Two Olympians Need an Apology, Even if It Comes Years Too Late

In my opinion, Smith and Carlos are as heroic and inspiring as Jesse Owens was in Nazi Germany. Owens was used as a political tool to repudiate Hitler by a country that treated him worse than a second class citizen. Thirty-two years later Smith and Carlos made the point that things hadn't changed.

The United States has always been quick to use African-American talent to take it to the top of the podium but once the final notes of the anthem die down, they remind these athletes that they're Black men and women in America.

Does mr. Rhoden write anything but "grievance" pieces?

I would treat it the same as someone doing a religious gesture or making a religious comment - I find both equally offensive, political or religious.

But, considering people seem to welcome religious gestures or comments, as long as they agree with them, I see no issue with a political gesture or comment.

In 1968 USOC was a wealthy white male sports enclave. To think that USOC would have NOT come down on Smith & Carlos is to ignore both the times, the sociology and the politics of the "Olympic Movement", USOC, IOC and Avery Brundage.

There are few more awe inspiring pictures as Tommie Smith running the curve and heading into the straight at Mexico City.

Per Brundage, USOC, et al: See also the 1936 Olympics at Berlin, the removal of Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller from the US 4X100 relay, Avery Brundage and USOC...

Censoring these men is certainly wrong. But what we really need is a White Power salute so that others can make a comparable political statement in public venues. Equal is equal.

No, their gesture accomplished nothing. It was a brazen act of defiance. They knew the USOC would hand out punishment and that it would be swift and definitive. Fifty years on, opinion is divided. There is not universal agreement about the appropriateness of their actions. Some are saying "right on." Some are firmly on the "hell no" side. But maybe there is a place to meet, a middle ground. Can Smith and Carlos acknowledge anything about how in-your-face offensive this was to the vast majority of Americans, if, at the same time, the USOC could own their excessive reaction. That's the way nations negotiate. Each side has to give, paul in bessemer

Don't you think the USOC punished them like they would have punished any political theater on the podium? The story is their brave protest. The punishment, which was hardly draconian, is a detail of history.

Apologies made too routinely begin to rob the act of meaning.

It should be saved for really grave mistakes, else, pretty soon, we'll have a "Ministry of Apologies" or an "Apology Department" led by a full cabinet secretary. I mean to say there's a lot to apologize for if the U.S. (or any other country) intends to do all of the apologizing that could be done.

They should have known better. They represented our country and it was not appropriate.

I was a track man in high school and college and remember to this very moment how proud I was of Smith and Carlos that they had the guts and the conviction to do what they did. It is truly disturbing but given these times not surprising that there is so much mean spirited to response to your call Bill. Tells us exactly where we are.

To Steve RR in CA:

Perhaps you missed when the US boycotted the Olympics in Russia?

Or Russian boycotts? Or...

The only thing "amateur" about the Olympics is how amateurishly they are used by countries to promote one political agenda or the other (remember Hitler? remember how Eastern bloc countries did anything necessary to show the glory of their sports civilization? remember how now China pulls out all the stops to show it's arrived?). To single out two American athletes for punishment for their own political protest, when the US govt. and the US Olympic Committee, merrily boycott Olympics, devastating the preparation and the dreams that American athletes put themselves through many years of hardship for, is the very height of hypocrisy. Many other labels are possible. None of them can cite "amateur athletics" as the driving force for what the Olympics actually are. Do you really feel the USOC can politicize the Olympics while virtually criminalizing political statements by American Olympians?

Although I appreciate the enthusiasm of Mr Rhoden, both he and the two athletes are way off base.

Just think if EVERY athlete, successful or not, wanted to implement some sort of social change in either their own country or another. Chaos. Period.

As far as this armchair athlete is concerned, they can wait till hell freezes over.

Thank you, Mr. Rhoden, for expressing what i have felt all these years. The notion that Mr. Smith and Mr. Carlos were "dishonoring" the American flag is nonsense, as is the notion that the Olympic Games in particular and sport in general are "apolitical." (Tell that to the families of the Israeli athletes who were murdered in Munich, and to all fans of Jesse Owens, Marty Glickman, et al.) Smith and Carlos were delivering a powerful and NECESSARY message, and doing so in a PEACEFUL and DIGNIFIED manner. They are indeed worthy of being honored, and the IOC and the U.S. Olympic establishment should indeed apologize -- publicly, loudly, and fervently .

No apology necessary, This was a grandstand play to get attention in a venue that is theoretically apolitical. In my opinion these 2 new exactly what they were doing and rather than segue their fame to the proper pulpit, they ignorantly tried to shove it down our collect throats at the perfectly wrong time. Now onto Carmelo, LeBron etc ask them to give up their fame and the obscene money they make to become political icons, right! Tommie an John would get kicked out of the penthouse if they went there for help in getting the apology. I might add who the heck watches the ESPY'S

They're owed an apology? The other way around pal, they should apologize for that obscene stunt I saw live on TV. Even as a kid I was insulted and angry the world had to see that outrageous stunt by US athletes. Apology? Sure Smith and Carlos need to apologize.

