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The Olympic Project for Human Rights
The Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR) was a group created by sports sociologist Harry Edwards. The goal of the organization was to protest racism not only in sports but society. Notable protests and boycotts of the time are from the workings of this group. A notable moment in history happened during the 1968 Olympic medal ceremony, African American sprinters John Carlos and Tommie Smith raised their arms in a black-power salute and silent protest (Zirin,).

Background
Founded on the 23 of November 1967, The Olympic Project for Human Rights was sparked by the 1960's civil rights movement. Mainly influenced by Malcolm X, the group was named The Olympic Project for Human rights instead of civil rights because they questioned the context of the American constitution structure on issues of human rights (Zirin,).

Boycotts and Protests
The OPHR conducted many successful protests against racism. Roughly 200 athletes and supporters gathered in a Los Angeles Second Baptist Church and voted to boycott the games (Hartmann,). Before the 1968 Olympic games in Mexico City OPHR protested South Africa's participation in world games for their racist apartheid system and boycotted at the New York Athletic Club meet a couple of months before Olympics (Spivey,). The possibility of an all-black boycott leading up to the Olympics grew press coverage and outrage across the country. Ultimately the boycott at the 1968 Mexico Olympics did not receive enough support from African American Olympians to fulfill and see this plan through (Hartmann,).

Black Power
Tommie Smith and John Carlos were a part of the Olympic Project for Human rights and competed in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Smith ended up winning gold in the 200-meter dash with Carlos winning bronze (Lum,). The two men silently protested by bowing their heads and each raising a black-gloved fist in the air during the playing of the National Anthem (Buehrer,). These powerful actions were in response to International Olympic Committee President Avery Brundage's support of apartheid South Africa and Rhodesia, Brundage's and the IOC's history of racism and anti-Semitism, as well as a show of solidarity with victims of human rights abuses around the world (Buehrer,). This act during the awards ceremony was carefully planned by the group: which encompassed world-class athletes and activists. The protest causes them to be suspended from the US Track and Field Team (Buehrer,). Medalists Tommie Smith, John Carlos, and silver medalists from Australia stood in unity wearing Olympic Project for Human Rights buttons (Hartmann,). But the protest caused them to be suspended from the US Track and Field Team (Buehrer,). More recently Smith recounted the meaning behind their actions and what they symbolized. His right fist raised stood for "power in black America." Carlos' raised left hand represented "the unity of black America." When put together they symbolized "an arch of unity and power." The black scarf around Smiths' neck showed "black pride" while the black socks with no shoes stood for black poverty in racist America." All together this historic moment showed their efforts in taking back "black dignity" (Hartmann,).

Work Cited
Buehrer, Jack. "Olympics Black Power Heroes are Still Waiting for an Apology: After Tommie Smith and John Carlos Raised their Fists in Silent Protest, Sports Legend Brent Musburger Wrote a Hateful Screed Comparing them to Nazis. it's Time for Him to Say 'Sorry.'."ProQuest, Aug 04, 2016, https://eznvcc.vccs.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/blogs-podcasts-websites/olympics-black-power-heroes-are-still-waiting/docview/1818442423/se-2.

Hartmann, Douglas. “The Politics of Race and Sport: Resistance and Domination in the 1968 	African American Olympic Protest Movement.” Ethnic & Racial Studies, vol. 19, no. 3, 	July 1996, pp. 548–66. EBSCOhost, 	https://doiorg.eznvcc.vccs.edu/10.1080/01419870.1996.9993924.

Lum, Lydia. "When Sports and Politics Collide." Diverse Issues in Higher Education, vol. 25, no. 13, Aug 07, 2008, pp. 13-14. ProQuest, https://eznvcc.vccs.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/magazines/when-sports-politics-collide/docview/194191473/se-2.

Spivey, Donald. "Not the Triumph but the Struggle: The 1968 Olympics and the Making of the Black Athlete." The Journal of American History, vol. 90, no. 4, 2004, pp. 1540-1541. ProQuest, https://eznvcc.vccs.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/not-triumph-struggle-1968-olympics-making-black/docview/224889225/se-2.

Zirin, Dave. "More than A Game." Sojourners Magazine, vol. 38, no. 8, 08, 2009, pp. 22-23. ProQuest, https://eznvcc.vccs.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/magazines/more-than-game/docview/212821820/se-2.