Picturing Black History

Photographs and stories that changed the world

A collaboration of and

Tommie Smith

American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raise their fists and give the Black Power Salute at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. The move was a symbolic protest against racism in the United States. Smith, the gold medal winner, and Carlos, the bronze medal winner, were subsequently suspended from their team for their actions.

The Black Fists Protest

How Black Olympians turned a 1968 Olympics Cold War triumph into a momentous Black protest symbol