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| Black Power salute | |
|---|---|
| Name | Black Power salute |
| Caption | Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics |
| Date | 1960s–present |
| Location | United States, Mexico City, United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, global |
| Causes | Civil Rights Movement, Black Power movement, anti-racism activism |
| Methods | Salute, raised fist, podium protest, demonstrations |
Black Power salute The Black Power salute is a raised-fist gesture associated with civil rights movement, Black Power, anti-racism activism and protest across sports, politics, and culture. Originating in mid-20th-century struggles against racial oppression, the salute has been employed by athletes, activists, artists and politicians to signal solidarity with African American communities, global anti-colonial movements and labor struggles. Its deployment spans iconic moments, legal confrontations, cultural productions and contemporary demonstrations.
The raised fist traces antecedents to labor and leftist movements such as the Industrial Workers of the World, Communist Party USA activities and anti-fascist resistance during the Spanish Civil War, while African diasporic political developments like Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association and Malcolm X's advocacy influenced its African American meaning. Symbolism drew on images from the Black Panther Party, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee activists and leaders in the Civil Rights Movement who emphasized self-determination, pride and solidarity with anti-colonial struggles led by figures such as Kwame Nkrumah and Jomo Kenyatta. The gesture also intersected with artistic and literary communities linked to Langston Hughes, James Baldwin and the Black Arts Movement as a visual signifier of resistance against segregation, police violence and structural discrimination.
Early public uses occurred in protests tied to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and local demonstrations in cities like Birmingham, Alabama, Selma, Alabama and Oakland, California. Activists from organizations including NAACP, Congress of Racial Equality, Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee employed raised-fist imagery in brochures, posters and rallies. Internationally, leaders of independence movements such as Paul Robeson and delegations to the United Nations used similar gestures when addressing decolonization and apartheid, connecting American struggles to campaigns in South Africa, Zimbabwe and the British Empire's former colonies.
The most widely recognized episode occurred at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City when sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised gloved fists during the medal ceremony for the 200 metres. Their action referenced athletic organizations and civil rights groups including the Olympic Project for Human Rights and elicited responses from International Olympic Committee officials, United States Olympic Committee members and national governments. The athletes faced expulsion from the Games and received condemnation from political figures such as President Lyndon B. Johnson and editorial outlets, while receiving support from activists like Harry Edwards and intellectuals such as Angela Davis. The episode spurred global debate in media markets from The New York Times to international broadcasters and prompted solidarity protests at venues in London and Paris.
The salute influenced visual culture, music and film, appearing in works by musicians like Nina Simone, James Brown and Public Enemy and in films by directors such as Melvin Van Peebles and Spike Lee. Political movements from the Black Panther Party to community organizations in cities like Chicago and Detroit adopted the raised fist in posters and banners. Labor alliances involving the United Auto Workers and civil liberties litigation by groups like the American Civil Liberties Union amplified debates over free expression and protest in public institutions including universities like Columbia University and Howard University. Cultural institutions including the Smithsonian Institution and theatrical productions at Broadway have examined the gesture's aesthetics and meanings.
Controversies have arisen when institutions invoked rules against political expression, leading to disciplinary actions in schools such as incidents at East High School (Utah) and college campuses like San Diego State University. Governments and sports bodies, including the NCAA and national federations, have at times prohibited or sanctioned displays, triggering litigation and appeals invoking constitutional protections interpreted by courts such as the United States Supreme Court and federal appellate tribunals. Debates over whether gestures constitute protected speech engaged civil libertarians, politicians from the Democratic Party and Republican Party, and international human rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch when protests intersected with state repression in countries like South Africa during apartheid, and during crackdowns in Brazil and Turkey.
The raised fist endures in movements such as Black Lives Matter, solidarity actions with indigenous and migrant rights groups, and protests against police violence in cities from Minneapolis to Cape Town. Contemporary athletes including figures from Colin Kaepernick's protests to international competitors at events like the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games have invoked or adapted the gesture, prompting renewed discussion in legislatures and sports governance bodies like FIFA and the International Olympic Committee. Museums, university archives and commemorations at sites such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture preserve artifacts and oral histories, while scholars at institutions like Harvard University, University of Oxford and University of Cape Town analyze its evolving meanings in books, journals and exhibitions.
Category:Protests Category:Civil rights movement Category:Political symbols