posted on October 17, 2001 07:24:21 PM new
Tommie Smith (gold medal) is 57 years old and coaches at Santa Monica Community College in Santa Monica, California. Over a year ago, he put his gold medal up for auction, with a starting bid of $500,000.00. He later withdrew it.
John Carlos (bronze medal) is presently working as the track and field coach and an In-school Suspension Supervisor for Palm Springs High School in Palm Springs, California.
October 18th is the date they were both suspended by the U.S. Olympic Committee "for having used last Wednesday's victory ceremony for the 200- meter dash at the Olympic Games as the vehicle for a black power demonstration."
October 16th is the date they proudly raised their fists...
posted on October 17, 2001 08:17:56 PM new
Sheesh, I see nothing to be proud of, there are better times and places to make a statement and the Olympics that year was not one of them....in my opinion.
[ edited by snowydayz on Oct 17, 2001 08:19 PM ]
posted on October 17, 2001 08:20:10 PM new
Good thing you didn't win any Olympic medals that year yourself -- the temptation to blather might have been to much for ye...
posted on October 17, 2001 08:24:39 PM new
Good thing you weren't smart enough to run for President yourself last year, then you would not spend all your time bitching and moaning about the election here.
posted on October 17, 2001 08:28:16 PM new
I think it took balls the size of grapefruit
to make a statement like that.....for that I
felt proud that day.....and Im white as 2% milk
posted on October 17, 2001 08:33:02 PM new
Yeah, Hopeless, a mere six months earlier, Matin Luther King, Jr. had been assassinated, and the Civil Rights Movement was thrown into chaos. The message those young athletes sent to Black Americans that day was one of Unity and Power (as stated by the athletes themselves). It was a message not to give up the struggle, imo -- and brave indeed...
posted on October 17, 2001 09:31:56 PM new
Well, the world is all together again there is only one Snowy and that is the Egret!!
I hand made a card, belated birthday on which I drew two egrets and offered my sincerest "Egrets" for being late. I thought I was sooo funny they even had sad looking eyes!!
posted on October 17, 2001 09:41:03 PM new
RIGHT ARM! As we used to say! LOL, thanks, Hopeless...wow, I was 16 years old and a junior in high school that summer. That statement made a HUGE impact on me. LOL, at graduation the next year, when I received my diploma, I raised my fist in the air and TOTALLY shocked the crowd! My poor mother, but bless her, she said she was proud of me!
In the weeks before her death just recently, she confessed to me that those years were terrifying for her and her generation. They truly didn't understand at the time why we were so rebellious, and were afraid for our country. The war, civil rights, they just didn't get it.
posted on October 18, 2001 08:48:51 AM new
Hopeless Sinner - EXCELLENT thread, I love what you had to say. And I also love that a certain DISRESPECTFUL poster has been suspended
xoxoxo
Rocker 