R E U T E R S /A L E X G A L L A R D O
Jo h n Carlos, participant o f the 1968 Olym pic Gam es, stands in fro n t o f a m ural made by students on the campus, at Palm Springs (C a lif) H ig h School, where he is a teacher and counselor.
Olympian John Carlos reflects on the highly
public and controversial stand for human
rights he and others took in 1968
at the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles. He
later worked with the city of Los Angeles to create
possibilities for underserved communities. Carlos
t the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico
City, John Carlos rocked the world. After
has continued to live true to his political beliefs,
standing up for civil liberties and justice and
winning the bronze medal in the 200-meter
dash he—along with gold medalist Tommie Sm ith-
against racism and greed. In 2011 he spoke at
Occupy Wall Street in New York. Earlier this
thrust his black-glove-clad fist into the sky to
reflect solidarity with the civil rights movement
month, he was in Oregon to deliver the 2012-2013
and the strength of the human spirit. They wore
Whiteley Distinguished Lecture at Pacific
black socks and no shoes to represent
University in Forest Grove. Today he is a high
school guidance counselor in Palm Springs, Calif.
impoverished people who had no shoes of their
own. Meanwhile, Peter Norman, the Australian
J u l e s B o y k o ff: Why did you do your medal-stand
silver medalist, stood with them in solidarity,
protest at.the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City?
pinning an Olympic Project for Human Rights
button on his sweat jacket. It was an iconic
J o h n C a r lo s : To set a standard. To have society
moment that placed them under the international
show its best face. To bring attention to the plight
spotlight. Following the controversial ceremony,
of people who were less fortunate. To wake up the
they paid a price for their courageous gesture.
consciousness of those who had let their
Carlos and Smith were dismissed from the
conscience go dormant. And to encourage people
Olympic Village. The athletes were bombarded
to stand for what’s right as opposed to standing for
with death threats against them and their families.
nothing.
They were pilloried in the media as unpatriotic,
J .B .: Your act generated a huge range o f responses.
with young reporter Brent Musberger writing in
For instance, one disgruntled person from Racine,
the Chicago American that Carlos and Smith were
Wisconsin, wrote in a letter to Avery Brundage, the
“unimaginative blokes” and, even worse, “black
International Olympic Committee president, “The
skinned storm troopers” who had brought shame
colored men who disgraced our country should be
on their country. Carlos persevered, successfully
shot fo r treason and nothing less!” O n the other hand,
navigating a career in the N FL with the
numerous people from around the world wrote
Philadelphia Eagles and with the Montreal
Brundage to say your act was dignified and that you
Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He also *
See JOHN CARLOS, page 5
represented Puma and carried the Olympic torch
BY JULES BOYKOFF
C O N T R IB U T IN G W R IT E R
A
*
AP PHOTO
This now-iconic image from the 1968 Olym pic Gam es in M exico City shows
bronze m edalist Jo h n Carlos, (right) with gold m edalist Tommie Sm ith raising
their fists on the podium an d wearing Olym pic Project fo r H u m a n Rights
badges. The third athlete is silver m edalist Peter N orm an from Australia, who
wore a H u m a n Rights badge to show his support fo r the two Am ericans.
Harm reduction
‘Sounding the
Words and deeds
fo r the 21st
deeps of his
century
nature’
A talk with Harm
Reduction Coalition
president Allan
Clear
Remembering
Nobel Prize-winning
author shines new
light on a martyred
Page 4
Ted Jack
Page 8
revolutionary
Page 10