John Carlos Recalls The Political Statement Made During The 1968 Olympics
Posted by Michelle Moquin on August 1st, 2012
Good morning!
The Olympics, like so many of us, is something I look forward to watching every 4 years. Growing up competing in gymnastics myself, you can be sure that I love watching the gymnasts…and did you notice that team USA killed it last night, and won the gold. Congrats to the Fab Five girls!
But it isn’t just gymnastics that keeps me glued to the TV. I seem to watch many sports – not necessarily because I love the sport and am an avid follower of any particular sport, but because I love the team camaraderie as well as the competition…the perseverance and devotion that Olympic athletes all seem to embody.
They are all the top of their game, and I find them to be so inspiring in so many ways. When one wins I can feel the joy in myself…just as when one doesn’t do as well as expected, I too feel the loss and disappointment. Let’s just say my emotions run the gamut as I sit in front of the Television.
But my time in front of the tube is limited, which is good for me. So when I am on the road, the radio is usually on giving me lots of interesting things to blog.
While listening to Democracy Now the other day, I was fascinated by the story of two young men in the 1968 Olympics, John Carlos, Tommie Smith, American track stars.
John Carlos, recalls why it was so important for him and Smith to stand on the winner’s podium. And it wasn’t because they won Olympic medals.
Here’s a write from The Root:
John Carlos on His Fist-Raising Protest
This former Olympian recalls why he and teammate Tommie Smith donned black gloves at the 1968 Games.
(The Root) — There have been countless Olympic moments that are memorable because of sporting achievements, but one stands out for the political statement it made. After winning a respective gold and bronze medal in the 200-meter dash at the 1968 games in Mexico City, two American track stars — Tommie Smith and John Carlos — shocked the world when they bowed their heads and raised their black-gloved fists in the air while they stood on the victor’s podium. As the national anthem played, the runners’ symbolic gesture was a protest of the social inequality endured by blacks in America and an expression of solidarity with the world’s oppressed peoples.
According to Carlos’ biographer Dave Zirin, events around the world — from the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy to the war in Vietnam and the massacre of hundreds of Mexican students and workers — that year informed the runners’ demonstration. “For them it was a question of how could they not express themselves at that particular moment in time,” Zirin, who co-authored The John Carlos Story: The Sports Moment That Changed the World, told The Root.
In the run-up to the games, Smith and Carlos had joined the Olympic Project For Human Rights (OPHR), a group of black athletes led by San Jose State sociology professor Harry Edwards who were prepared to boycott the athletic event if authorities failed to meet certain demands. They wanted apartheid countries barred; they called for Muhammad Ali to have his boxing title restored. (It had been stripped away after his opposition to being drafted for the Vietnam War.) They also stood for hiring more African-American assistant coaches, but the most controversial stance was their demand that Avery Brundage, who had a history of being a fascist sympathizer, be removed as head of the International Olympic Committee.
Some of urgency of the boycott relented, however, when Olympic officials excluded South Africa and Rhodesia from the games. When The Root caught up with Carlos, 66, via phone recently, he said he still considered staying home. But it was probably one of the best and hardest decisions he made to eventually attend, win a bronze medal and make history in one of the most enduring images in sports history. Carlos, who once dreamed of being an Olympic swimmer before turning to track, recalled how important it was for a kid from Harlem to make a statement on the world stage, no matter how he was vilified for it at the time.
The Root: I read you first attended East Texas State but left after one year. When did you connect with professor Edwards and his OPHR movement?
John Carlos: I had been reading in Track and Field News about the Olympic Project for Human Rights since I was a student at East Texas State. Everything they were saying I agreed with. I’m saying to myself, these are the people I want to be affiliated with.
After leaving East Texas State, I was back in New York and I got a call from professor Harry Edwards, who invited me to a meeting at the Americana Hotel. In this meeting, Dr. King wanted to let professor Edwards, the SCLC and all those that were involved know that he was coming out in support of the Olympic boycott. After that, I got an offer from professor Edwards to matriculate at San Jose State
TR: Was the black-glove fist professor Edwards’ idea?
JC: Harry had no idea. He was as surprised as you or anyone else who was walking the Earth that day. I would say collectively, it was Tommie Smith and I. It was our idea together.
TR: Describe your feelings and emotions before the race. Were you nervous about your performance?
JC: The main thing that ran through my mind when we ran the final race, my statement to myself was, “Damn, let’s get it on.” Now the formality is out the way, now we can do what we came to do and that’s take care of business on the victory stand.
