I wore a black right-hand glove and Carlos wore the left-hand glove of the same pair....My raised hand stood for the power in black America. Carlos's raised left hand stood for the unity of black America. Together they formed an arch of unity and power.
The black scarf around my neck stood for black pride. The black sock with no shoes stood for black poverty in racist America. The totality of our effort was the regaining of black dignity.
Tommie Smith. 200m gold. Mexico '68.
I believe in civil rights, every man is born equal and should be treated that way.
Peter Norman wearing an Olympic Project for Human Rights badge.
200m silver. Mexico '68.
The beads 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. We were trying to wake the country up and wake the world up too. John Carlos. 200m bronze. Mexico '68.
London Olympic Games: 500 days to go.
