John Carlos’ black-gloved fist caused a wave of emotions that rippled throughout the world and changed the 1968 Summer Olympics’ platform. As well as that event is known, what has not been known are the reasons and the sentiment of Carlos, until now, through his recently released book, The John Carlos Story.
“How can you live in the world and not have something to say about injustice,” said Carlos.
Carlos and Tommie Smith made a strong and lasting statement that day, October, 16, 1968, in Mexico City. After the awards’ ceremony, Carlos, bronze, Smith, gold, the twosome raised their fists, black-gloved, gesturing Black Power. They were shoeless representing the poverty of African Americans in the United States and their heads bowed. The congratulatory atmosphere suddenly changed and afterwards they both were evicted from Olympic Village. The backlash and turmoil confronted both stars for years to come.
“The editorial boards of the major newspapers spoke in unison that we were an embarrassment. We were un-American…no major media gave us the opportunity to speak our minds…,” book exert.
Carlos finally speaks his mind in this book and tells of his family troubles, his first wife committed suicide, the friends, fans and athletes, like Jesse Owens, who turned against him, and those who helped, George Foreman. Carlos details the years of frustration, set-backs and the poverty his family endured. He says everybody profited, through posters and books, off of their protest, but the track stars never received a dime.
“My only remorse concerning the demonstration was my lack of concern for my family. My children didn’t understand the why or what. You don’t think how that stuff affects your family. I should’ve put more emphasis on my family,” said Carlos.
The John Carlos Story describes his meager beginnings in Harlem, the initiation to run track and his meetings with civil rights leaders, Ralph Abernathy, Dr. Harry Edwards, the supportive athletes, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Jackie Robinson and Bill Russell and Dr. Martin Luther King who was assassinated six months before the historic 1968 Summer Olympics.
“The loss of his (King) presence, leadership and moral authority was difficult enough. Seeing cities around the country burn as the man who epitomized nonviolence was gunned down tore us up. We lost the vision of Dr. King joining us in Mexico City to protest outside the gates of the Olympic stadium,” wrote Carlos.
Carlos depicts the sordid massacre by the Mexico state military of hundreds of students who had been protesting the living conditions of their people, days before the Olympics opened.
“Cornering the students in the public square and butchering them like hogs, all in the name of making Mexico City presentable for an international audience. After forty years, the families of these young people still haven’t had anything like real justice for these murders… I believe that they, not Tommie and me, were the true Olympic martyrs,” wrote Carlos.
Carlos discusses the politics, racism, exploitation and financial gains of sports, particularly in the Olympics. He somberly details the tragedy of the Israeli wrestling team at the 1972 Olympics in Munich.
It took many years before Carlos made any appearances, anywhere, until the students at his alumni, San Jose State, constructed a campus statue of him and Smith. He tells of the rift between him and Smith, their reconciliation and what happened to the infamous Olympic medals.
A book, written without bitterness because Carlos says he has been redeemed, now living peacefully in Palm Springs, California, with his wife, Charlene, working with high school students, includes a photo album, his statistics, the foreword by Dr. Cornel West, preface by Dave Zirin, Dr. Carlos autographed, “We live to make history.”
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