Fifty years have passed since Dr. Tommie C. Smith, 200-meter sprint gold medalist, and bronze medalist John Carlos stood atop the medal podium at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico and gave the Black Power salute.
That moment sent a ripple effect through the entire world, and ultimately changed Smith’s life forever. The latest exhibition at the High Museum of Art titled “With Drawn Arms: Glenn Kaino and Tommie Smith” expands the dialogue around the meaning behind that 90-second protest by opening it up for reinterpretation to a new generation. The exhibit opened Saturday, and it’s the first time Smith, a resident of Stone Mountain, has told his side of the story.
And now, like then, he feels a sense of responsibility.
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