October 16, 1968, | John Wesley Carlos and Tommie Smith
John Carlos and Tommie Smith created political controversy at the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games. While receiving their medals on the Olympic podium, Carlos and Smith raised the “Black Power Salute” while wearing no shoes to symbolize poverty in Black America.
![By Angelo Cozzi (Mondadori Publishers) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons John Carlos, Tommie Smith, Peter Norman 1968cr](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/John_Carlos%2C_Tommie_Smith%2C_Peter_Norman_1968cr.jpg)
Peter Norman (Silver Medalist), John Carlos (Gold Medalist) and Tommie Smith(Bronze Medalist) On The Medals Podium During The 1968 Mexico City Summer Olympics.