Does no one remember the times? Segregation in college sport was still practiced, talented black athletes sat on the sidelines in pro sports while less talented white men played, and were better paid, and Martin Luther King had just been assassinated. There was plenty to protest, and Smith and Carlos' bravery inspired many of us, black and white. And kudos to Harry Edwards too.

Apologize? Hell no. The draconian response by the USOC validated the institutional repression that Smith and Carlos were protesting. The clucks from the USOC were unwitting accomplices. The crowning hypocrisy of the USOC was wrapping its actions in the American flag. If the flag of the United States represents anything, it represents staring injustice in the face and saying "I will not yield my dignity and humanity to oppression. No matter how dire the consequences may be".

Mr. Smith and Mr. Carlos stood on the high moral ground. Nothing the USOC ever says can right the wrong it perpetrated that night in Mexico City.

Why all this media fixation about "apologies"?

Let's focus on the present--and the future! There's plenty to focus on now!

Wow, anyone who compares social unrest today to 1968 doesn't understand 1968.

In 1968, I was 15 and white. I no longer remember my exact reaction to Smith and Carlos, but I can tell you how I feel now. It gives me chills.

It was the perfect statement for that moment and for this one, echoing Black Lives Matter long in advance. The maintained their solidarity with the US by competing and by treating their medals with respect. And they simultaneously brought attention to injustices that need fixing.

This is the USA at it's strongest.

I was a 16 year old white teenager when Smith and Carlos won their medals. I remember it to this day. And I have wondered why their names have not come up in the Black Lives Matter movement. These two amazing athletes were way ahead of their time. Thank you Mr. Rhoden, for your very well-timed article.

Americans who embarrassed us by their actions that year? You can start with Nixon and go through a long list of white racists who disgraced our country during that era and continue to soil the ideals that good Americans are still trying to achieve. Smith and Carlos acted bravely----- and Peter Norman was a pretty good bloke too.

And what of Peter Norman, who made his own attempt at expressing solidarity paid a steep price for it? Shame on NYT for leaving Norman almost entirely out of this piece.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/24/sport/olympics-norman-black-power/

Yes, the USOC owes these men a tremendous long overdue apology. For years, African Americans represented the US in Olympic and other international competitions, only to return to racism and resentment. This was especially true for the athletes of Jesse Owens' era, who destroyed the Aryan myth of white athletic supremacy and well treated well by the German people. While Owens and his colleagues did not complain about their treatment back in the states, by the time the 1968 Olympic Games rolled around, African American athletes, led by Harry Edwards, said enough's enough and made their feelings known publicly. Smith's and Carlos' demonstration was not only for themselves but all who had competed before them, representing a nation that had rendered them less than second-class citizens. Yes, they deserve an apology.

There's an old sayin: "Sometimes it's lonely being right" Smith and Carlos were right. Time has proven that, not that it needed to be prove, since they were right the moment they expressed themelves on that podium.

I still get tears in my eyes when I see that picture - tears from the pride of seeing two brave, dignified men taking a stand despite the known consequences. In the months leading to those Games I feared that black athletes would heed the call to boycott, thus destroying one of my favorite sports spectacles. What they John Carlos and Tommy John did instead was one of the most inspirational moments of my life. An apology in an era where a Donald Trump can run for president would be nauseating. Instead they deserve recognition and honor from those honored by their actions.

The IOC would have an unending list of items to apologize for if it started. The biggest apology should go to the clean athletes whose medal opportunities were stolen since the 1950s by the systematic doping of the Communist countries.

The Olympics have become such a pawn for countries (usually the US) using them for one protest or the other, with utter disregard for the lives and careers of athletes who go through excruciating hardship to prepare for Games that are pulled out from them.

Given that, no one, certainly no one ever associated in the past 100 years with US Olympic Committee, can claim that political protest has no place at the Olympics.

When on top of that, Mr. Smith and Mr. Carlos, were "on the right side of history," only to suffer irremediable harm (regardless of what they say and since have accomplished) from the actions of the US Olympic Committee, the very least, the very absolute least, it can do is to publicly and completely and wholeheartedly, apologize to them for its mistake.

Most amazing Olympic moment I ever watched. Felt very proud of these men. The US Olympic Committee has always been a bunch of old white men. They won't change. Sad.

Very happy to see someone make this public statement. The US response was as predictable (see also Muhammad Ali, 1967 as a similar example of US Democracy at work in that decade-or pictures of James Meredith at "Ole Miss" in 1962, and so on, ad nauseum) as it was despicable. We are seeing the same mentality at work again in the attacks upon BLM and other protests against police and other US government sanctioned violence and repression.
Better late then never, I suppose; but if Trump gets in, things will only get worse.

They were wrong. No apology is required.

I was in the stands in Mexico City when Carlos and Smith made their Black Power salute. The place went dead quiet. I was so thrilled that they had the courage to protest in this way. I was a young white girl then, and I got it. I hope the USOC finally does the right thing and admits its actions were wrong and apologizes. Our constitution guarantees us freedom of speech. There was everything right in this protest.

