Actions speak louder than words...

tribute
Originally uploaded by GeishaMermaid.

In 1968 Tommie Smith (gold) and John Carlos (bronze) stood on the Olympic podium in Mexico City and saluted the world with a raised fist in support of human rights. It is reported that he is not a black panther and their gestures where not ones of hate, but a silent stand for justice, tolerance and equality for man.

They both removed shoes and wore black socks to represent black poverty. The string of beads around Carlos’s neck commemorates the blacks who have been lynched. Carlos’s jacket is unzipped to represent "shift workers, blue-collar people, and the underdogs. Those are the people whose contributions to society are so important but don't get recognized." OPHR (Olympic Project for Human Rights) badges where worn by all three athletes. It was Peter Norman (silver) who suggested Smith share his other black glove with Carlos (he forgot his pair) which is why they are saluting with opposite arms.

Upon returning to the states both men were stripped of their medals and expelled from Olympic Village. Their punishment did not end with them, the families of these men continued to feel the repercussions of this event for years to come. Such are the sacrifices brave individuals make in an effort to bring about change.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Carlos-Smith.jpg

Happy belated birthday to a man who not only gave my birthday a holiday, but whom also inspires me to achieve greatness in even the smallest of acts.

Martin Luther King Jr. January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968