Jones 1

James Jones
Instructor parker
Engl.1301
July 3, 2007
Black power
The 19! summer "lymp#cs #n $e%#co was one that won&t 'e (orgotten #n )mer#can
h#story 'ecause o( the act o( sacr#(#ce *emonstrate* 'y Tomm#e +m#th who (#n#she* (#rst #n the
200 meter an* John ,arlos who (#n#she* th#r* #n the 200 meter , at the tra*#t#onal awar*s
ceremony a(ter the me*als were presente*. -h#le the +tar +pangle* Banner was 'e#ng sung two
o( the three rec#p#ents o( the "lymp#c me*als wore a 'lack glo.e, 'lack scar(, an* /'lack socks
0w#th no shoes12 03ett#ngs1. They each wore a s#ngle 'lack glo.e on oppos#te han*s one on the
le(t han* an* one on the r#ght han* an* l#(te* a (#st (or the ent#re t#me the star spangle* 'anner
was 'e#ng sung .
The reason they wore the#r 'lack art#cles o( cloth#ng was to represent *#((erent th#ngs that
were go#ng on #n )mer#ca. The 'lack glo.es on oppos#te han*s represente* two *#((erent th#ngs.
/Tomm#e sm#th tol* the me*#a that he ra#se* h#s r#ght 'lack glo.e co.ere* (#st to represent 'lack
power #n )mer#ca2 03ett#mgs1. Then /John ,arlos tol* the me*#a he ra#se* h#s le(t 'lack co.ere*
glo.e to represent un#ty #n Black )mer#ca2 03ett#ngs1 .Both o( the glo.es together ma*e an arch
o( un#ty an* power. The 'lack scar( aroun* +m#ths& neck stoo* (or 'lack pr#*e. Then the 'lack
socks that he wore stoo* (or /'lack po.erty #n rac#st )mer#ca2 03ett#ngs1
) couple o( years pr#or to the 19! "lymp#cs there was talk a'out /re.olt#ng aga#nst the
"lymp#cs 'ecause o( segregat#on an* soc#al *#scr#m#nat#on2 0E*war*s1. The )nglo )mer#cans
0wh#te people1 'ack then *#* not care #( a )(r#can )mer#can person was (amous or not, to them #(
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you were )(r#can )mer#can you was 4ust another n#gger. ) strong e%ample /#s #n the late (#(t#es
an* m#**le s#%t#es, there were numerous cases where 'lack athletes re(use* to part#c#pate *ue to
*#scr#m#nat#on #n spectator seat#ng at athlet#c e.ents or 'ecause o( *#scr#m#natory pract#ces
encountere* 'y the athletes themsel.es (E*war*s). I 'el#e.e th#s was the straw that 'roke the
camel&s 'ack th#s woul* set o(( a cha#n o( e.ents that woul* cause the act#ons that woul* happen
at the 19! "lymp#cs
The two +an Jose +tate teammates +m#th an* ,arlos were #nsp#re* to *o the protest (rom
a soc#olog#st 'y the name o( 5arry E*war*s. 5arry E*war*s was a pro(essor o( soc#ology at the
6n#.ers#ty o( ,al#(orn#a he was a pro(essor o( soc#ology. 5e starte* #n the late 1970&s or early
1980&s teach#ng. E*war*s *#*n&t ask 4ust +m#th an* ,arlos to part#c#pate #n the protest, 'ut all o(
the )(r#can )mer#can athletes. E*war*s thought that the /protest woul* 'r#ng attent#on to the (act
that )mer#cans c#.#l r#ghts mo.ement ha* not gone (ar enough to el#m#nate the #n4ust#ces Black
)mer#ca was (ac#ng2 03ett#ngs1.-hen you see the phrase Black )mer#ca #t means the .ers#on o(
)mer#ca that )(r#can )mer#cans ha.e to l#.e through *ay to *ay. /E*war*s&s group, the "lymp#c
9ro4ect (or 5uman :#ghts 0".9.5.:1, ga#ne* support (rom se.eral worl* class athletes an* c#.#l
r#ghts lea*er2 03ett#ngs1. ;ur#ng the preparat#on (or the protest all seeme* well as #( th#s coul* 'e
the .ery th#ng that coul* en* the #n4ust#ce that was plagu#ng Black )mer#ca. E.eryth#ng was
look#ng goo* an* e.ery'o*y was talk#ng the talk 'ut when the t#me came to take act#on, no one
was walk#ng the walk. <ot a soul hel* the#r wor* e%cept (or Tomm#e +m#th an* John ,arlos. I
can only #mag#ne the (ury that 5arry E*war*s (elt when he saw all o( h#s har* work go *own the
to#let.
