Olympian John Carlos talks Black Power salute during ’68 Olympics
Carlos spoke to Joshua Short ahead of event at Notre Dame this weekend
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - We’re quickly approaching the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris right here on WNDU 16 News Now.
And speaking of fast, Joshua Short was honored to sit down with Olympian and activist Dr. John Carlos, who won the bronze medal in the 200-meter race in the 1968 Olympics.
Carlos is remembered not for his medal earning run, but for what happened at the medal ceremony and the political statement he and fellow Olympian Tommie Smith made in this picture.
It shows a raised, black-gloved fist to symbolize African American poverty in the United States and other injustices faced by Blacks at the time.
Carlos talked about that moment and its controversy with Josh.
JOSH: Do you have any regrets?
DR. CARLOS: I would do it tomorrow if it was necessary. My first wife took her life as a result of this particular thing based on the oppression that they put on us. They made it where I couldn’t work. Any monies that I had in the bank, it was dissipated. I had to take mediocre jobs, humiliating jobs I might even say. But I had to do what I had to do to support my family. But at the same time with my wife taking her life and going through the hard times, I would have to do that a thousand times over because I wouldn’t add or take anything away from it because what we did was bigger than who we are.
Carlos told Josh he was able to picture that very moment years before in a vision he had as a child. In that vision, he was standing on a box raising his arm and didn’t know why people were booing him.
DR. CARLOS: Actually, that demonstration was revealed to me when I was 7, 8 years old. I had a vision, and in this vision, I saw myself as a little boy standing on a box in a grass field. I didn’t know what I stadium was, but I would assume it was a stadium because I could hear all the people yippee-ki-yaying with excitement. And just as I went to wave — as a kid, you want to get your hand up, wave, and you want to get up on your toes cause you want everybody to see you. And just as I went up with my left hand — I’m right handed — but I went up with my left hand . . . it froze like that in the vision. And the reason it froze like that is because all the happiness instantaneously turned to anger and venom. They started booing, they started throwing things, they started spitting and calling me names. It sent me into shock the whole day.
Carlos says it was his idea to make the gesture and he believes that he was born into this world for that moment.
Carlos is in town ahead of an event on Saturday at Notre Dame, and it’s not the first time he’s visited campus either. In fact, he visited back in 2018 — 50 years from when that moment first happened in Mexico City on that podium.
Josh also talked to Notre Dame’s Director of Staff Diversity and Inclusion Eric Love, who explains why Carlos is back and recalls an unfortunate moment from Carlos’ last visit.
ERIC: Tomorrow is the big event and why he’s here, and that’s the annual Black Man’s Think Tank. It’s sponsored by a student organization called the Wabruda, which means the brotherhood in Swahili. And that’s an opportunity to bring a major keynote speaker to talk about something inspirational. But this is the second time I have been involved in bringing him. This time has been nothing but positive. People are excited. He’s an icon.
The last time, I got an anonymous letter that came to my office on campus, and it was a flyer that we had advertising his event. And it just said, “Who brought him here? This is a disgrace.” But it was anonymous. And that was the 50th anniversary of the ‘68 Olympics, that was in 2018. And I just thought to myself, “First of all, whoever it was that wrote this letter is 50 years on the wrong side of history.” 50 years ago, John Carlos and Tommie Smith stood in front of the entire world to make a statement for what they believed in. Not anonymous, but in front of the entire world.
The 34th Black Man’s Think Tank is taking place on Saturday from 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the seventh floor of the Duncan Center. All are welcome to attend.
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