John Carlos was born to do Black Power salute, despite backlash
CBC Radio | Posted: August 16, 2016 11:49 AM | Last Updated: August 16, 2016
Nearly 50 years before Rio, two American runners made history at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico.
After dominating the 200 m, John Carlos and Tommie Smith — respectively, the bronze and gold medalists representing the U.S. — bowed their heads during their national anthem. Then, in a silent act of defiance, they raised gloved fists in a Black Power salute.
And just like that, the friends and activists — with their unzipped jackets, black beads, and shoeless feet — transformed the Olympic podium into a political platform before the eyes of the world.
Decades after that iconic moment, Shad checks in with Carlos. The Hall of Fame track and field athlete reflects on the political context, the pivotal moment, and the swift reaction surrounding the gesture — including tremendous personal costs.
Both men were immediately suspended from the national team and expelled from the Olympic village. Once vilified, particularly at home in the U.S., Carlos says it took roughly 30 years for their gesture to be re-framed as a brave expression of civil rights and resistance.