I
return from my blogging hiatus to pay homage to the reason I study sport. I have had several requests to blog about the
Adrian Peterson tragedy, but I chose to draw attention to a triumph instead. As I approach the proverbial finish line as a
member of #TeamPhD2014, I know that my race could not have been won had it not
been for The Struggle that Must Be. (Harry
Edwards, 1980)
I raise my “Fist
of Freedom” today in honor of
Dr. Harry
Edwards
Tommie Smith
John Carlos
Peter Norman
ALL the athletes
of the 1968 Mexico Olympics and the families who support(ed) them!
Today
marks to 45th Anniversary of the resulting action born from Dr.
Harry Edward’s Olympic Project for Human Rights Movement. Tommie Smith and John Carlos stood as #1 and
#3 winners of the 200 meter yard dash at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. On October 16th, 1968 Tommie Smith
and John Carlos made the decision to show solidarity with Dr. Harry Edward’s
fight for equal rights by using the Olympics international stage to make a Silent Gesture that still stands as a
symbol of hope and progress.
Tommie
Smith writes in his autobiography (2007) Silent
Gesture:
“That is what this book is about, not about how
Tommie Smith raised his fist in the air on the victory stand. So much led up to it, and so much has gone on
since then, in his life and in this world.
I don’t want this to be the Jesse Owens story – Jesse was great, he ran
a race, his mouth was so dry it was like cotton, he ran a race against Germany
and he beat Nazism and Hitler. I don’t
want to hear that bull-crap. I want to
hear a humanistic point of view; I want to get Jesse to that race, because
that’s just as important as Jesse running that race. How did I get to that race, where did I go
when it was over?
Edwards
(1969) Revolt of the Black Athlete, Bass
(2002) Not the Triumph but the Struggle
and Hartmann (2003) Race, Culture, and
the Revolt of the Black Athlete were all responsible for expanding my awareness
of the complexity that was the 68 Olympic ‘stand’. Like Tommie Smith shares in his
autobiography, the theoretical implications of the Olympic protest movement
remains relevant to equal justice for the black athletes today as it did
before, during, and after 1968 in Mexico City.
My study and teachings of sport in society require that I engage with
the lessons from Dr. Edwards, Smith and Carlos to examine the transformative
nature that society imposes on the black athlete today. This historical moment renews my feelings
that a desire for black athlete protest must be in our ability to allow them to
make their own choice. Dr. Harry Edwards
put out a call for a complete boycott of the Olympics; however Smith and Carlos
made their own choice. Just as LeBron
James and the Miami Heat basketball players made their choice to show solidarity
during the Trayvon Martin tragedy, we must chose to acknowledge and accept that
their way may not be our way! They will
heed the call so long as we continue to send the message.
I
acknowledge my first leader, Dr. Sandra Kato!
She taught me the value of hard work and making unpopular
decisions. I will always remember to
judge people for who they are 90% or the time and not 10%, because she taught
me how to give people the benefit of the doubt.
She introduced me to a world that I did not even consider
exploring. I did not understand then as
I do now the value of “social probation” not as a method of punishment but an
opportunity for reflection and focus. Most
of all, she taught me that laughter truly is the best medicine! Boy do we laugh!!
I
also acknowledge the leadership of Mr. Nathaniel C. Banks. Even with my hard head and big mouth, he gave
me a chance. Mr. Banks saw my potential and offered me the chance to do
something great. He rewarded my hard
work with an opportunity to meet John Carlos at the 2008 National Conference on
Race and Ethnicity (NCORE) in Orlando, Florida.
My most valued possession today is my 68 Olympic “Fist of Freedom” poster
autographed by Mr. Carlos. I flew to Orlando and back home holding the poster tightly
in my hand for fear that it might be wrinkled or worse, lost along the
way. My immaturity did not allow me to see the valuable
lessons that Mr. Banks tried to teach me at the time but his “silent gestures”
have been well received. Now that I am ready to listen! I was a leader in
training and Mr. Banks took on a tough student and created a better teacher!
Contrary
to popular belief, Smith and Carlos were not stripped of their medals and were
later honored in 2005 by San Jose State University where a statue was erected
in their likeness on the medal stand. They
say, “Do not award me for that which I am supposed to do” but I know from personal
experience how good it feels to receive warranted recognition for the road less
traveled. The statue at San Jose State
University ensures that, at the least, the students who attend SJSU know the
story of those who came before them.
I
do not know if my destiny is to change the whole world but I know that I can
engage audiences as a professor, mentor, family member, and friend. I will forward Dr. Edward’s charge that “WE
must teach our children to DREAM with their eyes open” (http://www.johncarlos68.com). This statement drives me to continue raising
my “Fist of Freedom”.
Happy
45th Anniversary and Thank you for the past and your PRESENT!
Dr.
Edwards, Tommie Smith, and John Carlos!
