The arena full of fans, goes silent. Millions of fans young to old were all speechless at what was going on down on the track during the award ceremony. Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos stood on the winner’s podium for the 200 meter race. During the walk to and on the podium was the moment of shock and disbelief for people all around the world. Smith and Carlos did the unimaginable, standing up for what they thought was right in front of millions of people. Standing there on that podium getting medals while violating the Olympic dress code by having your jacket unzippered. Even during the National Anthem raising a fist in the air with a black glove on.

Tommie Smith and John Carlos ran the 200 meter race in the 1968 Olympics games in Mexico City. Smith won the gold medal and Carlos won the bronze medal. When it was time for the award ceremony, they walked up to the podium to protest African-American Rights by walking up with no shoes. They wanted to show people what they thought was right.  At the podium is where we noticed that they both had beads around their necks to protest lynching. Carlos had his jacket unzippered, that is a volition of Olympic dress code. They both were wearing Human Rights badges on their jackets. As they faced the flag for the National Anthem, they raised a fist with a black glove on. These men who protested their medals in the 1968 Olympics are modern day transcendentalists because they acted independently, showed courage by going against social norms, and because of their beliefs they paid the price.

Tommie Smith and John Carlos stood independently on that podium while silently protesting what they thought was right. They took off shoes to protest poverty when walking to the podium. They wore Human Rights Badges on their jackets along with beads around their neck to protest lynching. “Smith later told the media that he raised his right, black-glove-covered fist in the air to represent black power in America while Carlos' left, black-covered fist represented unity in black America. Together they formed an arch of unity and power. The black scarf around Smith's neck stood for black pride and their black socks (and no shoes) represented black poverty in racist America” (Gettings 4). By doing this act of protest it showed that both Smith and Carlos can stand independently and can have different reasons for their actions, yet still be able to come together to make a powerful statement. Carlos was asked if he did this for the fame or publicity his response was “I can't eat my gold medal the kid around my block can’t eat that, the kids after them can’t eat it and the kids that grow up after them can’t eat it. They can’t eat publicity, they can’t eat my gold medal. All we ask for is an equal chance to be human being” (Youtube, 1968 Summer Olympics, Black Power Salute). Neither Carlos or Smith did this act of protest for themselves, they did it for their community, friends, family and their children.

Smith and Carlos went against social norms at the time. Yes, it would of been easier to stand on the podium while everyone is cheering you on because you just won a medal for something you have worked so hard for most of your life. But they decided to take this moment, their moment to stand up and tell people what is going on in the world and their views about it. “This event is regarded as one of the most overtly political statements in the history of modern Olympic games” ( Wikipedia contributors 1). They went against the way the medal ceremony would normally take place to protest poverty, lynching, the working class, the Civil Rights movement and many more. By being able to go against social norms is a way a transcendentalist would live their life. They had to show courage to overcome what others wanted to do to them such as knock them down. As John Carlos said in an interview “All we ask for is equal chance, to be human beings. As far as I see we are five steps below the ladder and everything we try to touch the ladder they put one foot on our head and don’t want us to climb up” (Youtube, YOU GOT 48 HOURS). Everyone has to overcome other people view and focus in on yours and what you believe is right. Real courage is standing up when it’s not popular, and real men and women don’t ask permission to raise their fist.
Fearless is one way to describe the two Olympians because they had no fear walking up to that podium and silently protesting what they believed and gave their views on major topics. They knew if they did this act of protest it would cause an outbreak of conflicts. They had to take a risk from what everyone was used to. The biggest risk that they took was during the National Anthem, they held up a fist with a black glove on. They both kept the fist up in the air until they song was finished. An historian said  “Smith and Carlos raised their fist during the National Anthem to show solidarity with Civil Rights Movement” (Youtube, 1968 Summer Olympics, Black Power Salute). These risk were taken with the consequences in the back of their minds. The two athletes got suspended by the Olympic Committee and were given 48 hours to leave Mexico. Lastly they received death threats from many of the crowd members because they thought it was wrong to take time from a historical moment to show their beliefs in major topics.  Smith talks about the death threats he and his family received in an interview with David Steele, “My family received hate mail and death threats which altered our daily routine, but we had to continue to remain calm and socially aware. There are still some [people] who do not change and there are some who have made progress” (Steele 4).  In an interview with Tommie Smith done by David Steele, Smith talks about how the medal is his and how he got forced to leave the Olympic community. “I am still in possession of my gold medal—I won the race fair and square, and so the medal is mine. I stayed in the Olympic Village until the race was over, and I returned the next day to get my belongings. As I was leaving, the press was everywhere, so kicking me out of the Olympic Village was a "helpful exit”  (Steele 9). Smith and Carlos both had some major consequences for what they did, during the ceremony, but for both of them it was worth the price to show people that there are other major problems in the world that deserve more attention. 

Both Carlos and Smith both had fear during the Medal Ceremony, but their was no going back as soon as we walked from the track to that podium (Zirin 6). These two men thought independently by thinking about each act and what it would mean to them and what it would represent. They also went against the social norms by taking “normal award ceremony” and changing it up a bit by also making people aware of what is really happening in the world. “We were just humans beings who saw a need to bring attention to the inequality in our country” (Dominis 4). Lastly, they had major consequences to their actions, many of them were very threatening letter to them and their families. Carlos and Smith paid the price with their actions. Smith wanted to leave a legacy for himself a strong one, “ I want to leave a legacy that says, "Tommie Smith was a Man who also had a Dream and a Vision and his Standing was not in vain” (Dominis 12). He wanted to leave behind his opinion to other people and that is okay to stand up for you beliefs and raise a fist in the air.