Unit 3: Black Lives Matter (Tle G6_gr1)

A Silence that Speaks Volumes (part 1)

The document under study is a news report from CBS News, published in 2016. It deals with the story of African-American Olympic athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos who were finally honored at the White House for their achievement by President Obama. Indeed, they had taken part in the Mexico Olympic games of 1968 where they protested on the victory stand to denounce racial inequalities in the USA at the time. Their act of protest was greatly controversial. As a consequence, they were banished from the Olympic village. On top of that, their medals and titles were taken away.

At the time, the athletes felt the need to protest on the victory stand because, even though segregation became illegal thanks to the Civil Rights Act of 1968, black people were still suffering from discriminations. Indeed, they won 2 medals for a country where there were still many inequalities between Blacks and Whites.

They were honored 50 years later because their protest still has an impact on today’s world, they opened opportunities for other influential people to speak out and denounce injustices.

Victory Salute, Statue of the 1968 Olympics Black Power Salute 

by Rigo, 2005

Homework: Learn the lesson.