SJSU Hosts 50-Year Anniversary Of 'Olympic Moment'

SAN JOSE, CA -- That one moment in time Olympic athletes share with their nation turned out to be a defining one for the world when San Jose State University track stars John Carlos and Tommie Smith took the medal podium after winning the 200-meter event at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.

Smith and Carlos returned to the stage of their alma mater at the Event Center Wednesday to engage in discussions about the political statements they made while receiving their gold and bronze medals, respectively. While hearing the U.S. national anthem, bowing and facing the American flag, the two medalists thrust their black-gloved fists in the air in solidarity over human rights abuses and racial inequality. At the time, the era was characterized as one in which a free-love generation collided with minority oppression and the contentious war in Vietnam.

The gesture was considered one of the most overtly political statements in the history of the modern-day Olympic games.

Fast forward to 2018, SJSU President Mary Papazian told a gathering of about 1,000 dignitaries, students and journalists the ceremony honoring their "Olympic moment" has turned into "one of the most anticipated events in university history." San Jose State spearheaded the symposium called "Words of Action" through the sponsor -- the Institute for Study of Sport and Social Change.

"This is one of the most appropriate places to have this vital program," Papazian said. "We're still struggling with issues of equality."

Sports and social justice issues are in the forefront of American society as former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick ushered in a new era of activism in the face of police racial brutality when he took a knee during the playing of the "Star Spangled Banner" at National Football games. Upon leaving the NFL and more recently becoming a figure-head for an edgy "Just Do It" Nike ad, Kaepernick represents a pariah to some and a hero to others. More importantly, he's catapulted into fame as a topic of discussion for a nation grappling with issues of race amid a tense American political climate and mega-money sports world.

During one of the discussions called "The Kaepernick Era," panelists led by facilitator Maureen Smith explored why only 1 percent of his fellow players supported Kaepernick's gesture while millions of people talked about it. ESPN journalist Howard Bryant said the media "failed miserably" with its focus on how opposing groups stood against it instead of "through the eyes of Colin" or through victims of brutality.

"We treat the protester as if he or she is the problem," Bryant said.

The question arose: "Is Colin Kaepernick the Rosa Parks of modern society?"

The intriguing topics were fielded by a "who's-who" list in sports and social activism -- from New York Civil Liberties Union activist Toni Smith-Thompson to Olympic athlete Wyomia Tyus, the first person to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 100-meter dash in 1964 and 1968.

"I was there. I remember it so vividly. I thought it was very sad that two black athletes had to do what they did," Tyus said of the podium stand Smith and Carlos took.

But the thoughts of the gesture put a smile on Carlos' face, he admitted to the audience.

"I think about this 50 years later, and I think we hit the nail on the head," Carlos said, adding during a panel discussion that he specifically "wanted to make a statement" and "do something profound."

He knew the black gloves would serve as a contrast to Mexico City being the first to televise the Olympics in color.

"The commitment was there in my first breath," he said, recalling the nation was dealing with a multitude of issues relative to social disorder.

Today, the track star who received a honorary doctorate degree at SJSU with Smith is a member of the Olympic Project for Human Rights, an activist organization the moderator Harry Edwards founded. Edwards, a discus thrower on the San Jose State track team, evolved into a renowned civil rights activist, sociologist and author of the book "Revolt of the Black Athlete."

Edwards showed the crowd that in some circumstances one need not be black to understand the roots of oppression. He delivered that message through a touching video that posed the question: "What would Bill Walsh do?" The late, famed 49er coach was personal friends with Edwards, citing his proudest moments reflect on the concept that "excellence in achievement is not despite our diversity, it's because of it."

Edwards also quoted a giant in the literary world, the late poet Maya Angelou, in labeling the track duo with reverence as creating the "most iconic sports image of the 20th century."

"She said: 'Courage is the the greatest of all the virtues,'" he said.

The distant reaches of courage

The effect of their gesture was far-reaching from the metropolitan area to the mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe.

Olympic officials chose an old ski resort atop Echo Summit as the training ground for the track and field team for the 1968 athletes with Carlos among them because it was only 28 feet higher than Mexico City. Echo Summit on Highway 50 serves as a gateway to Lake Tahoe from the west. Smith and Carlos returned to Echo Summit to be acknowledged for their gesture. The site is now a California Historical Landmark. A plaque on a granite boulder commemorates the site.

The track team won 20 medals, including 12 gold. Smith's world record of 19.83 seconds stood for 11 years. The cathartic period marked a turbulent time for the United States. In that year, progressives Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy were assassinated within two months of each other, while a polarized nation looked on in horror.

--Images courtesy of Josie Lepe, San Jose State University