Mexico City 1968: When silence spoke truth

On 16 October, 1968, under gloating lights of the Olympic podium in Mexico City, two young American sprinters made history – not only for their athletic greatness but for a silent gesture that echoed far beyond the track.

When Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their black-gloved fists during the US national anthem, they transformed a moment in victory into a symbol of resistance, igniting a global conversation about race and equality.

A moment born of turmoil

The late 1960s were a time of turbulence in the United States.

The Civil Rights Movement was at its height, but still racial inequality plagued the nation.

Martin Luther King had been assassinated just months earlier, and American cities were erupting in protest against this injustice.

For Smith and Carlos, the Olympic Games were not just about medals – they were about meaning.

As representatives of a country divided on racial lines, they used their moment on the podium to make a statement.

Wearing black gloves, black socks without shoes (to symbolise black poverty), the athletes stood their in silence as the anthem played, heads were bowed but fists were raised.

The world reacts

The reaction was immediate but split.

Within hours, Smith and Carlos were expelled from the Olympic Village and suspended from the US team.

Back home, they faced death threats, public ridicule, and the loss of their athletic careers.

Yet, for millions worldwide – especially for marginalised communities – their act of defiance became a beacon of courage and solidarity.

The Legacy Endures

More than five decades later, the raised fists of 1968 continue to echo across stadiums, courts and fields.

Smith and Carlos’s gesture paved the way for athlete activism – from Colin Kaepernick knelling during the national anthem to the global “Black Lives Matter” demonstrations that swept through sports in the 2020s.

In 2005, the San Jose State University, where both men studied, unveiled a 20-foot statue commemorating the moment within history.

The spot where Peter Norman stood was left empty – inviting anyone to step up and stand for justice.

From Silence to Power

What made this moment feel so powerful was its simplicity.

No words were spoken, no banners were raised – just two athletes standing still, their fists in the air.

The silence roared across for generations to come.

If they couldn’t be heard they had to be seen.