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Black History: October 16, 1968 - The Silent Protest

Today in history at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, African-American athlete Tommie Smith won the 200-metre dash in a record time of 19.83 seconds, thus winning the gold medal. White Australian athlete Peter Norman came second at 20.06 seconds and African-American athlete John Carlos came third at 20.10 seconds.

While receiving their medals at the podium:

• Smith and Carlos removed their shoes, wearing black socks to symbolise black poverty
• Smith represented his black pride by wearing a black scarf
• Carlos wore beads as a reference to the slaves who were thrown over boats in the middle passage and for those who were lynched, killed, hung and tarred
• Both athletes wore a single black glove (Peter Norman suggested that John Carlos should wear Tommie Smith’s left-hand glove)

Smith and Carlos bowed their head and raised their gloved fists as the American Star-Spangled Banner played, and the crowd booed the athletes as they left the podium. After the event, Smith stated:

“If I win I am an American, not a black American. But if I did something bad then they would say “a Negro”. We are black and we are proud of being black. Black America will understand what we did tonight.”