Sports Commentary, The Olympics: Politics, Race and Sports 1936-1984

By Dale Brown

BLACK POWER. Americans Tommie Smith (center), John Carlos (right) and Peter Norman (Australia), on the podium during the controversial medal ceremony for the 200 meters at the 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City, Mexico.

-       contributed

NEW YORK, NY. Tuesday, June 16, 2020 - Adolph Hitler, the Chancellor of Germany, took over as supreme leader of the country in 1934. Hitler’s ruling Nazi party’s ideology about the natural superiority of the Aryan race over all other races posed a serious problem to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). 

The international community debated whether or not to boycott the Games.  However, after Avery Brundage representing the USA and the IOC on a visit to Germany, reported receiving assurances from Hitler that the Games would not be used to promote Nazi ideology, the IOC decided not to support a boycott.

Berlin- 1936

The aim of the majority of the participating countries was to simply shatter the philosophy of Aryan superiority over all the other races of humanity.

The USA, motivated by this aim, decided to finally use the full range of talented Black Americans who ironically, were suffering from the full effects of racism in their own country.

Only 6 Black Americans had been selected to compete in the 1932 Games held in Los Angeles, USA.  Now, 4 years later, a total of 18 Black American athletes (16 men, 2 women), were selected to travel to Germany to represent the USA.

They hoped that their performances would help to end the discrimination and the racially motivated violence they endured in the USA. 

Jesse Owens led the way with 3 individual medals and world records (WR) in the 100m, 200m, Long Jump, and a fourth Gold and WR in the 4x100m relay.  One of the 10 medalists, Matthew Robinson, brother of the great Jackie Robinson, won a silver medal in the 200m.

Black Americans won a total of 14 medals but their success did not help them when they returned home. The “Jim Crow” laws kept them segregated and socially and economically discriminated against.

They were not invited to the White House to shake hands with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Their achievements were finally officially recognized by the White House 80 years later in 2016.

London -1948 – Helsinki -1952

Due to the Second World War, the 1940 and 1944 games were canceled. The Games returned in 1948 without Germany and Japan participating because of their roles in the Second World War. The Soviet Union declined the invitation to participate in the 1948 Games held in London, England.

Note, Avery Brundage was elected President of the IOC in 1952. He would serve in that capacity until 1972.

Melbourne -1956

In 1956, China withdrew from the Games because Taiwan was now recognized by the IOC as a country, separate from China.   Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon also withdrew in protest of Israel’s invasion of Syria.

Spain, Switzerland, and the Netherlands decided to withdraw because of the Soviet invasion of Hungary.

Rome -1960

The Cold War and the fight for global preeminence between the USA and the USSR, officially moved into the sporting arena of the Olympic Games when in May of 1960, the USSR shot down an American U–2 reconnaissance plane.

Tokyo -1964

South Africa was banned from the 1964 edition of the Games in Tokyo because of the racial injustice meted out to the blacks in that country and vigorously upheld by their apartheid ideology.

Mexico City -1968

Dr. Harry Edwards is a sociologist who established The Olympic Project for Human Rights, (OPHR) in 1967. Most of the members were Black athletes or community leaders. Racial segregation, apartheid, and any form of racism were targeted by the group. Edwards announced that the 1968 Games would be boycotted by Black athletes unless the following conditions were met;

1. South Africa and Rhodesia were uninvited from the games,                               
2. Restoration of Muhammad Ali’s World Heavyweight Title,                                    
3.  Avery Brundage to step down as President of the IOC,                           
4. The hiring of more Black assistant coaches.

South Africa and Rhodesia were reluctantly uninvited by a pressured Avery Brundage and his committee. However, the other conditions were not met.

Tommie Smith the 200m Gold medalist, and John Carlos the 200m Bronze medalist, used the podium during the playing of the national anthem at the medal ceremony, as a platform for reflecting their anger and frustration at the state of affairs for Black Americans who struggled as they faced racial injustice and police brutality on a daily basis.

Smith and Carlos each raised a black-gloved fist above their bowed heads, truly, an unforgettable moment in American and Olympic history.

The IOC and Avery Brundage had both men removed from the Olympic Village and sent home. They were not invited to be involved in any Olympic related ceremonies until 2016.

Munich- 1972

During the Games, a Palestinian group, Black September, took eleven Israeli Olympic team members hostage and demanded that Israel release over 230 Arab prisoners in exchange. They killed the Israeli athletes in an ensuing shootout at the Munich Airport. A West German police officer was also killed.

Vince Matthews, 400m Gold medalist and Wayne Collett 400m silver medalist, received lifetime bans from the IOC, for their supposedly “abhorrent” actions during the playing of the anthem according to Brundage.

Montreal – 1976

Tanzania led a boycott of 22 African Nations (29 total) after the IOC refused to bar New Zealand, whose national Rugby team had toured apartheid, South Africa, in 1976, despite the United Nation’s call for a sporting embargo.

Moscow – 1980

The USA led a mass boycott of the Moscow Games to protest the USSR’s invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.  In total, 65 nations refused invitations to compete.

Los Angeles -1984

The Soviet Union retaliated by leading 14 Eastern Bloc allies to boycott the Games.

Summary of the Flawed Utopian Values of the Olympics

All countries are supposed to participate in the Olympics without discrimination or political influence. However, it is now a tool for distracting citizens as they can perhaps, for a few weeks, ignore the reality of the problems and atrocities they face on a daily basis.

This review shows that nations have routinely used the Olympics as a platform to showcase their political ideologies and protests without any reservation.  However, if individual athletes dare to use the same platform to highlight their plight in their home country, they will be dealt with in a harsh and unforgiven manner.

Is the Black person simply to be admired for his/her athletic prowess but not for their intellect?

Is there ever a right way or the right time to protest injustice and racial inequality?

One wonders what the Black athletes of the USA and athletes worldwide, would have done if the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan were not postponed due to COVID-19.

Would any of the Black athletes be as militant as Tommie Smith and John Carlos were in 1968?

Your response matters!

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Editor’s note. Dale Brown is a sports historian and host of the total sports show, SECOND BASE, airing on the Wee Radio Network at; www.weeradioonline.com, Tuesdays, 7 – 8 pm.