Scanned To Digital: Famous Olympic Moments

Medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos Protest For Civil Rights In Mexico City, 1968

Perhaps more than any other sporting event, the Olympic Games are steeped in tradition, as each set of games has its shining moments and its tragedies, which live on in history. The 2010 Games have already seen a share of both. One memorable victory came to Canadian native Maelle Ricker, won the gold medal in snowboard cross racing on February 17th. She was the first Canadian woman to win a gold medal at the Winter Games in Vancouver, and received her prize in front of an adorning, cheering crowd in B.C. Place Stadium. But as much as the Olympics are all about being in the moment, there is also an element of nostalgia, and of history, as athletes compete both against one another and against the all-time greats. Records are broken, legends are remembered, and the Games of years past are celebrated.

            The above photo, which was scanned to digital for preservation, was taken at one of the most memorable medal ceremonies in the Olympics’ history, at the Mexico City Games in 1968. American runners Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who first ran together on the San Jose State University track team, brought home the gold and bronze medals, respectively, in the 200-meter race. During the medal ceremony, as the Star-Spangled Banner was played and Old Glory rose on the flagpole, Smith and Carlos closed their eyes, bowed their heads, and raised their fists in a non-violent protest that is now considered a milestone in the American civil rights movement.

This historic protest was stirred into being by a young sociologist and friend of the athletes, Harry Edwards. Edwards formed a group called the Olympic Project for Human Rights, which originally asked all black American athletes to boycott the games altogether, and built up support from civil right leaders and athletes alike. The boycott never came to fruition, but Smith and Carlos succeeded in telling the world that the American civil rights movement had not gone far enough to eliminate injustice. According to the athletes, the now immortalized protest was meant to represent black power, black unity in America, and black poverty in racist America.

Although the protest was met with outrage from the International Olympic Committee, which took the stance that political statements had no place in the Olympic Games, many were inspired by the bravery of these two young Americans. This photo and many others taken during the protest were scanned to digital in 1998, when Smith and Carlos were honored to commemorate the 30th anniversary of their protest.