Black Olympic Medalists - John Carlos and Tommie Smith created political controversy at the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games on October 16, 1968. While receiving their medals on the Olympic podium, Carlos and Smith raised the "Black Power Salute" while wearing no shoes to symbolize poverty in Black America. Australian Peter Norman wore an Olympic Project for Human Rights pin, and stood in solidarity with their protest. Smith and Carlos were suspended from the team by the U.S. Olympic Committee two days later.
The following day, the U.S. Olympic Committee threatened other athletes with stern disciplinary action if they engaged in demonstrations. Acting USOC Director Everett Barnes issued a formal statement to the Olympic International Committee, condemning Mr. Smith and Mr. Carlos and claiming that the sprinters “made our country look like the devil.”
The USOC suspended Mr. Smith and Mr. Carlos from the U.S. Olympic team following a midnight meeting. In the early hours of the morning on October 18, the Committee ordered both men to vacate the Olympic village in Mexico within 48 hours.

Despite their medal-winning performances, the two athletes faced intense criticism in the media and received death threats upon returning home. At the time, their protest was wrongly perceived as a show of disrespect directed toward the American flag and national anthem.

Did You Know?

Tommie Smith said of their political stand "If I win, I am an American, not a black American...But if I did something bad, then they would say I am a Negro. We are black and we are proud of being black. Black America will understand what we did tonight." Carlos and Smith were honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the ESPY Awards in 2008.