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Hello and welcome to the History Channel. Today, we're continuing our feature of Black History Month with a report about the achievements of Tommie Smith and John Carlos.
We'll start with Tommie Smith, the Olympic Champion in the 200-meter sprint that changed the course of history. Did you know he grew up in rural Texas as the seventh of twelve children ? And that he not only broke records in the stadium but he also graduated from San Jose State University, and got an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Humane Letters ? But I agree he is most famous for THAT race during the 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City.
However, he wasn't just sprinting for that gold medal, but for his life, and the lives of African Americans all over the United States. After his victory, he famously stood on the top podium, and raised his fist in the air in silent protest against racial prejudice, and in the pursuit of peace and equality. His teammate, John Carlos, stood behind him in the same pose on the bronze podium.
He wrote in his autobiography, Silent Gesture, that he stood praying not to be shot right at that very moment, which undoubtedly shows his courage and strength of conviction that day as he stood with the eyes of the world staring critically at him. He later said : ''We were just human beings who saw a need to bring attention to the inequality in our country. I don't like the idea of people looking at it as negative. There was nothing but a raised fist in the air and a bowed head, acknowledging the American flag – not symbolizing a hatred for it''.
This made them instant heroes and spokesmen of the black community. Yet, the price to pay was huge ! First they had to return their medals and leave the Olympic Village and Mexico. Then the media ruined the atheltes' reputation. The two men received death threats for years. They had just become public enemies, which meant an end to their sporting career, and their job prospects. Tommie Smith was discharged from the army.
I think you can agree that these men deserve to be called heroes for their incredible humanitarian work to improve the level of racial equality in a much divided United States. What an honour to be talking about these great men today, listeners. I hope you enjoyed our review. Thank you for listening, and good night.
