In 1968, [they] were criticized for raising their fists as they received medals at that year’s Summer Olympics—now, they are receiving the U.S. Olympics and Paralympic Committee’s highest honor.
People.com reports that the U.S. Olympic Committee will induct the Tommie Smith and John Carlos into the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame on November 1, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
U.S. Olympic Committee to Induct Athletes Famous for Fist Protest into Hall of Fame https://t.co/ttWdwrI0Rk
— People (@people) September 24, 2019
Carlos, 74, told USA Today after the announcement, “it sends the message that maybe we had to go back in time and make some conscious decisions about whether we were right or wrong,”. “They’ve come to the conclusion that, ‘Hey man, we were wrong. We were off-base in terms of humanity relative to the human rights era.’”
“What I did was right 48 years ago, and 48 years later it has proven to be right,” Carlos told the Telegraph in a 2016 interview. “In 1968, we were on a program for humanity, and we are still on the same program today.”
Carlos and Smith will be inducted along with several other notable athletes, including former WNBA star Lisa Leslie, gymnast Nastia Liukin, beach volleyball player Misty May-Treanor, and speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno, according to the Washington Post.
