The Olympics, Part 2

Hello again! The Summer Olympics 2012 are almost over. Can you believe it?? 

Given the recent historical event in Women's Gymnastics, the second of my posts about the Olympics is going to be about African-Americans in Olympic history. 

This is Gabrielle "Gabby" Douglas. She is 16 years old and is the first woman of color to win the all-around gold medal. She is also the first American to win both the team all-around gold (U.S. Women) and the individual title at the same Olympics. 

The photo below was taken at the 1968 Summer Olympics just 44 years earlier.

The photo is of Tommie Smith (top), Peter Norman (left) and John Carlos (right). In the 1960s the United States was very divided by skin color (racial segregation). During the Civil Rights Movement, African-Americans fought to end this division. 

These three men took the first (1st), second (2nd) and third (3rd) places of the 200m race in Mexico City. They used their time on the podium to protest the violation of human rights. Their raised fists are a symbol of the Black Power Movement. They believed their cause was not just an African-American issue but a human issue. Norman was neither black nor American but he supported their cause by wearing a badge from the "Olympic Project for Human Rights." 

All three men were punished for their actions. They remained friends throughout their lives. African-Americans have won many of the rights for which they fought forty years ago.  While there is still work to be done to end more subtle forms of racial inequality, it is beautiful to see Gabby Douglas celebrated today.