Olympian Tommie Smith featured in TV documentary
‘With Drawn Arms’ delves into the legacy of the former track star at San Jose State
A new documentar y about the legacy of Olympian and San Jose State track star Tommie Smith is set to make its television debut next month.
“With Drawn Arms” will air at 9 p.m. on Nov. 2 on Starz.
Smith gained fame during the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City when he and John Carlos thrust their black- gloved fists in the air during the U. S. national anthem in protest against racial inequality.
Their spontaneous demonstration became the guiding star for professional athletes in various sports who have spoken out against systemic racism and police violence.
“We were like a road map,” Carlos said recently.
An official selection of the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, “With Drawn Arms” follows Smith as he looks back at the iconic moment that helped define a movement and provided a symbol of hope and solidarity for marginalized groups throughout America.
The product of a longterm collaboration between Smith and the artist Glenn Kaino, the film traces Smith’s peaceful protest to the collective action currently taking place in America.
“This film has been in the making for eight years,” said co- directors Kaino and Afshin Shahidi in a statement released Monday. “We’re thrilled to work with Starz to ensure that Tommie’s message is heard nationwide, at such an urgent juncture in history.”
Featuring inter v iews with prominent activists including actor Jesse Williams (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Power”), sports analyst Jemele Hill, soccer gold medalist Megan Rapinoe, and the late Congressman John Lewis, “With Drawn Arms” is promoted as a testament to the courage of those willing to make their voices heard, no matter the cost.
On Oct. 16, 1968, Smith won the 200 meters race and became the first runner to break the 20-second barrier. Australia’s Peter Norman edged Carlos for the silver medal.
While standing on the meda l podium, Smith punched the sky with a right hand while Carlos mimicked the gesture with his left hand.
The demonstration elicited outrage in White America. U. S. Olympic officials ejected the sprinters from the Games and they returned to San Jose to face death threats and few employment opportunities.
“Our life was put on a stand to be vilified,” Smith said at San Jose State two years ago. “It is very sad that two young athletes had to do what they were doing to bring attention to racism.”
Smith and Carlos, now retired Southern California educators, have continued over the years to protest social inequality.
“Mexico didn’t stop me; it prompted me on,” Smith once told the Bay Area News Group.