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Tommie Smith won the 200-meter sprint gold medal at the 1968 Olympics and made a Black Power salute with John Carlos on the podium. He also played American football and set world records in the 200-meter and 220-yard events.
US athlete Tommie Smith attained international fame when he gave the Black Power salute at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, 55 years ago. But as the exclusive BBC Archive...
- Myles Burke
Tommie Smith was a sprinter who won the 200-meter dash in 1968 and gave the Black Power salute with John Carlos. Learn about his life, career, and activism in this article from Britannica.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- LD Record 19.83S and Olympic Gold
- The Silent Protest
- Suspension, Death Threats and Punishment…
- 'Are You An Inspiration?'
- Lewis Hamilton Inspired by 1968
- Smith on Footballers Taking A Knee
- 'Kaepernick Sacrificed His Future Like Me'
- Obama: Controversial Protest Woke People Up
- Was The Protest Worth It?
- My Interview with Tommie Smith
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Smith and Carlos were studying at San Jose State University before the Olympics and were part of the famous 'Speed City' generation of great runners. They were inspired by civil rights activist and academic Dr Harry Edwards who co-founded the OPHR. The organisation fought against racial injustice and racial segregation. On the track, Smith won the ...
Although there was talk of an Olympics boycott, it did not materialise. Smith says the athletes decided it would be better to compete in Mexico City for "the sake of social understanding." He added it was left up to each athlete to decide how they would protest if they wanted to. In an interview earlier this year Carlos told Sky Sports Newshow thei...
For their gesture, Smith and Carlos were suspended from the Olympic team and had to fly home. Both men received dozens of death threats on their return. They also struggled to find work and new jobs. There was also negative criticism in the media and both faced discrimination and harassment. In an interview last yearSmith revealed he still receives...
As well as being an Olympic champion Smith set 13 world records during his running career, and held 11 simultaneously. Although he would never go to another Olympics, Smith switched sports and played three seasons of professional football for the NFL team Cincinnati Bengals where he spent most of the time on the practice squad. Smith, who had alrea...
For many in the US and around the world, Smith and Carlos are an inspiration. Among the generation who grew up with the image. In schools. Among the African-American population. And athletes too. Lewis Hamilton raised his fist on the podiumat last year's Styrian Grand Prix to emulate the gesture by Smith and Carlos. He said last year he had been "i...
What does Smith think about progress when he sees US athletes and football players in the UK take a knee before games? "I think we've learnt that it is a long way to go in the effort of understanding, of love and of respect," he says. "I'm sure those soccer players and those basketball players, the women and the men can understand that yes, there i...
In 2016 Colin Kaepernick decided to take a kneeto protest against police brutality and racial inequality in the United States. Many compared it to the stand taken by Smith and Carlos. What did Smith think when he saw it? "It's working. Just that. It's working." Smith adds: "The move to do something by Colin had come into his body, into his mind, in...
Five years ago, Carlos and Smith were special guests at the White House as President Barack Obama welcomed the 2016 US Olympic and Paralympic teams after the Rio Games. Sitting a few rows from the front, they watched as Obama highlighted their stand in 1968 and said it was "controversial but woke folks up". Both athletes got a round of applause fro...
"Of course, I do believe it's worth it," Smith says without even a second of hesitation. He believes he started "a new life" the moment he stepped off the podium. Since those moments on October 16 in 1968 Smith has always maintained he did the right thing and talks about his "purpose". "I think a lot of people, especially the younger generation, un...
Sky Sports News presenter Mike Wedderburn reflects on the opportunity to interview Tommie Smith for Black History Month… I was four years old when Tommie Smith stood on top of the podium in Mexico City in 1968 and with one black fisted glove took a swing at the world's racism. As I grew up that iconic image of Tommie and John Carlos never seemed fa...
The 200m champion explains the meaning and impact of his gesture against racial injustice, and why he is hopeful for the future. He also talks about his world record, his suspension, and the death threats he faced.
Aug 6, 2021 · The Timeless Appeal of Tommie Smith, Who Knew a Podium Could Be a Site of Protest - The New York Times. In 1968, he and John Carlos raised their fists during an Olympic medal ceremony. Their...
Sep 3, 2016 · For 48 years, Tommie Smith has talked about the night he stood on the podium at the 1968 Summer Olympics, fist thrust skyward. He had won the 200-meter sprint at the Mexico City Games,...
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Aug 19, 2016 · On October 16, 1968, Tommie Smith and fellow American John Carlos won gold and bronze, respectively, at the Olympic Games in Mexico City. With a time of 19.83, Smith broke the world and Olympic...
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