Assignment Task: The 1968 Olympics is considered one of the most important Olympics for its significance and impact. It is known that during their medal ceremony in the Olympic Stadium in Mexico City on October 16, 1968, two African-American athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, each raised a black-gloved fist while playing the US national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".
Question 1: What are the external context (apart from the games themselves) before, during, and after the games. Specifically, draw your focus to the conflicts, the conditions in societies, geopolitical conflicts/crisis, and/or the rhetoric that marks this period.
Question 2: Look at the elements and environment of the games themselves. Who are the primary actors (and why, what do they represent, etc.) & leaders, the athletes, and the narrative around these Olympic Games?
Question 3: Provide two perspectives:
- From the perspective of the United States. How were the events of these games reported and characterized in the United States?
- What was the perspective of the rest of the world? Was it similar in nature to how Americans perceived the events or different? If so, why?
Question 4: What is/was the immediate aftermath and lingering impact of these games on both the Olympic movement and society in general? What happened after the games from/and as a result of what transpired?
Reference:
1. The Olympic "Revolt" of 1968 and its Lessons for Contemporary African American Athletic Activism By Douglas Hartmann
2. Tommie Smith, John Carlos did the Black Power salute at the Olympics on this day in 1968 By Analis Bailey, USA TODAY