BLACK+POWER+SALUTE+JM

On the morning on October 16, 1968 two African Americans placed gold and bronze, but the U.S. would not see it as an accomplishment but as protest. U.S. athletes Tommy Smith and John Carlos win gold and bronze. With Tommy Smith getting a world record time in the 200 meter race with 19.83 seconds. Although these accomplishments were good news for the U.S. they only seen what happened at the podium. When the national anthem played the two athletes lowered their head and raised their fist to support the black power movement. I will state in this essay the aftermath of this incidents of each athlete, the black panthers, and Peter Norman the athlete that stood with them on this remarkable day.

After this incident happened on October 16,1968 the athletes lives really varied on what happened but they shared that day that will go down in history. Many Americans couldn't comprehend the protest and Smith's family suffered. In one incident a rock was thrown threw his window. After the Olympics in Mexico Tommy Smith mixed sport with the promotion of his beliefs in equal rights. John Carlos the next year tied the 100 yard dash would record. Later, he played in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles. But after a knee injury he felt on hard times in the 1970's. His wife committed suicide in1977.

The Black Panthers were an equal rights group. The Lowndes County Freedom Organization was started by Stockley Carmichael in Alabama in 1964. This organization later changed its name the Black Panthers Party. In October 1966, Bobby Seale and Huey Newton formed the Black Panther Party in Oakland, California. The leaders of the Black Panthers were influenced by the ideas of Malcolm X. The Black Panthers initially started to protect local communities from police brutality and racism. Within a couple of years the Black Panthers were feeding over 10,000 children every day before school.

Peter Norman grew up in Cobourg, Victoria. Before the 1968 Olympics Norman was a trainer for West Brunswick Football Club. After 1968 he played 67 games for West Brunswick between 1972 and 1977. Norman contracted gangrene in 1985 after tearing his Achilles Tendon during a charity race. Depression, heavy drinking, and pain killer addiction followed. Norman died of a heart attack on October 3, 2006 in Melbourne at the age of 64.

In conclusion, I believe that standing up for what you believe conquers all including awards and money. Writing this essay gave me some new heroes that I never about but I'm glad I learned about. I hope this essay inspired you like it did to me.