My premise for going to the games was to make a statement. I wanted to represent the people from where I came from. It was the first time the Olympic Games was televised worldwide. The first time the Olympic Games was televised in Technicolor. The first time that anyone even cared to step up and make a public statement about humanity.
TR: When did you start planning to use the black glove and walk out without wearing running shoes? There were other items you had as well, right?
JC: I said to Mr. Smith, after we ran our quarter- and semi-final race, that I wanted to make a statement. He was with me on that. Then we came to the next stage — what do you have to bring to the table? Mr. Smith said, “I have some gloves.” Bring ‘em. I had some black beads. Bring ‘em. He had a black scarf. Bring ‘em. I had a black shirt. Bring it. We decided that we would wear black socks, roll our pants cuffs up, go out there barefoot and put the Puma shoe on the victory stand.
The black glove was to say that we want the world to know, although we are here for humanity, we want the world to know that these are black people concerned about humanity. We wanted to represent our blackness through that black glove. My black shirt that I had over my USA jersey was for the shame I had for America: Why do we have to come as second-class citizens to be your warriors in the wars? Second-class citizens in the business world … in the realms of education or housing or employment.
Mr. Smith put that black scarf on his neck to show unity. We put black socks with no shoes to show third-world poverty. Individuals are walking miles a day without shoes to try to get an education and we’re sending spaceships to the moon but we can’t stop poverty in the U.S.
TR: The news media’s reaction was harsh. Time had a distorted version of the Olympic logo on its cover with the words: “Angrier, Nastier, Uglier.” The Chicago Tribune called the act “an embarrassment visited upon the country.” Brent Musburger, then a young reporter at the Chicago American, called you “a pair of black-skinned storm troopers.”
JC: We were ostracized. We had everything pelted against us, we had no means to defend ourselves. We couldn’t make them come and have a dialogue with us about the why, where’s and what’s. Then you had individuals like Brent Musburger calling us neo-Nazis … all across this nation, the major newspapers just decimated us. What vehicle did we have to express ourselves? We didn’t have social media, Twitter or Facebook.
TR: Have you talked to Brent Musburgersince then? Do you think he should apologize?
JC: Brent Musburger is a louse, and I don’t care to speak with him. He is going to have to deal with that when he goes before his maker. Between you and I, man, I don’t think Musburger is man enough to apologize. It takes a man to make the right move and it showed where he was by the statement he made. He is not even thinking about an apology.
TR: Reports have said that you and Tommie Smith don’t get along. What’s your relationship with Smith like these days?
JC: I have the utmost honorable love and respect for Tommie Smith. We don’t necessarily see eye to eye on how we deal with the issues. But I always respect and admire him for his courage. I don’t agree with some things he see or do and he don’t necessarily agree with some things that I see or do. But we have honorable respect and love and admiration for one another. We’ll have that for eternity. And Peter Norman [Australian runner who won silver that day] as well. Peter is no longer with us in the flesh but I think about him every day.
TR: What’s your feeling about the Olympics today? Will you be watching or does it represent a sore spot for you?
JC: Don’t get it twisted when I say I’m against the Olympic movement. I’m against the structure of the Olympics. I’m against the power brokers walking away with all the money. I’m for the athletes 100 percent to exploit their talents that God gave them and they perfected and made better to be the best in the world. I don’t want no less for their dreams than I had when I was a young individual. But I just want them to realize that it’s far greater than just the medal. It’s about humanity.
Brett Johnson is The Root‘s associate editor.
*******
Alycedale: Just when I think the Right couldn’t do anything more to surprise me, their latest does. But with Romney as their only HOPE, their desperation has reached new levels.
George: I always knew you were a pure racist. This proves it.
Anonymous 2: Thank you for that additional list. You know how much I support my four-legged friends. And I have to say that I use some of the products on that list; not many, but now that I am aware, I will discontinue. Thank you.
Anonz: Absolute power corrupts absolutely. I find it interesting, and sickening that those in power can and will use their power, make decisions based on personal issues that affect the majority of the country, and yet think absolutely nothing of the ramifications. I HOPE you are well, and successful at getting done what needs to be done.
Zen Lill: Thanks too for posting the link. It too made me cry. Thanks for the heads up on my VM. It is clear now. I will try and call this week to chat.
Alice: Ooh..I wouldn’t count on it.
