The white man in that photo

October 7, 2015 7:45 AM

The story of Peter Norman, the Australian sprinter and third man in the Black Power salute picture from the 1968 Olympic Games.

“I will stand with you”: finally, an apology to Peter Norman

posted by roomthreeseventeen (14 comments total)

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posted by Etrigan at 7:54 AM on October 7, 2015

That last link ("finally, an apology") is excellent; read it even if you can't access the first.
posted by languagehat at 8:32 AM on October 7, 2015 [4 favorites]

This may be in the first link, and if so, I apologize. But it's a fun piece of trivia. You'll note in the iconic photo, Smith wears a glove on his right hand, while Carlos wears his on his left. They are actually a single pair of gloves. One of the two (I think it was Carlos, but I'm not sure) forgot his pair. The person who suggested they split the pair so that each could wear one glove was Peter Norman.
posted by kevinbelt at 9:13 AM on October 7, 2015 [16 favorites]

Oh man, just the other day, San Antonio Spurs coach Greg Popovich (the guy who hired the first female coach in any professional sport) had his team meet with Tommie Smith, the other guy doing the salute in that photo.
posted by nushustu at 9:16 AM on October 7, 2015 [3 favorites]

Bronze medalist John Carlos was on Democracy Now several years ago and spoke very eloquently about Peter Norman. The interview left a pretty deep impression on me, and I may have linked to it here once before:

Well, you know, I look at it like this. I look at, you know, the beaches of the world. And every grain of sand on these beaches, I think it’s a human life involved. I think that God reached down and picked up a grain of sand, said, "Peter Norman, Tommie Smith and John Carlos." I think out of all the other sand that was down there, no one could have been what Peter Norman was. I don’t think 10 million individuals would have stepped up and had the courage to say, "I’m in support of you, and I’ll show the world that I’m in support of you by wearing this button."

Carlos also described Peter Norman's desire not to be depicted in a statute at San Jose State University:

And I said to him, I said, "Pete, I have a concern, man. What’s this about you don’t want to have your statue there? What, are you backing away from me? Are you ashamed of us?" And he laughed, and he said, "No, John." He said—you know, the deep thing is, he said, "Man, I didn’t do what you guys did." He said, "But I was there in heart and soul to support what you did. I feel it’s only fair that you guys go on and have your statues built there, and I would like to have a blank spot there and have a commemorative plaque stating that I was in that spot. But anyone that comes thereafter from around the world and going to San Jose State that support the movement, what you guys had in ’68, they could stand in my spot and take the picture." And I think that’s the largest thing any man would ever do. And as I said, I don’t think that my co-partner, my co-heart, Tommie Smith, would have done what Peter Norman done in that regards. He was just a tremendous individual.

Norman's empty spot is also used by students to address rallies. I think that's a very profound thing.
posted by compartment at 9:21 AM on October 7, 2015 [97 favorites]

That statue idea is brilliant. Here's a photo, and here it is being used.
posted by benito.strauss at 9:31 AM on October 7, 2015 [6 favorites]

Wow. I had absolutely no idea Norman had been effectively blacklisted for supporting Carlos and Smith that day, nor that the Australian government refrained from issuing an apology for 48 years. Everything about this is stunning, and both the last link in the OP and compartment's comment above have moved me to tears. Great post, thank you.
posted by divined by radio at 9:38 AM on October 7, 2015 [7 favorites]

And it's worth pointing out (and clear from the statute) that Norman finished second in the 200m final.

And he still holds the Austrian record, and he was punished by the Australian Olympic committee and not selected for the 1972 games in Munich despite being ranked 5th in the world.
posted by three blind mice at 9:41 AM on October 7, 2015 [1 favorite]

All three of these men - so brave, so young in their lives.
Whenever I (re)read of these events, the narcissist in me always asks "what would I do if I were them".

Sadly in this particular case, the naive, authority-trusting, 20-year-old me would probably have backed down - to scared to rock the boat, not wanting to anger the patriarchy, truly believing that the institution knew and did what was right.

These guys knew better, and had more courage in their pinkies than I would have been able to muster up with every muscle-fiber in my body.

And I am jealous and saddened by this fact, yet grateful that I'm a little bit smarter and more aware now of how life really is.

But mostly, I feel admiration and awe for all three of these men, and I'm glad each of them are starting to receive the recognition they deserve.
posted by bitteroldman at 9:48 AM on October 7, 2015 [12 favorites]

Boy, if that picture of Smith and Carlos as Norman's pallbearers didn't make you cry, you're harder core than I'll ever be. *sniff*
posted by padraigin at 10:18 AM on October 7, 2015 [10 favorites]

" [...] But anyone that comes thereafter from around the world and going to San Jose State that support the movement, what you guys had in ’68, they could stand in my spot and take the picture."
Compartment: Norman's empty spot is also used by students to address rallies.

This is legitimately one of the coolest things I have ever read.
posted by nogoodverybad at 12:25 PM on October 7, 2015 [6 favorites]

I had no idea. What an amazing individual. His idea for his spot on the statue is so perfect.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:16 PM on October 7, 2015 [3 favorites]

Another part of that story was discussed here previously.
posted by Dip Flash at 8:36 PM on October 7, 2015

Yeah. It's taken me a while to read the article as it was down yesterday, but sincere thanks to both roomthreeseventeen for posting it and compartment for elaborating.

As a kid I remember seeing that photo and thinking that the "white athlete" looked out of place, and wondering what he thought. Finding out he was an active participant in it is great, but even better is the fact that he seems, to me at least, the best kind of ally. Good work Peter Norman, and God rest.
posted by Hartster at 4:34 PM on October 8, 2015 [1 favorite]