Smith, Tommie
unknown · Contribution: 1968
Sprinter and activist
Won gold in the 200m at the 1968 Olympics; staged a silent raised-fist protest against racial injustice on the medal stand
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Quick facts
- Born
- 1944, Clarksville, Texas
- Active since
- 1968
- Category
- Sports & Athletics
- Best known for
- The 1968 Olympic raised-fist protest
Impact on the world
Smith turned his moment of Olympic triumph into a global statement on human rights, accepting enormous personal cost to force the world to confront American racial injustice.
An alternative history
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Sources
- Source lookupFind
BlackPast.org
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