Olympic Protestors Stripped of Their Medals
During the Mexico City Olympics Tommie Smith and John Carlos completed in the 200 meter dash. Tommie Smith won the gold and he set a world record. John Carlos won third. When they were at the medal ceremony they raised their fist to represent Black Power (the idea that black people were better than white people). Smith and Carlos did not wear shoes for the medal ceremony because they wanted to symbolize that African Americans did not have a lot of money because they were treated poorly.
Carlos also wore a necklace with black beads because people were hung for no reason. The day people were shocked at what Tommie and John had done. They kicked them out of the Olympic village and took their medals away.
My opinion on them getting their medals away is that it is completely unnecessary. I honestly don't think that it is a big deal that they raised their fist to symbolize Black Power. There is a lot of worse things they could have done. This was important to the civil rights movement because a lot of people all over the world watch the Olympics so it got the cause out there, so more people would like and agree with it.
Carlos also wore a necklace with black beads because people were hung for no reason. The day people were shocked at what Tommie and John had done. They kicked them out of the Olympic village and took their medals away.
My opinion on them getting their medals away is that it is completely unnecessary. I honestly don't think that it is a big deal that they raised their fist to symbolize Black Power. There is a lot of worse things they could have done. This was important to the civil rights movement because a lot of people all over the world watch the Olympics so it got the cause out there, so more people would like and agree with it.
"Olympic Protestors Stripped of Their Medals." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2013. <http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/olympic-protestors-stripped-of-their-medals>.