Track and Field
Track and Field is a sport that is the main attraction to the Summer Olympic Games. Many countries use the Olympic games to show off the power of their country and the best athletes that the country can offer. The United States allowed African Americans to compete in track and field and they showed they were jsut as good as other athletes from all over the world.
Jesse Owens (September 12, 1913 – March 31, 1980) was an African American that competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics as a sprinter and long jumper. He achieved a feat that was unmatched until 1984 for the United states where he won four gold medals. He was the most successful athlete at the 1936 Summer Olympics where people thought the Germans, who were all white would dominate the games.
At the 1968 Summer Olympics, African American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos, held a silent protest during their medal ceremony in Mexico City. As they turned to face their flags and hear the American national anthem they each raised an arm with a fist with a black glove. All three men, including Australian silver medalist Peter Norman, wore human rights badges on their jackets. The event was one of the most overtly political statements in the history of the modern Olympic Games. In his autobiography, Tommie Smith stated that the gesture was not a "Black Power" salute, but a human rights salute for the world to see.
No comments:
Post a Comment