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Read for a Lifetime 2023-2024 List: Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice

Illinois Center for the Book Reading Program

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About the Book

208 Pages

Oct. 16,1968, during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner in the  200-meter sprint, and John Carlos, the bronze medal winner, stood on the podium in black socks and raised their blackgloved fists to protest racial injustice inflicted upon African Americans. Both men were forced to leave the Olympics, received death threats, and faced ostracism and continuing economic hardships. In his first-ever memoir for young readers, Tommie Smith looks back on his childhood growing up in rural Texas through to his stellar athletic career, culminating in his historic victory and Olympic podium protest. 

About the Author