Tommie Smith

American society at the time was filled with protest and strife. In 1968, for example, Robert Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King were both assassinated; the Democratic national convention led to riots in the streets; and activists for black power, such as Eldridge Cleaver and Huey Newton, were in the headlines. In Vietnam, U.S. troops launched the Tet Offensive, sparking violent antiwar protests at home.

Many American athletes were unsure whether the Olympic Games would even be held. Riots in Mexico City, where the Games would be held, led to the deaths of 200 protesters. In addition, some athletes were considering boycotting the Games in a protest against racial discrimination.

By the time Smith graduated from college in 1967, he was the best 200 and 400-meter runner in the world, and was a member of the first mile-relay team to run the distance in under three minutes. In October of 1968, Smith went to the Olympics in Mexico City. In the semifinals of the 200 meters, he injured his thigh, was carried out on a stretcher, and was unsure whether he would be able to run in the finals. When the finals came, however, he took off and beat the field so easily that he raised his arms in triumph ten yards before crossing the finish line. He had run the distance in 19.83 seconds, a world record.

As the American national anthem began, Smith and American teammate John Carlos, who won the bronze medal, stood on the podium at the award ceremony, heads down, and raised black-gloved fists in a silent protest against racism and the lack of civil rights given to African Americans. According to Maher, Smith said at the time, "White America will only give us credit for an Olympic victory. [If I win] they'll say I'm an American, but if I did something bad, they'd say [I'm] a Negro."

According to Mike Cassidy in the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, Smith later said that he expected to be shot dead for this action. "I kept waiting for the gunshot," he said. "I thought we were dead men. And when all was said and done, I knew this is what we'd be remembered for."

Of his action, Smith told Lynn Zinser in the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, "When you have a platform, use it. You're kind of dumb if you don't." And, he said, "What we did, that was something for pride. That wasn't for the money. That was for blood. That was for the dignity."