Last October, Harry Edwards introduced a future already hidden in the present. Women, the noted sociologist predicted proudly, would lead the next wave of athlete activism.
He articulated his theory during a San Jose State program honoring John Carlos and Tommie Smith on the golden anniversary of their 1968 Olympic protest. As the organizer of the Olympic Project for Human Rights that inspired Carlos and Smith, Edwards has an intimate understanding of the power and history of social movements in sports. In American athletics, he will take you through four waves of activism, dating back to Jack Johnson becoming the first black heavyweight boxing champion at the turn of the 20th century and struggling in his fight against racist Jim Crow laws.