Tommie Smith and John Carlos - San Jose, CA
Posted by: 
ucdvicky
N 37° 20.139 W 121° 52.995
10S E 598927 N 4132692
Statues of the African American student who gave the Black Power salute at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.
Waymark Code: WM2MV3
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 11/22/2007
Views: 91
"After completing their 200 metre race on the evening of October 16, 1968[1], American athlete Smith, who won the race in a then world record time of 19.83 seconds, with Australia's Peter Norman second with a time of 20.06 seconds and American Carlos in third place with a time of 20.10 seconds, 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."[3] All three athletes wore Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR) badges, after Norman expressed sympathy with their ideals. 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.[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. 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."" Wikipedia
URL of the statue: Not listed
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