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+m#th an* ,arlos secretly planne* the non=.#olent protest #n memory o( ;r. $art#n
>uther ?#ng Jr who *#e* on )pr#l 7, 19! /#n $emph#s, Tennessee on the 'alcony at the >orra#ne
$otel206.+ <ews1. 5#stor#cally, #n )tlanta, 3eorg#a ;r. ?#ng was known (or h#s non=.#olent
protest as well as h#s /I 5a.e a ;ream +peech2 that he ga.e #n -ash#ngton ;., (#.e years pr#or
to h#s *eath.
The reason (or the protest at the 19! "lymp#cs was to (#ght aga#nst rac#sm #n )mer#ca
an* to show the worl* what )(r#can )mer#cans that l#.e* #n )mer#ca ha* to go through at that
t#me. Then as a result o( *o#ng the 'lack power salute they were thrown o(( the "lymp#c team
an* the#r me*als were str#pe* (rom them 'y the 6.+.".,. The#r act#ons cause* such uproar that
they were 'anne* (rom the "lymp#c .#llage. Th#s showe* the worl* how much (ree*om )(r#can
)mer#cans ha* #n )mer#ca.
The non supporters that l#.e* #n )mer#ca thought that +m#th an* ,arlos act#ons were
m#l#tant an* *#sgrace* )mer#ca. +ome pol#t#cal (#gures ha* some comments to say 'ut a lot o(
people thought that pol#t#cal comments ha* no place #n what was suppose to 'e an apol#t#cal
"lymp#c games. "nce the supporters came out o( h#*#ng they sa#* /supporters were mo.e* an*
they pra#se* +m#th an* ,arlos (or the#r 'ra.ery2 03ett#ngs1.
Bra.ery #s someth#ng they nee* a(ter that 'ecause +m#th an* ,arlos ha* /l#nger#ng
e((ects2 03ett#ngs1 l#ke they were rece#.#ng *eath threats aga#nst the#r (am#l#es an* them. But o(
course none o( #t came to past 'ecause 'oth are now coach#ng track teams at a h#gh school le.el.
The term Black 9ower an* the mean#ng o( the 'lack glo.e0s1 an* the 'lack cloth#ng
or#g#nate* (rom an )(r#can )mer#can 6.+ group that was (oun* #n 19 #n "aklan*, ,al#(orn#a
'y 5uey 9. <ewton an* Bo''y +eale that was name* Black 9anthers.
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Th#s group 'el#e.e* that /.#olent re.olut#ons2 09earson1 was nessecserary means to
make change happen at that t#me. /In the late 190&s party mem'ers 'ecame #n ser#es o( .#olent
con(rontat#ons w#th the pol#ce wh#ch resulte* #n *eaths on 'oth s#*es2 09earson1. ;o not (orget
that *ur#ng th#s t#me )(r#can )mer#cans #n )mer#ca were 'e#ng hose*, ha.#ng *ogs s#cke* on
them, '#t 'y *ogs, ha.#ng the#r houses 'urne* *own, churches ha.#ng cockta#l 'om's thrown at
#t, 'urn#ng up people #ns#*e o( churches an* homes 4ust to name a (ew th#ngs. +o when you hear
a'out )(r#can )mer#cans (#ght#ng 'ack at that t#me #t #s 'ecause they ha* a goo* reason to *o so.