Ruth: :) Love your short burst of Logic. As far as a moniker, let me think about it, and I’ll get back to you.
Greg: In the early days I used to get so excited. The more comments I got, the more excited I got. Now? Well..let me just say that although I realize my readership is big, I cringe when I see lots of comments. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE that people are here reading and loving the discourse, but unlike you who does not have to read everything, I feel that I need to. And let me say it takes time.
May I suggest that if you are on a Mac, and using the Safari browser, you can go to “edit” and scroll down to “find”, click onto “find” and in the field on the right hand side below your bookmarks bar, you can insert “Howie“, and it will highlight all of the times that his name comes up in the comments. I HOPE this make it easier for you because I will not be limiting the number of comments coming in. Thanks for being a loyal reader.
Alycedale: Back to you again. I am happy too, and I feel the same same.
Blog me. Peace out.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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August 1st, 2012 at 10:39 am
Hafa Adai Howie, what’s up with the aliens? Guys and Gals on and off Guam Let’s step up and assist Jeneva, Guam’s entrant to the Miss World Contest.
his year it is Jeneva Bosko, a young Guamanian, who is carrying our flag into this global competition, and I’m asking all Guamanians to cheer her on and support her.
The Miss World competition now includes a multimedia award. Each of the contestants is on the Miss World website, with an option to click ‘like’ for each one of your choice. Please show your support for Jeneva by:
1. Visiting Jeneva’s page on the Miss World website, http://www.missworld.com/Contestants/Guam/, and clicking ‘like’
2. Then clicking on the Facebook link in the Facebook section that says Miss World – Guam on Facebook and posting something there to show Jeneva our support
Thank you so much for rooting for Miss Guam World. We wish all the best for Jeneva and her family.
Hafa Adai
Anna
August 1st, 2012 at 10:49 am
Have More Fun in Bed! All It Takes Is Some Sexual Intelligence…
Are you sexually satisfied? For so many people, sex is more a source of anxiety than pleasure. Instead of bringing them closer to their partners, sex often makes them feel inadequate, perhaps due to concerns about their aging bodies.
They look back nostalgically to a time when sex was satisfying and give a sigh, thinking that it’s just something else you lose as the years pass.
But things could be very different. What really helps is a bit of intelligence—sexual intelligence.
Here’s what that means…
KEEPING UP WITH CHANGE
On TV and the Internet and in magazines and movies, we are surrounded by youthful, sexy people. Sex is portrayed as mind-blowing, athletic and amazing. We’re conditioned to think that’s the way all sex is supposed to be.
But as we grow older, our bodies—and our lives—change.
Also, factors such as medication use, chronic pain, familiarity with your partner and accumulated resentments can reduce libido during this phase of life.
So it makes sense that sex will be different during middle age and beyond. It may be difficult to adjust expectations. But the way to change your sex life is to change your ideas about sex.
SEXUAL STATIC
It’s a given that most people want pleasure and closeness from sex. But many focus on other things altogether…
How am I doing? It is very easy to equate sex with performance. This can mean constant self-evaluation. Is my erection as firm as it should be? Will it last? Am I attractive or skillful enough?
Is this normal? People may think, “I like this, but is it morally acceptable?” Unlike most activities they do for enjoyment, they may worry that their tastes in sex show them to be bad or wrong.
With all these anxieties, how much pleasure and closeness are people likely to experience when having sex?
AN INTELLIGENT SOLUTION
To have satisfying sexual experiences, you don’t need to be a hotshot in bed. You need a combination of emotional skills and physical awareness, both of which are essential to sexual intelligence.
Partners must be patient and sensitive to each other’s feelings and keep any disappointment in perspective.
Physical awareness includes understanding how your own body and your partner’s body have changed over time.
What are your bodies still capable of doing, and what can’t they do anymore? It means knowing what makes you and your partner feel good—where you both like to be touched, how you both enjoy being kissed, what aids are preferred.
Sexual intelligence means accommodating these preferences, whenever possible, with good humor.
Important:
Remember that emotional skills and physical awareness typically are more central to good sex than sexual technique.
BE IN THE MOMENT
Many people get into the habit of having sex while thinking about something else entirely. This undermines pleasure and intimacy.
Much better:
Focus on the physical sensations. What specifically are you feeling in your arms, legs, genitals, fingertips? What do you smell and taste?
Soak up the emotional experience, too.
