October 16 th , 1968 was one of the more iconic pictures in Olympic
history. During the medal ceremony in Olympic Stadium in Mexico City,
three men who had competed in the 200-meter relay race stood on the
podium. Two African American athletes Tommie Smith, John Carlos and
Australian runner Peter Norman. Smith won Gold; his teammate Carlos
took Bronze and Norman captured Silver. What took place during the
playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” would go down in history.
As the national anthem played, each one turned to face the US flag; it
was Smith and Carlos who raised their fists with black gloves on. A
silent protest and gesture which had been used throughout the African
American community as a symbol of “black power.” What happened
that day stirred the pot of controversy and woke up America. In a time
during the Civil Rights movement, the assassination of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr, Harris and Carlos let it be known where they stood.
Both black men intended to bring black gloves, but Carlos had forgot his
in the Olympic Village. Norman suggested Carlos wear Smith’s left
handed glove. As the anthem played, their heads were bowed, and the
moment was captured. Upon leaving the podium, boos echoed throughout the stadium. Front page news all over America as a simple
gesture and silent protest became the talking point. Smith and Carlos
embodied what it meant to be black in America. We understood the
gesture in a time where “America” wasn’t too fond of blacks. What
people witnessed brought awareness to how we as blacks were being
mistreated.
When the International Olympic Committee president Avery Brundage,
an American himself deemed it to be a domestic political statement
unfit for the apolitical. He ordered both Smith and Carlos to be
suspended from the US team and banned them from the Olympic
Village. The committee refused and Brundage threatened to ban the
entire US track team. With that, Smith and Carlos were given expulsion
from competing. Neither men had to return their medals.
What’s even more disturbing is Brundage didn’t oppose the Nazi
salutes during the 1936 Berlin Olympics. A man who’d been accused of
being one of the United States’ most prominent Nazi sympathizers gave
the green light for the gesture; but had issues with Smith and Carlos’
fist gesture? The Nazi salute was acceptable in competition of nations,
while the fist salute wasn’t of a nation.
The aftermath of Smith and Carlos were ostracized; along with Norman
who suffered harsher backlash in Australia. Due to his support of what happened in 1968, he took criticism and reprimanded by his country’s
Olympic authorities. Conservatives in the Australian media took issues
with his stance. He wasn’t allowed to compete in the 1972 games,
despite making qualifying times due to several opinions over his role in
1968 games. When Sydney hosted the games in 2000, he didn’t receive
an invitation for the celebrations. In the meantime, the United States
invited Norman when they found out Australia barred him from the
events.
Peter Norman passed away in 2006; Smith and Carlos were pallbearers
for their international friend who was a part of the iconic moment.
Norman finally got the apology from his native country after his
passing; citing heroism and humility that helped raised international
awareness of racial inequality. The role he played in 1968 was finally
given praise for standing in unity with Smith and Carlos. It took forty-
four years to be given flowers and respect after his passing in 2006. It’s
a shame Norman didn’t receive praise while alive in Australia.
In the end, three men took a stand and gave us one of the iconic photos
in Olympic history. No matter the circumstances, it became a symbol of
unity, humility, and progress. Norman’s role in 1968 shaped the current
state of giving white athletes a platform to unify with black athletes on racial inequality in America. Smith, Carlos, and Norman will forever be
linked to the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
