Why Black American Athletes Raised Their Fists at the 1968 Olympics
After sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos made a defiant gesture from the awards podium at the Games, they faced repercussionsâbut also gained respect.
Author:
Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
After sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos made a defiant gesture from the awards podium at the Games, they faced repercussionsâbut also gained respect.
Wearing beads and scarves to oppose lynchings and black socks with no shoes to highlight poverty, African American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos took to the podium during the October 16, 1968, Olympic medal ceremony in Mexico City to receive their respective gold and bronze medals in the 200-meter race. But it was a single accessory a black glove and an accompanying gesture a raised fist during the American national anthem that sparked an uproar. From that moment, the two athletes would be vilified, threatened and, in some circles, cele