1968 was a turbulent year. Riots and protests were daily events covered in the media with a continuous 24-hour a day news cycle. Veterans were coming home bitter about the U.S. conduct in the Vietnam War and protesting along with the hippies and draft-dodgers. Even Walter Kronkite, ”America’s Most Trusted Man”, stated on the nightly news that the war was unwinnable. General Westmoreland told President Johnson that he just needed more troops.
Along with pot, free love, and long hair came the Civil Rights Movement. Black people were seeing no meaningful progress towards equal rights and were protesting. Some Black leaders, like Martin Luther King, believed that constant non-violent pressure would eventually succeed. Others, like the Black Panther Party, saw the need for violent action.
The Summer Olympics in Mexico City reflected the larger world. Black athletes felt they had a statement to make, and in winning and making statements afterwards with the respect garnered by their Olympic victories, they could advance their cause.
John Carlos and Tommie Smith, tall, slim Black American athletes, were the two fastest men in the world. As they took their positions for the 200 meter dash, it was only a question of which man would be first and which man would be second. When the race was over, something incredible had happened. A White guy was standing on the podium with the silver medal around his neck. He barely missed winning the gold. His time of 20.06 seconds in 1968, still stands today, 57 years later, as the Australian national record.
When the Star Spangled Banner played, John Carlos and Tommie Smith each raised a fist with a black glove…The Black Power salute, …and the iconic photo was taken. Peter Norman stood at attention facing forward, wearing the Olympic Project for Human Rights patch on his left chest. Peter was a sincere believer in human rights. He had grown up in Australia during the “White Australia” policy. Non-whites were second class and treated as such. That policy was not finally laid to rest till 1973.
Upon arrival back in Australia, Peter was shunned. The government, the Australian Olympic committee, and the public at large wanted nothing more to do with Peter Norman. He was excluded from any further Olympic competition. He had endorsed human rights for all at a time when Australia had no interest in human rights for non-whites.
Peter Norman died of a heart attack on 3 October, 2006. When the news was broadcast, John Carlos and Tommie Smith caught the next flight to Australia. On that day in 1968, Peter Norman could not have imagined that his two Black friends would be pallbearers at his funeral.
On 11 October, 2012, the Australian Government issued a public apology to Peter’s family for the way he was treated. Today there stands a statue in Albert Park in Peter’s hometown of Melbourne. It is the statue of a loan athlete, standing tall, looking straight ahead. Looking maybe to the future. Peter is wearing the Olympic Human Rights Patch on his left chest.
Author: Staff
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