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Tommie Smith To Sell Gold Medal From 1968 Mexico Olympic Games

by NowPublic Staff | October 13, 2010 at 03:36 pm

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Tommie Smith And John Carlos "Black Power Salute" After Winning Gold in 1968 - Now, Smith To Sell Gold Medal

A single gesture grabbed headlines and changed the lives of two young athletes during the Olympic Games in Mexico City in 1968.

Tommie Smith and John Carlos 200 meter mens final was a dramatic finish with Tommie Smith grabbing the Gold (setting a new world record) and John Carlos captured the silver.

As the national anthem began to play and as they were to receive their medals Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their arms in the air in a gloved fist, heads bowed.

The International Olympic Committee was outraged by what they saw as an expression of Black Power. For Smith and Carlos, the raised fist, was a simple gesture affirming human dignity and solidarity.

Some people (particularly IOC president Avery Brundage) felt that a political statement had no place in the international forum of the Olympic Games. In an immediate response to their actions, Smith and Carlos were suspended from the U.S. team by Brundage and voluntarily moved from the Olympic Village. Brundage, who was president of the United States Olympic Committee in 1936, had made no objections against Nazi salutes during the Berlin Olympics.[6] People who opposed the protest said the actions disgraced all Americans. Supporters, on the other hand, praised the men for their bravery. The men's gesture had lingering effects for all three athletes, the most serious of which were death threats against Smith, Carlos and their families.

Now, Tommie Smith is selling his gold medal from those Olympic Games in 1968.

Smith, 66, has put his medal and cherry-red Puma running shoes up for auction at New York-based M.I.T. Memorabilia with a starting bid of $250,000. The sale at www.momentsintime.com is scheduled to close Nov. 4.

"Part of the reason is for money, but also he feels it is time to share it with the sports-collecting memorabilia public," M.I.T.'s Gary Zimet said. Smith declined to comment Tuesday on the anniversary of his Olympic victory. His wife, Delois Jordan-Smith, referred all questions to Zimet, saying Smith "won't be giving any statements on that."

Though Tommie Smith has every right to whatever he wants, that gold medal belongs in a Museum, a place that appropriately acknowledges the courage Smith and Carlos on the medal podium 42 years ago.