It 4ust was not 4ust )(r#can )mer#cans that these horr#(#c th#ngs were happen#ng to. It
happene* to other ethn#c groups that tr#e* to help )(r#can )mer#cans. In the late /1!90&s to 1987
when the +upreme ,ourt rule* #n (a.or o( Brown #n Brown .s. Boar* o( e*ucat#on2 0sm#th1. @or
e%ample /9eter <orman who #s (rom )ustral#a 0who #s wh#te1 who won secon* place #n the 200m
along w#th +m#th an* ,arlos was part#c#pat#ng #n the protest 'y wear#ng a "95: 'a*ge2
03ett#ngs1. Aery (ew people knew thatB an* e.en (ewer knew that he was as #n.ol.e* w#th
".9.5.: an* the actual protest 4ust as much as +m#th an* ,arlos were.
The Black 9anthers ha* numerous charges (rom shoot=outs w#th the pol#ce an* some
#n*#.#*ual charges (rom #nc#*ents that happene* w#th the pol#ce. But none o( those tr#als
compare* to the charge that (oun*er an* lea*er 5uey 9. <ewton ha* (or /1
st
*egree mur*er,
assault an* k#*napp#ng on "cto'er 1972 09.B.+1. -hen 5uey was #n 4a#l awa#t#ng h#s tr#als he
rece#.e* so much support (rom the 'lack panthers, c#.#l r#ghts lea*ers, an* (rom a range o( ethn#c
groups. That three years later 5uey was (oun*e* not gu#lty an* woul* 'e release* (rom 4a#l. But
when he was release* the people turne* h#m #nto a lea*er almost on the same le.el as they almost
starte* to pract#ce #*olatry. The pro'lem w#th that was when he (a#le*, s#nce he was human, the
Jones 8
people starte* to lose (a#th #n h#m an* then plotte* to k#ll h#m wh#ch later on happene* on )ugust
22, 19!9. 5#s k#ller #s st#ll unknown an* h#s case #s class#(#e* as unsol.e*.
The 19! "lymp#cs was one o( many e.ents that woul* help )(r#can )mer#cans get eCual
r#ghts. E.en though Tomm#e +m#th, John ,arlos, 9eter <orman, an* 5arry E*war*s m#ght not 'e
#n the same category or #n the same 'ook w#th people l#ke $alcolm D, -.E.B ;u'o#s, Bar'ra
Jor*an, 5arr#et Tu'man, or $art#n >uther ?#ng Jr. they helpe* )(r#can )mer#cans get the#r eCual
r#ghts 4ust l#ke the other c#.#l r#ghts lea*ers. @or that they are #mportant h#stor#cal )(r#can
)mer#can @#gures that helpe* us 0)(r#can )mer#cans1 get our eCual r#ghts #n )mer#ca.

Jones
-ork +#te*
+m#th, John ;a.#*. -hen *#* +outhern +egregat#on Beg#nB 020021. 6<, ,harlotte. 7 Jul.2007
EhttpFGG 'e*or*smart#ns.comGus#ngser#esGho.eyGsm#th.htmlH.
9.B.+ we'page. 2002 9u'l#c Broa*cast#ng +er.#ce. 7 Jul. 2007 EhttpFGG p's.orgGhuey p.
<ewtonGact#onsGact#onsI(reehuey.htmlH
3ett#ngs, )n*rew /,#.#l ;#so'e*#ence.2 200. In(oplease. 3 Jul. 2007 httpFGG.#n(oplease.comB
spotGmm=me%#coc#ty.html
9earson, 5.2The +ha*ow o( the 9antherF 5uey <ewton an* The 9r#ce or 9ower #n )mer#ca
/1997 The ,olum'#c Electron#c Encyclope*#a,
th
e*#t#on In(oplease. 3 Jul.2007
EhttpFGGwww.#n(oplease.comGceGh#storyG)0!07798.htmlH.
6.+ <ews +tory 9age. :emem'er#ng the ;ay $art#n >uther ?#ng Jr. ;#e*. 3 )pr. 199! ,a'le
<ews <etwork. 9 Jul. 2007 E httpFGGwww.cnn.comG6+G9!07G03Gk#ng.19!GH
E*war*s, 5arry. /The :e.olt o( the Black )thlete2 <ew Jork @ree 9ress 199F 70=77. ,olum'#a
6 >#'rary. 9 Jul 2007
EhttpFGGwww.'arnar*.colum'#a.e*uGamstu*GresourcesGc#.#lIr#ghtsGe*war*s.htmH. phys#cal