There are few, if any, more iconic sports photos in the 20th century than that of Tommie Smith and John Carlos giving the Black Power salute at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968 The two wore black gloves and socks (a protest against racism), no shoes (a protest against poverty), and beads (a protest against lynching).
As he came off the podium to boos, Smith said, "If I win, I am American, not a black American. But if I did something bad, then they would say I am a Negro. We are black and we are proud of being black.