Feel the pleasure, relaxation, excitement and fun. Also feel the closeness to your partner. If you’re anxious, worried or rushed, notice that, too, but don’t judge or analyze the feeling then. Set it aside to think about or talk about later.
Bringing your attention back to the moment is helpful when you start to worry about your performance or appearance or what your partner is thinking. More self-acceptance and less self-criticism often enhances libido.
DON’T BE SHY
For better communication, you must view the person you have sex with as a partner rather than as a critic or judge.
Since this person is your partner, you shouldn’t feel reluctant to ask for what you would like in bed.
Even better:
Show your partner how you would like to be touched. And if something feels good, say so (and do it with a whisper—it’s sexier).
Take time to discuss your sexual relationship.
It may feel awkward at first, but talking about performance anxiety is the best way to get past it. Also, this is the time to discuss with your partner anything new that you would like to try.
And, if there is anything that you definitely don’t want to do again, make this clear.
During this discussion, work out details, such as preferred time for sex (some people like the morning, others the night), place and even room temperature.
Since initiating sex is a problem for many couples, discuss signals to use when one of you could be in the mood.
WHAT IS SEX, ANYWAY?
Most people consider “sex” to be intercourse.
This thinking is unfortunate. There are drawbacks to intercourse that can make it inconvenient, ill-advised or even impossible.
It requires an erect penis and lubricated vagina…it’s difficult for people with various physical problems…chronic pain can make it uncomfortable…and it’s not an effective way to have an orgasm for many women.
Speaking of orgasms—they probably get a good deal more attention than they merit. An orgasm is quite pleasant, but it lasts maybe five seconds during a sexual encounter that might be 20 minutes or more.
Consider that sex can be satisfying without intercourse and without orgasm.
A broader range of physically and emotionally gratifying activities—oral sex, manual stimulation of body parts you may have ignored, watching each other masturbate, etc.—are all options.
SIMPLE QUESTIONS TO ASK
In fact, you can think of sex in the same way you would think of other things you do with your partner. Was it enjoyable? Did you feel close to each other? How can you make it even better next time?
In this spirit, you’re less likely to worry about success or failure and more likely to appreciate the rich range of experiences sex has to offer.
A couple should consider seeing a sex therapist if either or both have trouble discussing a sexual issue. To find a sex therapist, check with your doctor or consult the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists, http://www.aasect.org.
Source: Marty Klein, PhD, a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified sex therapist in Palo Alto, California.
He is the author of seven books, including most recently Sexual Intelligence: What We Really Want from Sex and How to Get It (HarperOne). http://www.MartyKlein.com
August 1st, 2012 at 11:08 am
In April, House Republicans passed CISPA – the Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Protection Act – by a vote of 248-168. This week, the Senate will vote on CISPA-like bills (Lieberman-Collins S.2105 or McCain S.2151).
CISPA gives the government, including military spy agencies like the National Security Agency (NSA), virtually unlimited powers to capture our personal information — medical records, private emails, financial information — all without a warrant or proper oversight.
Civil liberties groups and progressives unanimously opposed CISPA in the House, and President Obama threatened a veto because it does not protect our privacy.
In the Senate, Democrats (led by Al Franken) are trying to add privacy protections. But Republicans (led by John McCain) are determined to defeat those protections and give Big Brother unlimited power to spy on us.
Thanks for all you do!
Bob Fertik
p.s. Every media report on CISPA raises the fear of a cyber attack on “critical infrastructure” like the electric power grid. But all regulations requiring private companies to improve their cyber security were removed by Republicans serving the Chamber of Commerce, which opposes all regulations on business. So the bill now does nothing useful to protect “critical infrastructure,” and only authorizes Big Brother spying.
August 1st, 2012 at 12:03 pm
This could be real good. I mean about Mitt not paying ANY taxes for 10 years. If he’s smart enough to get away with not paying taxes for so many years, I am sure that he’s smart enough to get away with fooling the American Voters.
How hard is it to accomplish that when they (voters) so naively believes that this guy can fix the economy which he will have no control over.
August 1st, 2012 at 12:04 pm
Harry Reid is an old fool who should be ashamed of himself. First of all I don’t for one minute believe that Reid got a call from someone who claims romney didn’t pay taxes for 10 years.
Give us the persons name Harry! And does Reid think we are all that stupid? If Romney did NOT pay taxes for 10 years the IRS can now go right back to it’s records and make it official. Reid demeans himself.
He should be WAY more conerned with the high rate of unemployment (14%) in his state then with Romneys tax returns.
