--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He took a stance as a man, and the…" description: "\"He took a stance as a man, and the greatest thing about Peter Norman is when you sit back and think about Tommie Smith and John Carlos here in America,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aec/john-carlos-16923_america_he-took-a-stance-as-a-man-and-the-greate_2199696.jpg" --- # He took a stance as a man, and the greatest thing about… ![“He took a stance as a man, and the greatest thing about Peter Norman is when you sit back and think about Tommie Smith and John Carlos here in America, they could go beat up on Tommie Smith and get tired of beating up on him and go to the other side of town and find John Carlos and beat up on him…” quote by John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aec/john-carlos-16923_america_he-took-a-stance-as-a-man-and-the-greate_2199696.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aec/john-carlos-16923_america_he-took-a-stance-as-a-man-and-the-greate_2199696.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aec/john-carlos-16923_america_he-took-a-stance-as-a-man-and-the-greate_2199696.jpg) > “He took a stance as a man, and the greatest thing about Peter Norman is when you sit back and think about Tommie Smith and John Carlos here in America, they could go beat up on Tommie Smith and get tired of beating up on him and go to the other side of town and find John Carlos and beat up on him, but when Peter Norman left and went to Australia, there was no switch-off on Peter.” [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Peter Norman supported Tommie Smith and John Carlos, showing solidarity despite racial tensions. **In simple terms:** Norman stood with the protestors, showing unity. Key Takeaway Support allies in injustice. Themes solidarity justice racial equality Mood reflective determined Type historical inspirational When to use this quote - Olympic protest - racial discrimination - public support Key Concepts civil rights activism sports politics Questions to Reflect On - How can allies move beyond symbolism? - What actions can you take to support marginalized voices? A Different Perspective Norman’s support was limited to symbolic gestures, not systemic change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Australia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/australia/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wrestling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrestling/) ## Related quotes > [ \[Peter Norman\] was a man of principle and pride, had a strong moral character. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/peter-norman-was-a-man-of-principle-and-pride-had-a-strong-moral/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [I think Peter Norman recuperated in the sense that people who knew who Peter Norman was, he built his character around the legacy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/i-think-peter-norman-recuperated-in-the-sense-that-people-who-knew/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [ \[Peter Norman\]was born and raised under the auspices of his mom and dad being involved in the Salvation Army. He believed in humanity. At… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/peter-norman-was-born-and-raised-under-the-auspices-of-his-mom-and/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [I'm sure there was people in Australia that told Peter Norman that hey, man, you shouldn't have done what you did, you shouldn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/i-m-sure-there-was-people-in-australia-that-told-peter-norman-that/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [ Peter \[Norman\] never vacated from himself as to who he was. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/peter-norman-never-vacated-from-himself-as-to-who-he-was/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [Peter Norman's a man's man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/peter-norman-s-a-man-s-man/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [Peter Norman is a humanitarian, and I say "is" because in my life, Peter Norman is never deceased. He's always going to live with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/peter-norman-is-a-humanitarian-and-i-say-is-because-in-my-life-peter/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [I think society had to grow up to the mentality of Peter Norman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/i-think-society-had-to-grow-up-to-the-mentality-of-peter-norman/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [“You don’t understand,” he said. “Yes I do.” “No you don’t. I don’t want to beat Peter.” “Then what do you want?” “I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/you-don-t-understand-he-said-yes-i-do-no-you-don-t-i-don-t-want-to/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [You want to beat Peter?" she asked "No," he answered "Beat the buggers. Then come home and see who notices Peter Wiggen anymore. Look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/you-want-to-beat-peter-she-asked-no-he-answered-beat-the-buggers-then/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [In my case, when I am trying to be "kind" I often default in a sort of toothless loving-all stance that is, actually, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/in-my-case-when-i-am-trying-to-be-kind-i-often-default-in-a-sort-of/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [What we prefer to do is operate our investment bank in a way that is like what investment banks used to be, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-stephens/what-we-prefer-to-do-is-operate-our-investment-bank-in-a-way-that-is/) [Warren Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-stephens/) > [Azerbaijan unleashed the war, and was defeated in that war; Azerbaijan asked for truce (including from the Commander of Karabakh's forces) and later started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serzh-sargsyan/azerbaijan-unleashed-the-war-and-was-defeated-in-that-war-azerbaijan/) [Serzh Sargsyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serzh-sargsyan/) > [There seems to be a kind of order in the universe…in the movement of the stars and the turning of the Earth