In 2017 the Athlete Became the Activist
SPORTS POLITICS-During the 1968 Olympics, Tommie Smith and John Carlos shook the collective American consciousness with a silent gesture. After winning the gold and bronze medals, respectively, in the 200-meter sprint, the two men raised black-gloved fists into the summer night sky as the Star Spangled Banner droned on in the background. The image of their silent protest -- of racial inequity in the United States -- remains as striking now as it was 49 years ago. It immediately turned both men (as well the third man on the platform, Australian sprinter Peter Norman) into international pariahs. It's a moment that has come to symbolize what it means to be a socially aware athlete.