August 1st, 2012 at 12:10 pm
Americans are interested in how much Romney paid in taxes. More than a third of U.S. voters want to know more about Mitt Romney’s tenure at the private equity firm Bain Capital LLC and how much he paid in taxes, according to a poll released last week.
————————————————————-
Sorry, but that third of the voters, those democrats, just wont be seeing Mitt Romney’s taxes anytime soon. The rest of the country is NOT interested.
Hey BTW, do you think you could get a copy of obama’s college transcripts and college application papers?
Thanks.
August 1st, 2012 at 12:15 pm
Thanks Michelle:
I know that you have no intention of limiting commentators on your blog. Why should you?
Although reading through 50 to 117 comments can take up a lot of one’s time, you have offerred a solution for those with Macs to find my comments.
I appreciate that you have addressed this situation.
HOWIE
August 1st, 2012 at 2:02 pm
Hi Michelle and everybody. I love watching the Olympics and the athletes compete too. The human body in top condition is a beautiful thing.
In the ancient Olympic Games athletes would participate in the nude. Did you know the word “gymnasium” comes from the Greek root “gymnos” meaning nude; the literal meaning of “gymnasium” is “school for naked exercise?”
Here’s some other facts about the Olympics you may or may not know. I found some interesting so I thought I would share:
The first recorded ancient Olympic Games were held in 776 BC and were celebrated as a religious festival until 393 AD when the games were banned by emperor Theodosius I. Only free men (not slaves) who spoke Greek could compete. The only way women were able to take part was to enter horses in the equestrian events. There are records of several winning women horse owners. As the owner of the horse teams, they were credited with the victory, though they were most likely not present at the events.
At the first recorded ancient Olympic Games, there was only one event – the stade. The stade was a unit of measurement (about 600 feet) that also became the name of the footrace because it was the distance run. Since the track for the stade (race) was a stade (length), the location of the race became the stadium.
The first “modern” Olympics was in Athens, in 1896. No women competed, as de Coubertin felt that their inclusion would be “impractical, uninteresting, unaesthetic, and incorrect.”
It wasn’t until 1900 at the Paris games that women participated for the first time with the inclusion of women’s events in lawn tennis and golf. Women’s athletics and gymnastics debuted at the 1928 Olympics and over time other women’s events were added. In 2012, women’s boxing was introduced, resulting in no remaining sports that do not include events for women. The Paris games in 1900, which had more athletes than spectators, also saw the entry of the first black athlete to compete, Constantin Henriquez de Zubiera, representing France.
The only female competitor not to have to submit to a sex test at the 1976 Summer Olympics was Princess Anne of the UK, who was competing as a member of the UK equestrian team. As the daughter Queen Elizabeth II, such a test was seen as unappropriate.
At the 1996 Atlanta Games, 26 countries did not send women and by the 2008 Beijing Games, only three countries (Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei) did not have female Olympians. I’m happy to say this year, Saudi Arabia is allowing Sarah Attar to compete in the 800m race, and a 16 year old girl, Wodjan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani, to participate in Judo. The IJF and Saudi Arabia’s Olympic committee came to an agreement after conceding that Asian judo federations which oversee Muslim countries such as Malaysia make an allowance for judokas who wear the headscarf demanded by some followers of Islam.
In another first, the U.S. presented its first female muslim participant, Ibtihaj Muhammad, in fencing (saber).
So it took a while, but times are changing. One thing I wish hadn’t changed was the competition being held in the nude. To watch all those glistening muscles, meow!
Have a good day everybody!
/SB
August 1st, 2012 at 6:30 pm
America’s bigots are out in full force today. It’s sickening to see the lines of people at Chik-fil-A supporting hate. It’s sad. This country has a long way to go to become respectable.
/SB
August 1st, 2012 at 8:20 pm
Social Butterfly – Like the English the Greek men love men assess and penises up theirs. Of course they were more interested in the those naked bodies gyrating as they performed their completive skills than they were in who won or lost.
A few centuries later, that misogynist mind set is still prevalent in most of the american white males here. They pretend to be heterosexual all the time attempting to punish those of their sex who are brave enough to admit they prefer men.
Lilly
August 1st, 2012 at 8:26 pm
Now that is something I agree with. The proof is in the pudding. Only a gay man would find the woman’s naked or clothed body “uninteresting” or “unaessthic.”
I’d say that would describe most of the republican men in the House and Senate.
Steward