Peter Norman and The Black Power Salute
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. But there is a hidden history behind that memorable event.
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 *. 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 *. For this, he was ostracized