1968 Olympic warm-up suit jacket worn by Tommie Smith

Wilson Sporting Goods Co., American, founded 1914 · 1968

The raised fists of John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics remains one of the most enduring symbols of resistance in American history. On October 16, 1968, after winning the gold medal for the 200-meter sprint, Tommie Smith wore this jacket on the podium alongside silver and bronze medalists Australian Peter Norman and John Carlos. Norman wore a badge for the Olympic Project for Human Rights in support of Smith and Carlos as they staged one of the most iconic and important protests against racial discrimination. Shoeless, each with a black glove on one hand, the Olympic medalists faced the American flag and raised their gloved fists in a salute symbolizing power and unity. Their black socks stressed the poverty plaguing Black America, and their bowed heads represented their prayers for Black Americans. The silent protest was an expression of solidarity with oppressed peoples around the globe.