Tommie Smith (center) and John Carlos (right) showing the raised fist in the 1968 Summer Olympics while Silver medalist Peter Norman (left) wears an Olympic Project for Human Rights badge to show his support for the two Americans. For others with a similar name see Tommy Smith. Tommie Smith (born June 5, 1944) is an African American former John Wesley Carlos (born June 5, 1945 in Harlem New York) is an African American former Track and field athlete and professional Raised Fist is a Swedish hardcore band formed in 1993. The name "Raised Fist" came as an idea from the Rage Against The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Mexico City Peter George Norman ( June 15, 1942 – October 3, 2006) was an Australian track athlete best known for winning the

The 1968 Olympics Black Power salute was a noted black nationalist protest and one of the most overtly political statements in the 110 year history of the modern Olympic Games. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games African American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos performed their Power to the People salute at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa For others with a similar name see Tommy Smith. Tommie Smith (born June 5, 1944) is an African American former John Wesley Carlos (born June 5, 1945 in Harlem New York) is an African American former Track and field athlete and professional Raised Fist is a Swedish hardcore band formed in 1993. The name "Raised Fist" came as an idea from the Rage Against The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Mexico City Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico

The protest

On the the morning of October 16, 1968,^[1] American athlete Smith won the 200 metre race race in a then-world-record time of 19. Events 456 - Magister militum Ricimer defeats the Emperor Avitus at Piacenza and becomes master of the western Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, 36 athletics events were contested 24 for men and 12 for women 83 seconds, with Australia's Peter Norman second with a time of 20. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Peter George Norman ( June 15, 1942 – October 3, 2006) was an Australian track athlete best known for winning the 06 seconds, and American Carlos in third place with a time of 20. 10 seconds. After the race was completed, the three went to collect their medals at the podium. The two American athletes received their medals shoeless, but wearing black socks, to represent black poverty. ^[2] Smith wore a black scarf around his neck to represent black pride. ^[2] Carlos wore beads which he described "were for those individuals that were lynched, or killed that no-one said a prayer for, that were hung and tarred. It was for those thrown off the side of the boats in the middle passage. Middle Passage refers to the forcible passage of African people from Africa to the New World, as part of the Atlantic slave trade. "^[3] All three athletes wore Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR) badges, after Norman expressed sympathy with their ideals. The Olympic Project for Human Rights or OPHR was an organisation established by sociologist Harry Edwards and others including athlete Tommie Smith Sociologist Harry Edwards, the founder of the OPHR, had urged black athletes to boycott the games; reportedly, the actions of Smith and Carlos on October 16, 1968,^[1] were inspired by Edwards' arguments. Harry Edwards, born November 22, 1942 in East St Louis, Illinois, is an African-American sociologist, and author Events 456 - Magister militum Ricimer defeats the Emperor Avitus at Piacenza and becomes master of the western Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[4]

Carlos had forgotten his black gloves, but Norman suggested that they share Smith's pair, with Smith wearing the right glove and Carlos the left. When "The Star-Spangled Banner" played, Smith and Carlos delivered the salute with heads bowed, a gesture which became front page news around the world. " The Star-Spangled Banner " is the National anthem of the United States of America As they left the podium they were booed by the crowd. ^[5] Smith later said "If I win, I am American, not a black American. But if I did something bad, then they would say I am a Negro. We are black and we are proud of being black. Black America will understand what we did tonight. "

International Olympic Committee response

IOC president Avery Brundage deemed a domestic political statement unfit for the apolitical, international forum the Olympic Games was supposed to be. Avery Brundage ( September 28 1887 &ndash May 8 1975) was an American athlete sports official art collector and philanthropist In an immediate response to their actions, he ordered Smith and Carlos suspended from the U. S. team and banned from the Olympic Village. When the US Olympic Committee refused, Avery threatened to ban the entire US track team. This threat led to the two athletes being expelled from the Games.

