PROMOTING THE VALUES OF SPORT IN ORDER TO FIGHT AGAINST RACISM

Look in the same direction, that’s what have done the 250 students from the Meuse region in the movie theatres of Verdun and Bar-le-Duc, contemplating on a tale as overwhelming than interesting: “La couleur de la Victoire”, directed by Stephen Hopkins. Eyes fixed on the screen, they have discovered and relived the path of a great athlete, Jesse Owens’, a young African-American from the working-class, who participated to the summer Olympic Games of 1936 in Berlin. 

Thanks to that action ran by the ROSC (Regional Olympic and Sports Committee) Meuse in partnership with the USEP 55, the UFOLEP 55, Handisport 55 and the Education League of the Meuse, young people have been participants of the thinking and the awareness on a theme defending tolerance.

Debates led by Jérôme Dumont, history teacher, and Benjamin Rondeau, oarsman winner of Bronze medal at the Beijing 2008 OG, have allowed them to express themselves on some misunderstandings and feelings of unfairness, such as the inability for an athlete to participate to a sports event because of his religion or his skin color.

To develop their knowledge, Jérôme Dumont has intervened on some historical elements in the film, such as segregation in the United States or the Nazi dictatorship in place in 1936.

Then came the intervention of Benjamin Rondeau, long-awaited by the pupils. From the top of his 197 cm, he unveiled his path in sports to the students, his trophies, his hours of training and his professional and personal life. His experience, comparable to highly valuable life lessons for the younger generations, has highlighted more than just records, but values such as commitment, courage and cooperation. He concluded, the nicest way possible, sharing his Olympic medal for everyone to put the fingers on a lifetime dream…