Mexico+City+1968+4

Mexico City 1968 John At the 1968 Olympics there was an amazing 200 meter runner from San Jose State College named Tommie Smith. At the Olympics he broke the world record 200 meter dash with the time of 19.83 seconds giving the U.S.A. a gold medal in the event. There was another U.S.A. Olympian that medaled in the 200 meter dash at the 1968 Olympics, his name was John Carlos, an East Texas State College graduate. During this time the United States was going through racial differences and economic depression. While standing on the podium as the Star Spangled Banner played the two United States athletes wore black gloves, black socks, a black scarf, and no shoes. Another thing they each had their hand with the black glove raised in the air which was a sign of black power. The two athletes were suspended from the games and banned from Mexico. The idea came from socialogist friend Harry Edwards. Edwards asked all black American athletes to unite and protest the Olympics. Which was meant to send a signal that the civil rights movement had not done enough to end injust treatment of African-Americans. Smith and Carlos secretly planned a non-violent protest following the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. As the American flag rose the two closed their eyes, bowed their heads, and began their protest. Smith later told reporters that he rose his right hand demonstrating black power. While raised his left hand showing black unity in America. the black scarf stood for black pride and the black socks and no shoes stood for black poverty in a racist United States. Something that I found very interesting was that the silver medalist of the event, Peter Norman of Austrailia, who is white, also protested by wearing an Olympic Protection of Human Rights(OPHR) badge.

Craig At 7,349 ft above sea level the thin air in the Olympic city, Mexico City, was a major concern for many of the competing countries and athletes. While the thin air supposedly helped Bob Beamon’s spectacular long jump of 8.90m, it caused any events over 1,500 meters hard to compete in. It was considered unfair because many of the African runners had trained in high altitudes. Infact Kip Keino of Kenya did particularly well, earning gold and silver medals. When this issues were brought up to Avery Brundage, president of the IOC, he said, "The Olympic Games belong to all the world, not just the part at sea level." The Tlatelolco happened ten days before the Games were to open, students protesting the Mexican government's use of funds for the Olympics rather than for social programs were surrounded in the Plaza of Three Cultures by the army and fired upon. More than 200 protesters were killed and over a thousand injured. A mere five years later, Mexican citizens have kicked the long-ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party ( PRI) out of office and voiced their strong support for a new era of accountability. Voicethread Storyboard IMAGES

Bibliography "Olympic Games Mexico City, Mexico, 1968." __Britannica__. 23 Apr. 2008 <[|http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-59617/Olympic-Games>.] Gettings, John. "Civil Disobedience." Infoplease. 2007. 22 Apr. 2008 .