What were the names of the two athletes who raised their fists in the Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympic games, and in which city did this occur?

The iconic Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City involved American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos. Smith, who won the gold medal in the 200-meter race, and Carlos, who earned the bronze, raised their black-gloved fists during the playing of the U.S. national anthem at their medal ceremony on October 16, 1968. This powerful gesture was a silent protest against racial discrimination and social injustice faced by African Americans in the United States.

Their demonstration went beyond just the raised fists. Both athletes stood shoeless, wearing only black socks, to symbolize black poverty. Smith also wore a black scarf to represent Black pride, while Carlos wore a beaded necklace as a tribute to those who had been lynched or killed and forgotten. Australian silver medalist Peter Norman, who stood alongside them on the podium, showed his solidarity by wearing an Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR) badge, an organization formed to protest racism in sports and society.

The 1968 Olympics took place amidst a turbulent period of civil rights struggles in the United States, following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. earlier that year. Smith and Carlos's protest, though met with immediate controversy, expulsion from the Olympic Village, and death threats, became one of the most overtly political statements in Olympic history. Their actions brought international attention to racial inequality and solidified their place as enduring symbols of athlete activism and the fight for human rights.