The 1968 Olympics in Mexico produced one of the most iconic moments in sports history: the Black Power salute by Tommie Smith and John Carlos. However there is a hidden history behind this memorable photograph.
In the famous photograph taken by John Dominis, the men’s 200 meters triumphant gold medalist Tommie Smith raises his gloved fist in a Black Power salute, looking down in an unyielding demeanor. Bronze medalist John Carlos also raises a gloved fist, and he defiantly sports an unzipped jacket in solidarity with workers. But in that photograph, a third character appears: the Australian silver medalist Peter Norman. His is a story that has remained concealed–until now.
Norman showed his solidarity with the two American athletes by wearing a pin of Olympic Project for Human Rights. For this, he was ostracized.
We would like to make clear, above all, that the purpose of this website is not to undermine the significance of Smith’s and Carlo’s stance, instead we would simply like to shed light on this forgotten history that many do not know about or entirely understand.