America Quote by John Carlos
![“Let's start with the black glove. We felt it necessary being the fact that the Olympic Games, for the first time ever [in 1968], had been televised worldwide. The second thing is the fact that it was in Technicolor. Never had the games been shown in color before.We wanted it to be understood that…” quote by John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e2b/john-carlos-16923_america_let-s-start-with-the-black-glove-we-felt_1125177.jpg)
“Let's start with the black glove. We felt it necessary being the fact that the Olympic Games, for the first time ever [in 1968], had been televised worldwide. The second thing is the fact that it was in Technicolor. Never had the games been shown in color before.We wanted it to be understood that we were representing America, but we were representing Black America in particular, so that's why we put the black glove on.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Olympic Protest, 1968 Mexico City, 1968
The black glove symbolized Black America’s presence and pride on a global stage, challenging dominant narratives.
In simple terms: Glove showed Black America’s pride.
Key Takeaway
Use symbols to convey powerful messages.
Themes
activism
identity
visibility
media
Mood
determined
defiant
Type
political
motivational
When to use this quote
- sports
- civil rights movements
- public demonstrations
Key Concepts
Symbolic protest
racial representation
Questions to Reflect On
- What symbols can you use to amplify your cause?
- How might audiences misread your message?
A Different Perspective
Symbolic gestures can be misinterpreted or co-opted.
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![“The black socks [on me at Olympics in 1968] emphasized the fact that we had so many Blacks and people of color here in the United States, the greatest country in the world, that was running around in poverty every day, so we wanted to illustrate the fact that these individuals did not have shoes…” quote by John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d36/john-carlos-16923_black_the-black-socks-on-me-at-olympics-in-196_221018.jpg)
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![“I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. [salutes]” quote by Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3d2/bill-hicks-970_america_i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumor_655.jpg)
