan to close more than 50 elementary schools on March 25, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. Last week the city announced the plan claiming it was necessary to rein in a looming $1 billion budget deficit. The closings would shift about 30,000 students to new schools and leave more than 1,000 teachers with uncertain futures. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(04 of16)
Open Image Modal
Students demonstrate outside the office of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel protesting the city's plan to close more than 50 elementary schools on March 25, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. Last week the city announced the plan claiming it was necessary to rein in a looming $1 billion budget deficit. The closings would shift about 30,000 students to new schools and leave more than 1,000 teachers with uncertain futures. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(05 of16)
Open Image Modal
Students march through the Loop protesting the city's plan to close more than 50 elementary schools on March 25, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. Last week the city announced the plan claiming it was necessary to rein in a looming $1 billion budget deficit. The closings would shift about 30,000 students to new schools and leave more than 1,000 teachers with uncertain futures. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(06 of16)
Open Image Modal
Students march through the Loop protesting the city's plan to close more than 50 elementary schools on March 25, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. Last week the city announced the plan claiming it was necessary to rein in a looming $1 billion budget deficit. The closings would shift about 30,000 students to new schools and leave more than 1,000 teachers with uncertain futures. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(07 of16)
Open Image Modal
Students protest outside the Chicago Public Schools headquarters against the city's plan to close more than 50 elementary schools on March 25, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. Last week the city announced the plan claiming it was necessary to rein in a looming $1 billion budget deficit. The closings would shift about 30,000 students to new schools and leave more than 1,000 teachers with uncertain futures. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(08 of16)
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Parents of students at the Dumas Technology Academy Elementary School protest outside the school, the proposed closing of the Southside facility Friday, March 22, 2013, in Chicago. Chicago Public Schools officials ended months of speculation when they released the list of 54 schools the city plans to close, but the pushback against Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his schools chief is likely just starting to ramp up.(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) (credit:AP)
(09 of16)
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Parents of students at the Dumas Technology Academy Elementary School protest outside the school over the proposed closing of the Southside facility by the Chicago Board of Education, Friday, March 22, 2013, in Chicago. Chicago Public Schools officials ended months of speculation when they released the list of 54 schools the city plans to close, but the pushback against Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his schools chief is likely just starting to ramp up.(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) (credit:AP)
(10 of16)
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Yolanda Harris, a parent of four children attending Dumas Technology Academy Elementary School is consoled after Harris led a protest outside the school over the proposed closing of the Southside facility by the Chicago Board of Education Friday, March 22, 2013, in Chicago. Chicago Public Schools officials ended months of speculation when they released the list of 54 schools the city plans to close, but the pushback against Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his schools chief is likely just starting to ramp up.(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) (credit:AP)
(11 of16)
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Asean Johnson, 9, a third-grader at Marcus Garvey Elementary, speaks to Chicago Public School Chiefs, including Tony McPhearson, Tom Tyrrell, Karen Saffold and Commander James Gibson of the Chicago Police Department, in defense of his school during a community meeting, April 13, 2013 at Harlin High School in Chicago, Illinois. (Anthony Souffle/Chicago Tribune/MCT via Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(12 of16)
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Parents of students at the Dumas Technology Academy Elementary School protest outside the school, the proposed closing of the Southside facility Friday, March 22, 2013, in Chicago. Chicago Public Schools officials ended months of speculation when they released the list of 54 schools the city plans to close, but the pushback against Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his schools chief is likely just starting to ramp up.(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) (credit:AP)
(13 of16)
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Parents of students at the Dumas Technology Academy Elementary School hug Yolanda Harris after she organized a protest outside the school over the proposed closing of the Southside facility by the Chicago Board of Education, Friday, March 22, 2013, in Chicago. Chicago Public Schools officials ended months of speculation when they released the list of 54 schools the city plans to close, but the pushback against Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his schools chief is likely just starting to ramp up.(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) (credit:AP)
(14 of16)
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Parents protest outside the home of Chicago's Board of Education President David Vitales house Thursday, March 21, 2013, in Chicago. Teachers say the city of Chicago has begun informing teachers, principals and local officials about which public schools it intends to close under a contentious plan that opponents say will disproportionately affect minority students in the nation's third largest school district. Chicago Public Schools hasn't said how many schools or students will be affected, but administrators identified up to 129 schools that could be shuttered, saying many serve too few students to justify remaining open. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) (credit:AP)
(15 of16)
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Parents protest outside the home of Chicago's Board of Education President David Vitales house Thursday, March 21, 2013, in Chicago. Teachers say the city of Chicago has begun informing teachers, principals and local officials about which public schools it intends to close under a contentious plan that opponents say will disproportionately affect minority students in the nation's third largest school district. Chicago Public Schools hasn't said how many schools or students will be affected, but administrators identified up to 129 schools that could be shuttered, saying many serve too few students to justify remaining open. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) (credit:AP)
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Evlar Hatchett, whose 13-year-old nephew's school is in jeopardy of closing, speaks after a news conference held by the Committee to Save North Lawndale Schools Thursday, March 21, 2013, in Chicago. The city of Chicago has begun informing teachers about which public schools it intends to close under a contentious plan that opponents say will disproportionately affect minority students in the nation's third largest school district. Chicago Public Schools hasn't said how many schools or students will be affected, but administrators identified up to 129 schools that could be shuttered, saying many serve too few students to justify remaining open. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green) (credit:AP)
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