Courses

Course Description

Since 1896, American Olympic athletes have dazzled the world. But it’s not all about sport. The subtext of their performances has been, for example, validating capitalism or democracy, sometimes as critics have noted, to boorish extremes. Ms. Kaj will explore these other agendas, starting with how an upstart nation sought a foothold with Europeans in the sporting world and to prove itself as a world power. She’ll look at how Olympians like Jesse Owens and Bob Mathias acted as proxy soldiers for America in tense international moments. And she’ll chart the movement of protests onto the Olympic stage, from the Black Power Salute to Joyner-Kersee’s “red toenails.” The games continue to evolve, influenced by economics and our conflicting needs to prove American superiority and yet strive for equality. Join the OLLI team as we seek to understand how the Olympic Games future and our national future will, as always, be linked. (ONLINE)