Re: TV historical trivia quiz

[Hakim Madjid <hmadjid@yahoo.com>]

>1968 Gold Medal at Mexico City Black Power statement
>(Howard Cosell made news with it).

Yes this is correct.

The situation was this: African-American athletes
Tommie Smith and John Carlos won the Gold and Bronze
Olympic Medals respectively in the 200 meter race.
While on the Medal stand, during the awards ceremony,
Smith raised his right black-gloved fist (the black
power salute). Carlos made a similar gesture with his
left hand.


These gestures on Simth's and Carlos' part were made
to prostest the historic poor treatment of African
Americans in the US. In 1968, remember, the US was
still in the midst of the civil rights struggle, and
do not forget that racial tensions were very high that
evenful year, as just about 6 months before the
Olympics the country saw the assasintation of Martin
Luther King.


The USOC (US Olympic Comittee), was to say the least
not amused by Simth and Carlos' gesture which was
broadcast live all over the US by ABC, to say nothing
of the rest of the world also. USOC officals promptly
suspended Smith and Carlos. For ever afterwards, Smith
and Carlos were blacklisted from ever again being on
the US Olympic team.

Nowadays, Smith is a Track and Field coach at Santa
Monica College in California, and Carlos coaches Track
& Field at Palm Springs (Califorina) High School. The
Track and Field team members at these schools had yet
to be born at the time of Simth's and Carlos' moment
of fame nearly 3 decades ago.

 

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73, de Hakim (N1ZFF)