Two American black athletes, Tommie Smith, and John Carlos, took a stand during the American National Anthem at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico, by raising a black-gloved fist and bowing their heads in a silent protest against racial issues in the U.S, known as the Black Power salute. Find symbols in another source. At the moment, the United States was dealing with civil rights and racial discrimination issues. Tommie Smith and John Carlos took the opportunity to show their thoughts on the issues when they took the stand to accept their gold and bronze medal in the 200-meter dash. Their actions were very audacious, too, because Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were recently assassinated, a sign of violent times at that
