The Paris Olympic Games are in full swing, and while the difference in time zone hinders binge-watching on TV, I do check the ABC Olympic update each morning and try to catch the highlights replay each day. There has been some compelling viewing if you are a sports fan, including the emergence of some new Olympic heroes, the 14 year old skateboarder, Arisa Trew, amongst them. But I want to take you back almost 56 years to the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City to recall the story of another Australian Olympic hero.
On 16th October 1968, black American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos finished first and third in the 200 m sprint. Australia’s Peter Norman took the silver medal in 20.06 seconds – a time that still stands as the National and Oceania record.
On the podium, Smith and Carlos famously and controversially raised their black-gloved fists in the Black Power salute to protest racial inequality. Norman stood beside them, motionless, but showing his support by wearing an Olympic Project for Human Rights badge alongside his silver medal.
The protest became one of the most indelible sporting moments of the 20th century, and Norman’s brave stand in solidarity is remembered as one of Australia’s most iconic sporting moments with a special place in Olympic history.
Said Norman, “I think most Australians would favour what I did. At least I hope they do. I believe in civil rights. Every man is born equal and should be treated as humans. I thought this was a good chance to have a white man on their side.” But that was not the universal attitude at the time! Smith and Carlos were sent home from Mexico in disgrace by the US Olympic Committee, while Norman also suffered a backlash for his role in the Black Power salute. When Norman returned to Australia following the 1968 Olympics, he faced intense criticism from the media and the public (sport and politics don’t mix, they said). He was also ostracised by the Australian Olympic Committee, who decided not to send him to the 1972 Munich Olympics, even though he had met the qualifying time on numerous occasions.
Indeed, while Peter Norman has long been celebrated in the US for his contribution to civil rights, Australia has only belatedly made efforts to remember his achievements in athletics and affirm his contribution to racial equality. After his death in 2006, USA Track and Field proclaimed October 9, the date of his funeral, as Peter Norman Day. But it was not until 2012 that the Australian parliament issued an official apology to Norman, and until April 2018 that the Australian Olympic Committee posthumously awarded Norman its Order of Merit. Finally, on 9th October 2019, a statue commemorating Norman’s action was unveiled outside Lakeside Stadium in Albert Park, Melbourne.
This is one of the inspirational stories of Australian sport and stands as a reminder of the importance of holding firm to our values, taking a stand for the cause of justice, and lending our voices in solidarity with those who are oppressed or treated unfairly, even if it appears that no-one is listening. This year, the conjunction of the Olympic Games with the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (August 9) makes the story of Peter Norman and the call to just action even more pertinent.
It’s a good time for us to ask how we might stand in solidarity with Australia’s indigenous peoples as they continue to strive for Voice, Treaty and Truth (the themes of the Uluru Statement from the Heart). Why not check out the websites of ANTAR and Common Grace for resources and action steps.
David Brooker
9th August 2024
[Material from www.worldathletics.org was referenced in this article.]
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