Take a Stand.
I don't know what this article was doing in Banter (which is supposed to be all about stupid funny stuff) but its really an inspiration!
At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Tommie Smith and his teammate John Carlos came in first and third, respectively, in the 200-meter dash. As they received their medals, each man raised a black-gloved fist, creating an image that will always stand as an iconic representation of the complicated conflations of race, politics, and sports. Intriguingly, it was the third man on the podium, a Caucasian athlete named Peter Norman, who suggested that Smith and Carlos share the black gloves seen in their salute, after Carlos forgot his pair. It is why Smith raised his right fist and Carlos raised his left fist. Norman, a white Australian, donned a badge on the podium in support of their cause, the Olympic Project for Human Rights.Asked about his support of Smith and Carlos' cause by the world's press, Norman said he opposed his country's government's White Australia policy.
Australia's Olympic authorities reprimanded him and the Australian media ostracised him. Despite Norman running qualifying times for both the 100m and 200m during 1971/72 the Australian Olympic track team did not send him, or any other sprinters, to the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, the first ever modern Olympics where no Australian sprinters participated.After 1968 he played 67 games for West Brunswick between 1972 and 1977 before coaching an under 19 team in 1978. Norman kept running, but contracted gangrene in 1985 after tearing his Achilles Tendon during a training session, which nearly led to his leg being amputated. Depression and heavy drinking followed.
Norman was overlooked by Australian organising authorities as being involved in any way with the 2000 Summer Olympics held in Sydney; he was however eventually part of the event after being invited by the Americans when they heard that his own country had omitted to do so. On October 17, 2003 San Jose State University unveiled a statue commemorating the 1968 Olympic protest; Norman was not included as part of the statue itself - his empty podium spot intended for others viewing the statue to "take a stand" - but was invited to deliver a speech at the ceremony.
Norman died of a heart attack on October 3, 2006 in Melbourne, Australia at the age of 64. US Track and Field Federation proclaimed October 9, 2006, the date of his funeral, as Peter Norman Day.
(Contributions by Wiki!)
Get the detailed article from me! I'd bet you will get goosebumps after reading it.
Okay back to the books!
I don't know what this article was doing in Banter (which is supposed to be all about stupid funny stuff) but its really an inspiration!
At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Tommie Smith and his teammate John Carlos came in first and third, respectively, in the 200-meter dash. As they received their medals, each man raised a black-gloved fist, creating an image that will always stand as an iconic representation of the complicated conflations of race, politics, and sports. Intriguingly, it was the third man on the podium, a Caucasian athlete named Peter Norman, who suggested that Smith and Carlos share the black gloves seen in their salute, after Carlos forgot his pair. It is why Smith raised his right fist and Carlos raised his left fist. Norman, a white Australian, donned a badge on the podium in support of their cause, the Olympic Project for Human Rights.Asked about his support of Smith and Carlos' cause by the world's press, Norman said he opposed his country's government's White Australia policy.
Australia's Olympic authorities reprimanded him and the Australian media ostracised him. Despite Norman running qualifying times for both the 100m and 200m during 1971/72 the Australian Olympic track team did not send him, or any other sprinters, to the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, the first ever modern Olympics where no Australian sprinters participated.After 1968 he played 67 games for West Brunswick between 1972 and 1977 before coaching an under 19 team in 1978. Norman kept running, but contracted gangrene in 1985 after tearing his Achilles Tendon during a training session, which nearly led to his leg being amputated. Depression and heavy drinking followed.
Norman was overlooked by Australian organising authorities as being involved in any way with the 2000 Summer Olympics held in Sydney; he was however eventually part of the event after being invited by the Americans when they heard that his own country had omitted to do so. On October 17, 2003 San Jose State University unveiled a statue commemorating the 1968 Olympic protest; Norman was not included as part of the statue itself - his empty podium spot intended for others viewing the statue to "take a stand" - but was invited to deliver a speech at the ceremony.
Norman died of a heart attack on October 3, 2006 in Melbourne, Australia at the age of 64. US Track and Field Federation proclaimed October 9, 2006, the date of his funeral, as Peter Norman Day.
(Contributions by Wiki!)
Get the detailed article from me! I'd bet you will get goosebumps after reading it.
Okay back to the books!
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home