1968 raised-fist Olympians get White House invite

WASHINGTON: Tommie Smith and John Carlos, the two African-American athletes sent home from the 1968 Olympic Games for their raised-fist protest on the medal podium, will receive a long-awaited moment of redemption at a US team event at the White House this week.

The two were invited by the US Olympic Committee (Usoc) to attend a gala dinner on Wednesday in Washington honouring the 2016 Olympic team and to accompany the team to meet President Barack Obama at the White House the next day, Carlos said yesterday.

The image of Smith and Carlos, gold and bronze medallists in the 200m track event in Mexico City, thrusting their black-gloved fists into the air, has become a symbol of the fight for racial equality.

Their example has surfaced repeatedly in past weeks as an inspiration to AfricanAmerican National Football League and college players protesting racial injustice after the fatal shootings of several black men by police.

Smith and Carlos paid a high price for their protest, not only with the Olympic Committee, but also in the court of public opinion.

“It was against the charter of the Olympic Committee to make a political statement at the victory podium,” Carlos said in a phone interview. “But we felt it was the only place we could make the statement at that time.”

Standing in black socks, the two Americans bowed their heads and pushed their fists into the air as the US anthem played, shocking the world and many Americans reeling from a turbulent year in the fight for civil rights. They were suspended from the US Olympic team and sent back to the US.

It was widely interpreted as a black power salute, but the athletes later described it as a “human rights salute”.

Carlos said he did not expect or want an apology from the Olympic Committee for sending him and Smith home, because their actions were in clear violation of policy. But he said, over time and as their raised-fist salute has become a precedent of sorts, US Olympic officials had a better understanding of the reasons behind their protest.

“Time has gone by to the point where they had to take a look at themselves and say, ‘These guys weren’t bad guys. They were courageous to make a statement for what they believed in’,” Carlos said.

The US Olympic Committee did not return calls requesting comment. On Friday, it was reported that Usoc chief executive, Scott Blackmun, had asked Smith and Carlos to serve as ambassadors as the federation tries to bring more diversity to its own ranks.

“Tommie and John have played an important and positive role in the evolution of our attitudes about diversity and inclusion,” Blackmun said. – Reuters