Incident at the Olympics

I was watching track and field events on Oct 16, 1968 ..
It was the 1968 Olympics ..
I couldn’t tell you the name of the races but Tommie Smith had just won the gold and John Carlos .. the bronze..
When I saw the raised black fisted hand it never occurred to me it was about protest .. I was not current event savvy ..
I figured it was their way of celebrating their victories ..
The controversy .. like most controversies .. was blown out of proportion, as only the media can..
purporting the athletes to be racists, militants and the typical titles given to Black’s, for any outward signs of unity, during this time.

Thirty seven years later .. the truth of the “incident” is finally being made public and puts a whole new light on the “infamous” picture of Tommie Smith and John Carlos ..


standing shoeless in black socks ..
one black gloved hand raised …
little, if any, was mentioned about the fact that ..
Tommie had an olive sapling under his other arm ..
John had a string of black beads around his neck ..
all that was swept away in the surge of the controversy

This time when we look at that “infamous” picture .. we will be mindful of the original meaning … and those of us who were not aware then ... .will know the significance of ..

the shoeless feet in black socks ….. indicating Black poverty
the black beads …….. signifying the lynching’s of Black men
the olive sapling …. as a gesture of peace
the raised fists ……. to unity in the Black struggle

although there will not be as much publicity of the truth as there was the controversy.. a 23ft, bronze statue will be erected Oct 16,2005.. at San Jose State as a result of the efforts of a student organization to commemorate the 37th anniversary of the “incident” and the truth of what it really represented ..

Nikki Giovanni once said ”truth is on the way” .. she was right ..
it just takes our truths longer to get here ..
© 2005 Joyce E Coley