1968 Olympics (oct 12, 1968 – oct 27, 1968)

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In 1968, the Olympics were held in Mexico
Some African Americans called for a boycott of the Olympics by black athletes, but most athletes wanted their chance to perform on a world stage
Some found another way of protesting - Tommie Smith and John Carlos won the gold and bronze medals in the 200 meter sprint
During the US National Anthem, at the medal ceremony, they gave the Black Power salute of a clenched fist
They also wore socks without shoes to highlight the poverty of African Americans
As they left the stadium, they were shouted at by Americans in the crowd and were criticised by many in the media and even received death threats
They were also banned from future Olympics, however their protest inspired many young black Americans to join Black Power groups and, as it was seen by millions of people, it brought the Black Power movement worldwide attention

Black Power worried moderate African American civil rights supporters and it terrified many white Americans
Some people blamed Black Power for the race riots whilst others held the movement responsible for the increase in police actions against all civil rights activists
However, the movement also had a positive impact on many African Americans - it continued the work of Malcom X and led to more African Americans taking pride in their culture and heritage
This helped raise the self-confidence and belief of many young black people and also inspired many projects aiming to improve living conditions
Black Power’s focus on the economic and social problems of African Americans brought increased awareness of these issues and influenced the campaigners and focus of the civil rights movement after 1965

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