On October 16, 1968, US gold medalist Tommie Smith, and US bronze medalist John Carlos, while standing on the podium during the National Anthem after receiving their medals in the 200 meter track event, both raised their fists in a Black Power salute at the Mexico City Olympics.  Though Australian Peter Norman, who received the silver medal, didn’t raise his hand, he did wear an Olympic Project for Human Rights pin in solidarity.  All of them were protesting racial injustice, poverty, and discrimination in the US as well as everywhere. 

At the time, Avery Brundage, an American, was the International Olympic Committee President.  He insisted that US Olympic Committee President Doug Roby suspend both Smith and Carlos from the team.  When Roby hesitated Brundage threatened to suspend the entire US team.  So Smith and Carlos were suspended and sent home.  They were, though, allowed to keep their medals.  Back in the US, they were vilified by the press, faced numerous death threats, and though it wasn’t already hard enough for black men to make a living in 1968 America, it became even harder for them. All told, their protest took a very heavy toll on their lives.  But it was something they both felt they had to do for oppressed people everywhere.

But let’s not forget Avery Brundage.  Brundage served as the president of the American Olympic Committee from 1929 to 1953, which included the Berlin Olympics in Nazi Germany.  Whereas many people in the United States wanted to boycott the Berlin Olympics... well, because they were evil Nazis, Brundage argued that they really were nice guys, and all that stuff otherwise was a Jewish / Communist conspiracy.  You know.  Fake news.  In short, Brundage was a racist asshole.  A well documented racist asshole.  Aside from the whole Nazi things, he fought to keep South Africa in the Olympics, even though at the time they were blatantly racist, what with Apartheid and all.  He was also openly antisemitic and believed women shouldn’t participate in sports.  Seriously!  How did this guy get to be the head of anything?  As if that’s not enough, he was the International Olympic Committee President from 1952 to 1972.  And that meant he was the IOC president during the 1972 Olympics in Munich Germany, when Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes and coaches.  While just about everybody thought the Olympics should’ve been canceled, Brundage insisted that they must go on. 

Following the 1972 Olympics, Brundage stepped down from his position, which he had been planning on doing anyway.  There is no evidence that the Internation Olympic Committee would have done anything to get rid of him had he not left, though public sentiment was hugely against the guy.  Avery Brundage died in May of 1975.

Back to the Athletes.  Even though at first Tommie Smith and John Carlos were not well met in the US – to say the least – over time public opinion shifted.  Today John Carlos remains socially active, speaking out on social justice, civil rights, and athlete activism.  Tommie Smith today is seen as a civil rights activist pioneer.  There is a statue of him at San Jose State University, where he attended.  

Australian Peter Norman wasn’t kicked off the Australian team or even officially sanctioned for wearing the Olympic Project for Human Rights pin, but it marked the end of his running career.  Back in Australia, he received social ostracization and was unofficially blacklisted from ever participating in the Olympics again.  In short, it ruined his life, which included alcoholism and depression.  When he died in 2006, both Smith and Carlos flew to Australia to be his pallbearers.  Many years much too late, the Australian government apologized for its actions toward Norman.

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