and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/there-seems-to-be-a-kind-of-order-in-the-universe-in-the-movement-of/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [Pitchers pitch differently. Hitters, hardly anyone has the same stance. That's just how it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-zimmerman/pitchers-pitch-differently-hitters-hardly-anyone-has-the-same-stance/) [Ryan Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-zimmerman/) ## More by John Carlos > [ \[Sport officials\] blocked their support of us. But those individuals \[ Muhammad Ali, the Jim Browns, the Bill Russells, Kareem Abdul Jabbar \] were… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/sport-officials-blocked-their-support-of-us-but-those-individuals/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [The beginning don't matter. The end don't matter. All that matters is what you do in between...the greatest reward is to know that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/the-beginning-don-t-matter-the-end-don-t-matter-all-that-matters-is/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [ The black socks \[on me at Olympics in 1968\] emphasized the fact that we had so many Blacks and people of color here in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/the-black-socks-on-me-at-olympics-in-1968-emphasized-the-fact-that-we/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [I'm not too proud to do any job to support my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/i-m-not-too-proud-to-do-any-job-to-support-my-family/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [My kids going to school and teachers denying my kids the grades that they should have once they found out that I was their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/my-kids-going-to-school-and-teachers-denying-my-kids-the-grades-that/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [I think it's something that we said collectively, in terms of the fact that we was getting ready to face probably the biggest storms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/i-think-it-s-something-that-we-said-collectively-in-terms-of-the-fact/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [If you look at the Olympic Games as a whole, if we would say we didn't want to interject politics into the games, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/if-you-look-at-the-olympic-games-as-a-whole-if-we-would-say-we-didn-t/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [I think society had to grow up to the mentality of Peter Norman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/i-think-society-had-to-grow-up-to-the-mentality-of-peter-norman/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [I was a pallbearer. I felt, when I got the call that Peter had died, I didn't have any bank account, but I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/i-was-a-pallbearer-i-felt-when-i-got-the-call-that-peter-had-died-i/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [ It took some time for us to realize that \[people\] didn't particularly say they didn't like us or have the love for us that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/it-took-some-time-for-us-to-realize-that-people-didn-t-particularly/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [Peter Norman is a humanitarian, and I say "is" because in my life, Peter Norman is never deceased. He's always going to live with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/peter-norman-is-a-humanitarian-and-i-say-is-because-in-my-life-peter/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [Peter Norman's a man's man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/peter-norman-s-a-man-s-man/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [In life, there's the beginning and the end. The beginning don't matter. The end don't matter. All that matters is what you do in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/in-life-there-s-the-beginning-and-the-end-the-beginning-don-t-matter/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [ The beads around my neck \[at Olympics in 1968\] indicated that there were so many Blacks throughout the history of this country that have… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/the-beads-around-my-neck-at-olympics-in-1968-indicated-that-there/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [ Peter \[Norman\] never vacated from himself as to who he was. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/peter-norman-never-vacated-from-himself-as-to-who-he-was/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) [Explore all 38 John Carlos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He took a stance as a man, and the greatest thing about Peter Norman is when you sit back and think about Tommie Smith and John Carlos here in America, they could go beat up on Tommie Smith and get tired of beating up on him and go to the other side of town and find John Carlos and beat up on him, but when Peter Norman left and went to Australia, there was no switch-off on Peter.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Carlos" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/he-took-a-stance-as-a-man-and-the-greatest-thing-about-peter-norman/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/he-took-a-stance-as-a-man-and-the-greatest-thing-about-peter-norman/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aec/john-carlos-16923_america_he-took-a-stance-as-a-man-and-the-greate_2199696.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aec/john-carlos-16923_america_he-took-a-stance-as-a-man-and-the-greate_2199696.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aec/john-carlos-16923_america_he-took-a-stance-as-a-man-and-the-greate_2199696.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He took a stance as a man, and the greatest thing about Peter Norman is when you sit back and think about…” — John Carlos", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Carlos", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "He took a stance as a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/he-took-a-stance-as-a-man-and-the-greatest-thing-about-peter-norman/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/he-took-a-stance-as-a-man-and-the-greatest-thing-about-peter-norman/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```