A ‘Big-O’ Difference

Story By Hannah Lester Photos Contributed By The James Owens Foundation

James Owens — a man who paved the way for others, who walked a hard path, fought for the rights of those who would come after him — Auburn University’s first Black athlete to receive a football scholarship.

James received his scholarship and came to play at the school on The Plains in 1969.

“It was a struggle for him, to be going through integration,” said Jamelia Owens, James’ daughter.

James, before coming to Auburn, wanted to play for the NFL, but he sustained injuries that killed the dream. He returned home — to Birmingham.

“James didn’t want that for other players,” Jamelia said. “He didn’t want them to do four years and then go back home to nothing, so before he passed away on March 26, 2016, we began to draft a foundation … James knew that he was sick, and so he wanted his legacy to live on but he knew that the only way he could do that was creating something that would be able to help others.”

The James Owens Foundation was formed after James’ death — it provides scholarships to students that will allow them to further their educations. In addition to academic and masters’-level scholarships, the organization assists with grants to aid students with non-traditional education costs as well.

“There was so much James wanted to do,” she said. “He

was very [involved] with youth, especially in his ministry. He wanted those athletes and all youth to understand that everybody is not going to get picked to go to the next round so ‘what is your plan?’ He wants everybody to have a plan, everybody to have goals, everybody to have dreams and to actually live those dreams.”

The scholarships the foundation provides are nontraditional. Yes, they may help cover tuition, but they can be used for other things — like daycare, sports camps or medical expenses.

“We play a part in helping those children and those people achieve their goals, that they normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to do,” Jamelia said. “My father was given an opportunity, so that’s what we want to do. We want to make a ‘Big-O’ difference in the lives, and the quality of lives, of others.”

Eventually, the foundation hopes to have a ‘James Owens Community Center’ with a library, resource rooms, a computer lab and childcare center.

“We want to do so much more for the community, and we know those are plans for the future,” Jamelia said. “But as long as we get those scholarships out and let people know that we are here and we want to make a difference.”

To raise money, the foundation has a fundraising breakfast annually. 2022’s scholarship recipients were invited to participate in the program this year, Jamelia said.

Additionally, the organization holds a 5K run annually to raise money. This year, the run was held on March 26 at

Sarah Maris raised money for the James Owens’ Foundation on her own. Sarah Maris, her sister and employees of the James Owens Foundation celebrated the donations Sarah Maris raised.

Southern Union State Community College.

The foundation gave out its first scholarship in 2019. Due to COVID-19 in 2020, The Foundation wasn’t able to give any scholarships out. In 2021, The Foundation revamped its board and prepared to give scholarships in 2022. Overall, The foundation has given three scholarships and hopes to give three to five more this year. The winners of this years’ scholarships will be announced in August.

The breakfast isn’t the only way the organization raises money. It relies on the community, too.

“Our newest board member is Nicole Finley from Auburn Pharmacy,” Jamelia said. “And she and her daughter, Sarah Maris, have been absolutely amazing.”

Sarah Maris raised over $500 in January and was made a Junior Ambassador for the James Owens Foundation.

“She did it all by herself,” Jamelia said. “She would go into the [The Auburn] Pharmacy and set up her little jar and people would donate … From the beginning, James had a passion for children, so it’s absolutely important for us to know that we’re reaching children, even at a younger age.”

One of The James Owens Foundation’s scholarship winners was a student, Skylan Holstick, who was 12 at the time, to pay for a football camp in Mexico.

“It gave me more exposure to a lot of football groups because traveling out of the country to play football is a pretty big thing,” Holstick said. “And you get exposed to different cultures too.”

Holstick is now 14, in eighth grade and still playing football. He hopes to play football at the collegiate level and wants to study to be a doctor, he said.

The teenager would like to play for either Auburn … or Alabama. But until then, when Holstick reaches high school, he will be playing for Opelika High School.

“For him to come from a background of a single parent, and it was something he really wanted to do and so they reached out to us and we were able to help them with expenses to make sure that he made it to Mexico,” Jamelia said. “He did great in the tournament that they had, or the event they had in Mexico, and he’s continuing to do great things.”

For more on the James Owens Foundation, or to learn more on the history and legacy of James, visit www. jofoundation43.org.

“I don’t think that he would believe that his legacy will live on, his story, his heart,” Jamelia said. “His heart was pure gold. He loved everybody.”