Reposting: The white man in the Carlos/Smith photo

[Recursion]

Relevant, I think, as the Kaepernick (Rapinoe/others) discussion continues. There is a way as a white person to be constructively involved in a question like this, without making it about ourselves, but Peter Norman's example shows it's not easy.

This is a very old discussion that we're barging into like we're the first people to think of it.

http://griotmag.com/en/white-man-in-that-photo/

Sometimes photographs deceive. Take this one, for example. It represents John Carlos and Tommie Smith’s rebellious gesture the day they won medals for the 200 meters at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, and it certainly deceived me for a long time.

I always saw the photo as a powerful image of two barefoot black men, with their heads bowed, their black-gloved fists in the air while the US National Anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” played. It was a strong symbolic gesture – taking a stand for African American civil rights in a year of tragedies that included the death of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy.

It’s a historic photo of two men of color. For this reason I never really paid attention to the other man, white, like me, motionless on the second step of the medal podium. I considered him a random presence, an extra in Carlos and Smith’s moment, or a kind of intruder. Actually, I even thought that that guy – who seemed to be just a simpering Englishman – represented, in his icy immobility, the will to resist the change that Smith and Carlos were invoking in their silent protest. But I was wrong.

...

It seemed as if the victory would be decided between the two Americans. Norman was an unknown sprinter, who seemed to just be having a good couple of heats. John Carlos, years later, said that he was asked what happened to the small white guy – standing at 5’6”tall, and running as fast as him and Smith, both taller than 6’2”.

If you don't know the story, read on. It's not pretty. But there are "right" answers, even if they aren't easy.

[malaise]

1. Joy Reid mentioned him this afternoon

Nice post

[Recursion]

5. Oh, thanks, I'll have to check that out

Joy as always is about five steps ahead of me...

[karmaqueen]

2. That is an amazing story. Thank You. {eom}

[rug]

3. I never noticed that badge.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Project_for_Human_Rights

[Recursion]

4. Yup. That's why the Aussie record holder was shunned at Sydney decades later

Like I said: it's not pretty or easy.

[rug]

6. This is the picture that got me.

Reunited after 38 years.

[Recursion]

7. Or this one

[ghostsinthemachine]

8. Thank you so much for posting this

I never knew this before. Thank you. Poor guy.

[ornotna]

9. Thank you for that

It's always good to learn something new.

[mountain grammy]

10. Thank you so much for posting this.

I'm ashamed to say, I didn't know this story.

[spanone]

11. K&R...

[LWolf]

12. Thank you. nt

[Separation]

13. Great story!

I'm familiar with the photo, statue and the story behind them. However, I had no idea about the Australian. Great stuff.

[msanthrope]

14. An excellent article. Thank you. nt