UNITED KINGDOM: Documentary about the 1968 Olympics when US athletes John Carlos and Tommie Smith gave the black power salute premieres in London

Record ID: 220867

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Documentary about the 1968 Olympics when US athletes John Carlos and Tommie Smith gave the black power salute premieres in London
  • Date: 12th July 2012
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JULY 11, 2012) (REUTERS) POSTER OF 'SALUTE' DOCUMENTARY ON DISPLAY AS RED CARPET INTERVIEWS IN PROGRESS TOMMIE SMITH BEING INTERVIEWED
  • Embargoed: 27th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Entertainment,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA919DMT5OH6IM372B2MVECLB8B
  • Story Text: Tommie Smith stepped out onto the red carpet at the UK premiere of 'Salute' in London on Tuesday (July 11) at the first screening of the documentary about the 1968 Olympics when he and fellow US athlete John Carlos gave the black power salute.
    The image of Smith and Carlos is one of the most iconic of the turbulent 1960s - the duo bowed their heads and raised black-gloved fists at the men's 200 metres victory ceremony in an unprecedented protest on behalf of their oppressed black compatriots.
    Smith had earlier won a blistering 200 metres final with Carlos third.
    'Salute' tells the story of Australian Peter Norman, who finished second in Mexico City. Norman, who died in 2006, wore a human rights badge on the podium in support of Smith and Carlos.
    But Smith told Reuters Television ahead of the premiere that he and Carlos never saw Norman as a supporter but an equal in their fight.
    "Peter was a man in his own right," Smith said.
    "There are those that say Peter backed Tommie Smith and John Carlos on the victory stand. I happily oppose. Peter backed himself. He did not need Tommie Smith and John Carlos to believe in what he did. He just happened to be blessed to be on the victory stand with two people who believed in what he did. And that was the power of that human rights stand in Mexico City in 1968. Togetherness."
    Smith has been in London at the invitation of the campaign group Operation Black Vote - a group who exist to ensure greater racial justice and equality throughout the United Kingdom Director Simon Woolley said the images and the film tell a powerful story.
    "It's an untold story and it resonates today, in 2012," Woolley told Reuters.
    "These guys were at the top of their game and in their moment of glory, they said 'this is not about us, it's about others'. A supreme sacrifice of any sportsman or sportswoman. And yet today, we have sports stars who are far too interested in the new Ferrari than society around them.
    "The legacy of Smith, the legacy of Norman and Carlos is that yes, you can be brilliant, yes, you can be the very best that you can be but you can also think of others. Have the integrity, have the honesty to say it's not just about me."
    The issue of sport and politics mixing has long a source of great debate with the black power salute sparking a terse response for the International Olympic Committee at the time, deemed it a political statement not fit for the Games. They ordered the athletes suspended and never again did Smith, Carlos or Norman race for their country.
    Former British Javelin champion and heptathlete Tessa Sanderson also walked the red carpet at the premiere and told Reuters she absolutely backed Smith, Carlos and Norman's action.
    She added she hoped in the future people would have the strength of conviction and stage similar protests if they deemed such action necessary.
    "It really is something that if you feel you have to do and also make yourself free - be able to say what you want to say and live a life you want to live - and if you feel trapped in those situations and you need to speak out for that and that's what they did by doing that symbol, then I think you have to do that."
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