Salute

Today in class, we watched a great great documentary, Salute, about the 1968 Olympics in Mexico. After the 200 meter final, Tommie Smith and John Carlos (two African-Americans) were on the victory dias. They took this opportunity to show their support and commitment the human right's movement by doing the black salute. It represented the union and strength of the black community.

This documentary also tried to show how important was the role of Australian athlete, Peter Norman, in this social/political statement. He also stood in the victory dias backing up the black athletes, and he was wearing a human right's movement pin/button on his track suit.


I find sad and unbelievable how Australia and its Olympic authorities prevented Peter Norman from participating in the next Olympics because of his participation in the "salute" in 1968.
 I admire how he was so honest and humble to support the black movement in America, even though he wasn't from the United States. But he saw the all men were created equal and gave up his glory that day at the victory dias to support the cause of racial equality. He was a great man!

Olympics '68