A spokesperson for the organization said it was "a deliberate and violent breach of the fundamental principles of the Olympic spirit. "^[2]

Aftermath

Smith and Carlos were largely ostracised by the U. S. sporting establishment in the following years and in addition were subject to criticism of their actions. Time magazine showed the five-ring Olympic logo with the words, "Angrier, Nastier, Uglier", instead of "Faster, Higher, Stronger". Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Back home they were subject to abuse and they and their families received death threats. ^[6]

Smith continued in athletics, going on to play American football with the Cincinnati Bengals, before becoming an assistant professor of Physical Education at Oberlin College. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Oberlin College is a private Liberal arts college in Oberlin Ohio. In 1995 he went on to help coach the U. S. team at the World Indoor Championships at Barcelona. Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia In 1999 he was awarded a Sportsman of the Millennium award. He is now a public speaker.

Carlos' career followed a similar path to Smith. He initially continued in athletics, equaling the 100m world record the following year. Later he played American football with the Philadelphia Eagles before a knee injury prematurely ended his career. The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He fell upon hard times in the late 1970s and in 1977 his wife committed suicide. In 1982 Carlos was employed by the Organising Committee for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles to promote the games and act as liaison with the city's African American community. The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West In 1985 he became a track and field coach at a school in Palm Springs, a post which he still holds. Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, approximately 111 miles (177 km east of Los Angeles and 136 miles (225 km northeast of While at the time of the incident, they were ostracised, their actions are now seen as heroic, and as an important part of the Civil Rights Movement.

Norman, who was sympathetic to his competitors' protest, was reprimanded by his Country's Olympic authorities and ostracized by the Australian media. ^[7] He was not picked for the 1972 Summer Olympics, despite finishing third in his trials. The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Munich, in what was He kept running, but contracted gangrene in 1985 after tearing his Achilles tendon, which nearly led to his leg being amputated. Please do not add warnings to this page about the pictures Wikipedia is not censored for taste and has a guideline preventing such warnings - WikipediaNo disclaimers in articles The Achilles tendon (or occasionally Achilles’ tendon) also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendocalcaneous, is a Tendon of the posterior Depression and heavy drinking followed. He died on October 3, 2006. Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Smith and Carlos were pallbearers at his funeral. ^[8]

San Jose State University honored former students Smith and Carlos with a twenty foot high statue of their protest in 2005. San José State University, commonly shortened to San José State and SJSU, is the founding campus of what became the California State University system In January 2007, History San José opened a new exhibit called Speed City: From Civil Rights to Black Power, covering the San Jose State University athletic program "from which many student athletes became globally recognized figures as the Civil Rights and Black Power movements reshaped American society. San José State University, commonly shortened to San José State and SJSU, is the founding campus of what became the California State University system "^[9]

On 3/3/08, in the Detroit Free Press editorial section, an editorial by Orin Starn entitled "Bottom line turns to hollow gold for today's Olympians" lamented the lack of social engagement of modern sports athletes, in contrast to Smith and Carlos. The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily Newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Orin Starn is the Sally Dalton Robinson Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Duke University.

The Sydney Film Festival in mid-2008 will feature a documentary about the protest. It is called "Salute" and has been directed and produced by Matt Norman, an Australian actor and film-maker and Peter Norman's nephew. Matt Norman (born October 20, 1971, Tallangatta, Australia) is an actor turned filmmaker best known for his acting work on Australian TV Shows

See also

• Doug Roby

References

• Hurst, Mike. "Peter Norman's Olympic statement", The Sunday Mail, 2006-10-08. The Sunday Mail is Brisbane 's only Sunday Newspaper. The Sunday Mail is published in Tabloid format comprising several sections that can Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Retrieved on 2007-10-04. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 610 - Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows Byzantine Emperor Phocas  
• Lewis, Richard. "Caught in Time: Black Power salute, Mexico, 1968", The Sunday Times, 2006-10-08. The Sunday Times is a Sunday Broadsheet Newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Retrieved on 2007-10-04. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 610 - Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows Byzantine Emperor Phocas