Olympic Motivation - Tommie Smith and John Carlos

The 1968 Olympics Human Rights Salute was a political demonstration conducted by Tommie Smith and John Carlos during their medal ceremonyon October 16, 1968, at the Mexico City Summer Olympics. After Smith and Carlos won gold and bronze medals, respectively, in the 200-meter running event, they turned on the podium to face their flags, and to hear the American national anthem. Each athlete raised a black gloved fist and kept them raised until the anthem had finished. In addition, Smith, Carlos, and Australian silver medalist, Peter Norman, all wore human rights badges on their jackets. In his autobiography, Silent Gesture, Smith stated that the gesture was not a "Black Power" salute, but a "human rights salute". The event is regarded as one of the most overtly political statements in the history of the modern olympics.