I agree--but at least they had the opportunity to run--the US Olympic dictator and well known bigot Avery Brundage banned 2 Jewish sprinters--including well known NY broadcaster Marty Glickman-- from competing in 1936 because their expected triumph as part of the US relay team anchored by Jessie Owens would have embarrassed Hitler and Brooklyn swimmer Eleanor Holm for drinking champagne on the ocean liner crossing the Atlantic.

Swallow the bitter pill, U.S.O.C. You were wrong. Admit it.

An apology is certainly in order. And I'm astonished to hear that neither Smith nor Carlos are members of the Hall of Fame. Smith, as a gold medalist whose world record stood for 11 years, certainly should be.

It shouldn't be forgotten that Peter Norman also paid a huge price in Australia for his involvement, and unfortunately died before he was fully rehabilitated.

Oh stop it! Apologize for what? These guys were an embarrassment and a disgrace to this country and chose the wrong venue to vent their spleens. I still cringe when I see that photo. Since when does dishonoring the American flag put one on the "right side of history"?

Carlos and Smith acted out, inappropriately and disrespectfully. By today's standards with the BLM movement, the Black Panthers Party 2, the Dallas and Baton Rouge shootings, perhaps their actions seem less offensive. But make no mistake, in 1968, using the Olympic medal ceremony to disrespect the U.S. flag and National Anthem, and they did, warranted dismissal from the team. Nothing in the ensuing forty-eight years changes that in the least.

It is never right to politicize amateur athletic events.
The fact that folks can't even agree as to what they were 'protesting' is reason enough.
How would we feel about a casual Nazi salute on the podium - this actually occurred.

This is hardly the time to celebrate two black activists who made inappropriate gestures. They got their just desserts. Get over it, learn from it, and move on.

I was an 11-year old white boy in '68, and will never forget the moment and the salute. Can't say I fully understood it then and now, but its power and affirmation are indelible. As did Ali, they shook up a world in desperate need of it. They insisted, 'This is our place.' Standing tall, they soared as high and as far as Bob Beamon.

Yes, I was shocked. But far more than that, it told me so much about dignity, defiance, conviction, and pride. It was a courageous and defining moment, and as a nation we should, at last and with thanks, honor these athletes by acknowledging their true status as champions.

The USOC was about as unAmerican as can be in punishing Smith and Carlos for using free speech to express their concerns - I am hoping that many more athletes use their platforms to express their societal concerns, including at this summer's Olympics. What better use of an international platform than to remind us that we have a long way to go in providing justice.

It's 2016 and it feels like 1968! Tommie Smith and John Carlos stood for equality and were treated as second-class citizens. An apology from the USOC is long overdue!!!!

The won those medals. Period. Give 'em back and apologize already!

I disagree. Can there be no forum where politics and social issues really, truly are left at the door?

A heroic, self-sacrificing, meaningful gesture not well-received by a tone-deaf press in an era of institutionalized racism.

No apology necessary, they deserved to be sent home and not allowed to proceed. The men proved not to be representing the United States but their own agenda. Stop going back in History looking for wrong doings, move ahead to prevent new ones.

The NAACP should start by awarding Smith and Carlos the Spingarn Medal for achievement. Since 1915, notable African Americans including Martin Luther King, Paul Robeson and Jackie Robinson have been honored. The omission of Smith and Carlos is glaring. As is the inclusion of Bill Cosby.

The black power salute of Carlos and Smith was one of the most eloquent and unforgettable statements of its time. In its own way, it said as much as the "I Have a Dream" speech. The USOC consists of a bunch of a bureaucrats. What they did to Carlos and Smith isn't much a part of the story. Carlos and Smith are famous forever. Not so the USOC. It seems to me that the two sprinters can choose to forgive the USOC or not. They hold all the cards here.

The white sprinter on that podium, HAS received an apology in the Australian Parliament in 2012.
This House
“Acknowledges the bravery of Peter Norman in donning an Olympic Project for Human Rights badge on the podium, in solidarity with African-American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who gave the ‘black power’ salute”.

“Apologises to Peter Norman for the wrong done by Australia in failing to send him to the 1972 Munich Olympics, despite repeatedly qualifying; and belatedly recognises the powerful role that Peter Norman played in furthering racial equality”.

There was only one pair of black gloves available that night. It was Peter Norman's idea that Smith and Carlos wear one each.
Norman wanted to wear an "Olympic Project for Human Rights" badge to the ceremony but the radical and unofficial badge was rare and mostly held by black American athletes.

A white American rower Paul Hoffman found out that another white guy wanted to wear the badge on the podium so he gave his to Norman. The American said “if a white Australian is going to ask me for an Olympic Project for Human Rights badge, then by God he would have one! I gave him the only one I had: mine”

It was the wearing of this badge that dealt Norman out of the Munich Games. That action by the Australian Olympic Committee wrecked Norman's life. He became an alcoholic and died an early death in 2006.

Needless to say his principal coffin bearers were his very dear friends Tommie Smith and John Carlos.

It is always good to be on the right side of history. They were on the right side of history!!! Thanks for your sacrifices. You are truly my heroes!!!

Couldn't agree more. Maybe some one could try to get Lebron behind this move. These guys deserve their proper recognition as athletes. We already acknowledge their status as men.