The Olympic human rights salute
We can see here Olympic Gold Medalist Tommie Smith and Bronze Medalist John Carlos showing the raised fist on the podium. Each raised a black-gloved fist during the U.S. national anthem during the ’68 Olympics. It was meant to be a protest for racial equality. Nowadays, we view this as one of the most important political statements ever made in modern Olympic history. But at the time, the act was heavily criticized by many Americans. The medalists and their families were even subjected to abuse and death threats back home.