Owens traveled widely in his post-Olympic days. He was an inspiring speaker and was sought after to address youth groups, professional organizations, civic meetings, sports banquets, PTAs, church organizations, brotherhood and black history programs, as well as high school and college commencements and ceremonies. He was also a public relations representative and consultant to many corporations, including Atlantic Richfield, which until 1994, sponsored the annual ARCO/Jesse Owens Games. Owens spearheaded the founding of the games in 1964, and over a million boys and girls aged 8-15 were reached and participated each year.

A complete list of the many awards and honors presented to Jesse Owens by groups around the world would fill dozens of pages. An example of his international popularity comes from Africa, where the government of the Ivory Coast named the street on which the U.S. embassy is located "Rue Jesse Owens". He attended the dedication ceremony in 1971. While there, he also conferred with the Minister of Youth and Sports and met with the nation's top athletes, who considered Owens their greatest hero. In Berlin, Germany a street leading to the Olympic stadium is named Jesse Owens Allee. The Owens family attended the dedication ceremony as guests of the German government in 1982.
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