The intersection of sport and activism has allowed a lot of powerful moments to seep through, but very few are as resilient as the protest carried by Tommie Smith and John Carlos in the 1968 Summer Olympics. After completing the 200 meter race, during the medal ceremony Tommie Smith and John Carlos both raised a black glove fist whilst standing on the podium as the national anthem was playing. This gesture represented the Black Power salute and was meant to bring an immense amount of attention to racial inequality and injustice within the United States during the civil rights movement. 

Being in the time that this took place, this act of activism was seen as completely negative and inappropriate. Both of the athletes were debarred from the Olympics and were criticized by the public and the media. A lot of people took their gesture as disrespectful to the American flag and also to the Olympic Games as it’s all seen as patriotic. Though, their protest was not intended as disrespect, but rather about them using their platform in order to highlight serious social issues that were affecting Black Americans nationwide. It did not seem to matter to anybody what the true meaning was.

Due to social media not existing back in 1968 regular media outlets controlled the role in shaping how the public perceived the gesture done by Smith and Carlos . Between newspapers and television coverage it was framed as a protest that was seen as controversial and non-patriotic instead of focusing on the message that was truly behind it all. Due to traditional media being the ones to frame the gesture and the meaning behind it, it did not allow the public to understand the deeper meaning behind the demonstration which suppressed the impact of their activism.

Smith and Carlos did not have the luxury that modern day athletes have in regard to controlling their message and making sure it’s communicated properly. They depended solely on the symbolic power of their gesture however, it did not work being that the media ultimately shaped it how they want it to be perceived by the public instead of what it was meant to be perceived as. Without any way to defend themselves and their intentions, their voices and reasoning were over shadowed by media narratives that were false.

Even though their gesture had an extremely negative response in 1968, the long-term impact of their protest spread like wildfire and it’s still significant to this day. People of today’s time see their action as courageous, meaningful, and selfless. It represents not just a moment in history via athletic activism, but also a time in which our people sacrificed their image in order to get the point across. Even though the media diminished their message, it was redefined by history and seen as such a powerful protest within the sport industry and has not only inspired athletes, but people around the world to speak out, even if it means it will tarnish their image. It may not have been understood at that moment, but it will never be misunderstood now.