Race, Culture, and the Revolt of the Black Athlete: The 1968 Olympic Protests and Their Aftermath

There has been so much written about the 1968 Olympics and the Olympic Project for Human Rights movement, but oftentimes from a critical perspective or by not placing it within a broader context of social movements that were gripping the world. Author Douglass Hartmann offers a holistic perspective on the protest through impressive research and interviews, while stripping away the layers of myth which time brings to history. This is an important volume for any reader who wants a complete understanding of this timless moment where sports and politics merged on the ultimate international stage.

This is by far the best book ever written on the topic of the 1968 Olympic protest by the Black athletes from San Jose State . . . Any question I ever had on the events surrounding John Carlos and Tommie Smith's so-called "Black Power" salute on the Olympic dais in Mexico City was found in this book, which speaks from a sociological and historical standpoint. I definitely will be able to use this book not only in my own studies, but in teaching the significant points of the protest to students at SJS. Thanks, Dr. Hartmann!