forty years ago, another olympics

In a famous gesture John Carlos and Tommie Smith raised their fists at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. They wanted to draw attention to human rights and poverty. They were harshly punished.

Carlos and Smith were students at San Jose State University at the time, and in recent years the student union at the university has worked hard to get a statue put up. It was unveiled in 2005. The ceremony was the first time Carlos and Smith had been honored for what they did.

In a creative move silver medalist Australian Peter Norman is left out to make room for visitors.

It's been 40 years, but the image and the act are still powerful.

Here is what the New York Times writes on Aug. 23, 2008.

Peter Norman's nephew, Matt Norman, has made a documentary called Salute. Here is the trailer: