1968 Olympian Dr. John Carlos on the Legacy of the Black Athletic Revolt

1968 Olympian Dr. John Carlos on the Legacy of the Black Athletic Revolt

On this episode of The Edge of Sports, Dr. John Carlos joins the show to reflect.

Dave Zirin
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Edge of Sports: 1968 Olympian Dr. John Carlos on the Legacy of the Black Athletic Revolt
byThe Nation Magazine

The year 1968 was a time of rebellion across the US and the wider world. Tremendous demonstrations and rebellions shook American cities in opposition to the Vietnam War, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., and the arrest of Huey P. Newton, co-founder of the Black Panther Party. Amidst this tumult, two athletes, John Carlos, and Tommie Smith, captured the spirit of the times by raising their fists at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics after placing first and third in the 200-meter dash. 45 years later, Dr. John Carlos is still with us—but many of his contemporaries have passed on. Dr. John Carlos joins Edge of Sports for a look back on the lives of Jimmy Hines, Ralph Boston, Herb Douglas, Harry Belafonte, Tina Turner, and Jim Brown.

Elsewhere in this episode of Edge of Sports, Dr. Maria Veri, co-author of Gridiron Gourmet: Gender and Food at the Football Tailgate, joins to discuss the gender politics of tailgating culture. Dave Zirin also dives into the recently leaked details of a Professional Golfers' Association merger with the Saudi Arabian LIV Golf tour.

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The year 1968 was a time of rebellion across the US and the wider world. Tremendous demonstrations and rebellions shook American cities in opposition to the Vietnam War, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., and the arrest of Black Panther Party cofounder, Huey P. Newton. Amid this tumult, two athletes, John Carlos, and Tommie Smith, captured the spirit of the times by raising their fists at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics after placing first and third in the 200-meter dash.

45 years later, Dr. John Carlos is still with us—but many of his contemporaries have passed on. Dr. John Carlos joins Edge of Sports for a look back on the lives of Jimmy Hines, Ralph Boston, Herb Douglas, Harry Belafonte, Tina Turner, and Jim Brown.

Elsewhere in this episode of Edge of Sports, Dr. Maria Veri, coauthor of Gridiron Gourmet: Gender and Food at the Football Tailgate, is here to discuss the gender politics of tailgating culture. We also dive into the recently leaked details of a Professional Golfers’ Association merger with the Saudi Arabian LIV Golf tour.

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The Editors

The Nation

Dave ZirinDave Zirin is the sports editor at The Nation. He is the author of 11 books on the politics of sports. He is also the coproducer and writer of the new documentary Behind the Shield: The Power and Politics of the NFL.


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