Herzogenaurach, Germany — Tommie Smith, the former US sprinter who won Olympic gold 50 years ago, is glad his decision to raise a black-gloved fist on the podium has inspired others even if it cost him his running career, as he sees a groundswell of support for equality.
"I knew it would have an impact but I didn’t know how far it would go," the 74-year-old Smith said ahead of the 50th anniversary of the protest on October 16, 1968.
The image of Smith and fellow African-American athlete John Carlos — gold and bronze medalists in the 200m sprint in Mexico City — bowing their heads and thrusting right and left gloved fists respectively into the air became an enduring symbol of the turbulent 1960s and the fight for racial equality.
"It was a calling for me to do it… a lot of people had died for the sake of equality. That was my chance. I had a platform."
The protest has attracted renewed interest since quarterback Colin Kaepernick began a wave of African-American players in the National Football League refusing to stand for the anthem to protest against racial injustice in August 2016.
Smith, who met Kaepernick in 2017, said he believes that there is much broader support for non-violent protest now than in 1968, pointing to the success of the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements.
"Things are getting bigger and better and, if one doesn’t watch out, control [of protests] will be very, very difficult," he said.
The fist-raising at the 200m victory ceremony in 1968 was widely interpreted as a black power salute, but the athletes later described it as a "human rights salute".
After the protest, Smith and Carlos were suspended from the US Olympic team and sent home, where they received death threats and hate mail.
Carlos’s wife committed suicide, Smith’s first marriage collapsed and both men struggled for years to make a living.
"I’ve been paying for it ever since. I have not missed a payment. I see it every day," Smith said, adding he would have liked to try competing in hurdles.
German sports brand Puma, which has sponsored him since 1966, is featuring the athlete in its campaign for the 50th anniversary of its Suede shoe that Smith carried to the podium in 1968.
US rival Nike has drawn huge attention for an advertising campaign featuring Kaepernick, drawing criticism from US President Donald Trump.
Kaepernick and other NFL players sparked a national debate with their protests aimed at addressing police brutality against minorities, racial injustice, and reforming the criminal justice system. Trump has denounced players for kneeling during the anthem at games, questioning their patriotism.
Smith, who met Barack Obama, the first black US president, in 2016, avoided commenting on current US politics, beyond saying: "You have to take the good with the bad."
Smith set 11 world records including the 200m and 400m marks and was just 24 when his career was cut short.
He says he has few regrets, adding that he was just as proud of married life and teaching track and sociology as of the rest. "I was also a school teacher who did something on the academic side. That’s pride to me."
Reuters
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