At the Summer Olympic Games in 1968 two black athletes made a silent protest for equality. Who were these men?

These two men were Tommie Smith and John Carlos, gold and bronze medalists, respectively, of the 200 meter run. They were impressed with the words of sociologist Harry Edwards who had pleaded with black athletes to boycott the Olympics to protest racial injustice in the US. So they planned a silent protest to be performed on the medal stand if they medaled in the race. Smith wore a black glove on his right hand and Carlos wore a black glove on his left hand. At the time of the national anthem they bowed their heads and raised their gloved hand in the air. Smith represented black power and Carlos represented black unity. Reaction to their protest was swift; they were suspended from the team and banned from the Olympic village.

A lesser known and rarely discussed fact is that Peter Norman, the 200 meter silver medalist from Australia, also participated in the protest. While he stood at attention and faced the flags during the national anthem, he wore a badge for the Olympic Project for Human Rights, an organization of black athletes striving for racial equality in the US and around the world.

Carlos and Smith, and Norman became close friends and their friendship lasted until Norman's death in 2006. Smith and Carlos were pallbearers at Norman's funeral.

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