Sports World Reflects on 50th Anniversary of Mexico City Olympic Protest

This week marked the 50th anniversary of the famous raised-fist protest against racism by Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Olympics. Though it wasn’t the first time in history that athletics and activism intertwined, the silent protest, heard around the world, by Dr. John Carlos, Tommie Smith and Peter Norman is among the most iconic, enduring, and galvanizing.

The stand for justice that those three sprinters made that famous day has turned into a multigenerational marathon of change that stretches back to Jackie Robinson, and into the present with athletes like Aly Raisman and Colin Kaepernick.

Yesterday, Beyond Sport was present as some of the biggest names in the sport and social change world gathered to discuss the theme “Athlete Activism + Social Justice: Taking Action for Our Youth” at the LA84 Foundation Summit in Los Angeles commemorating the landmark moment. Featured speakers include Sal Masekela (emcee), Tony Dungy, Mike Tirico, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Greg Louganis, Jordyn Wieber, Metta World Peace, Cari Champion, Paul George, and Chris Borland.

“There is a long and storied tradition of athlete activists working to benefit young people,” said Renata Simril, President & CEO of the LA84 Foundation. “At our Summit, generations of change makers will come together to talk about what works, and how to build a better future for all our kids.” Simril a powerful advocate for sport’s role is social change is a longtime supporter of Beyond Sport, most recently attending the Beyond Innovation event held in partnership with the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara.  

The summit took place just a few miles down the road from the site of the 2028 Olympic Ceremony, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.