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The white guy in the iconic 1968 photo of two black USA Olympians w/ raised fists

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A

A More Normal Bird

Unconfirmed Member
Just wanted to point out that the Australian athletic community and sports organisations aren't "Australia". While I've no doubt Norman was treated terribly for his actions, there seems to be some disputed points in the article. He wasn't immediately expelled from the Olympic team like the two US runners were, he wasn't part of the 1972 sprinters squad because there wasn't one (though perhaps this is because he was the best prospect?), he was involved in parts of the 2000 Olympics ceremonies etc... That said, this amounts to him not being treated as poorly as the article makes out, but being treated poorly nonetheless; he should have been celebrated. I will add that on top of his treatment by the sporting establishment, another reason for his relative obscurity in Australia may be due to the fact that despite taking place on a global stage, the protest is more often considered an aspect of the struggle for civil rights in the USA.

grumble said:
I wasn't as fully aware that Australia has such a legacy of discrimination, hatred and bigotry. While South Africa gets reviled Australia got off relatively scot free.
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Not to be too blunt, but it's a predominantly white former British colony. What were you expecting? That said, the article's comparison to South Africa is superficial. Australia got off as "scot free" for racism as the US, UK, Canada, etc... all of which (including Australia) were critics of apartheid.

Mr_Moogle said:
Racism is still a huge issue all over Australia, but it seems to be worse on the east coast and in Queensland. There are more racists in QLD then the rest of the country combined.

I'd like to think it's still better here than over in the US though. We will probably never be rid of racists but at least it isn't government sponsored (anymore) and unlike the US, our police force don't go around murdering black Australians.
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Indigenous deaths in custody is a national shame. The difference between Australia and America in this regard is that there is less firearm violence overall and there isn't a disadvantaged minority making up around 15% of the population.
 
M

m3k

Member
Australian guy... not very well known here, although there is a giant mural of this scene in the neighbourhood where i grew up
 
K

keuja

Member
What gets me is that he never went back on his words and stood firm for people he had no relationship with and who lived on the other side of the planet while being ostracized by his very own countrymen his whole life.This guy is a true hero.
Also Australia, are you freaking kidding me?!
 
F

FreedomFighter

Member
Always-honest said:
Yeah great story.
He had quite the shitty life because of his actions (because the world is fucked up) but not one regret.

Them dudes carried his coffin.
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More impressive is that he didn't cave. He never betrayed his morals despite the hardship and, I'm sure, the massive pressure to do so. That takes a lot of strength.

This guy is a hero.
 
T

The Shadow Knight

Member
sqwarlock said:
Unrelated, but is there a way to hide the awful recommend articles sidebar on that site? Clickbait and stock photos kind of take away from the message a bit.
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On the page hit F12 and enter the following in the console:

Code: 
$(".right_content").style.display = "none"

Then hit enter.

On topic: This was a great read, thanks for sharing OP.
 
D

Dan

No longer boycotting the Wolfenstein franchise
BowieZ said:
According to Wikipedia the Australian Olympic Committee refutes a few of these allegations, and were a little puzzled by the 2012 apology.

He was apparently never banned from 1972 or 2000.
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The Wikipedia page for the awards ceremony itself says 1972 was the first, and only, Olympics that Australia strangely decided to send a whopping zero male sprinters, which I think presents their claim a third place finish in one race made him lose his chance to someone else a little strange.

Also, the guy the AOC had criticizing the parliament over the then-potential apology sounds like a bitter, racist idiot (CNN):
Asked whether, aside from the apology, the AOC would support Norman's recognition for his achievements on the track, Tancred evoked another great and arguably better-known Australian Olympian, distance runner Herb Elliott.

"There's people like Herb Elliot who won gold medals in 1960. We're not acknowledging Herb Elliot... so why do we have to acknowledge that Peter Norman might hold a 200-meter record? There are lots of champions out there who have done equally as well or better than Peter Norman."

Tancred also said that the debate in Federal Parliament was "irrelevant" given the progress made in civil rights since the 1968 Games.

"The politicians from both sides need to look and check on who is the American President, at present. He's black. And I think the whole world has moved on since 1968. So on that score, really, their debate is irrelevant," he said.
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B

BowieZ

Banned
Dan said:
The Wikipedia page for the awards ceremony itself says 1972 was the first, and only, Olympics that Australia strangely decided to send a whopping zero male sprinters, which I think presents their claim a third place finish in one race made him lose his chance to someone else a little strange.

Also, the guy the AOC had criticizing the parliament over the then-potential apology sounds like a bitter, racist idiot (CNN):
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Thanks for responding. I read the references but I'm still confused over the debacle surrounding the '72 games... it seems like there's little to no information about the absence, apart from the fact that there was one: I'm not sure in and of itself it proves anything. I mean, why not just ban him? If they completely avoided any entry into that event (including the first and second place getters) to avoid hurting his feelings, that's very uncool, but it definitely doesn't speak of this "terrible treatment" by 'Australia' in this thread etc. I'd like to get more info about that scenario for sure.

The 2000 non-invite however seems pretty misleading.
 
Charles Brandon

Charles Brandon

Member
Gentleman Jack said:
That's...quite the leap from a man standing silently while something goes on behind him with another country's national anthem playing as the context.

Great story all the same, I never knew the guy became an outcast back home. Damn shame.
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yeah I don't get that. Why would you assume anything about him? What has England got to do with it?
 
F

Fuu

Formerly Alaluef (not Aladuf)
Good read. A picture more often than not does need a "thousand words" to tell the full story.
 
K

Klyka

Banned
Why does the article call the two Americans the "two fastest men in the world" if the Australian was second place?
 
G

Gattsu25

Banned
Fantastic read.

His treatment upon his return home is disheartening. That he was STILL ostracized even in the fucking year of 2000 is shocking.

Thanks for sharing, OP.
 
A

Angelus Errare

Banned
hie said:
Really? I'm guessing you are not American. This is a massively iconic moment for the American Civil Rights Movement and quite well known, obviously.
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Iconic for African Americans sure, but honestly if you showed this to 100+ I feel like vast majority of them wouldn't know the photo. Sure many of them will be able to guess based on context but my faith in my fellow Americans is at an all time low.
 
A

Always-honest

Banned
FreedomFighter said:
More impressive is that he didn't cave. He never betrayed his morals despite the hardship and, I'm sure, the massive pressure to do so. That takes a lot of strength.

This guy is a hero.
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Jeah, he just never regretted a thing. He knew what he believed to be the right thing.
Amazing man. Just like the other two men.
 
T

thelastcrusader

Banned
Angelus Errare said:
Iconic for African Americans sure, but honestly if you showed this to 100+ I feel like vast majority of them wouldn't know the photo. Sure many of them will be able to guess based on context but my faith in my fellow Americans is at an all time low.
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Americano and had never seen this. I follow zero things about sports and the olympics. Never cared and never will but I do like this picture's story.
 
B

Bishop89

Member
hie said:
Really? I'm guessing you are not American. This is a massively iconic moment for the American Civil Rights Movement and quite well known, obviously.
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Never seen it before, but I'm not American.

And yeh back then Australia was at its peak with racism.

We still obviously have racism but the majority is kept in private, at least in Melbourne. Each Nationality like to keep to themselves, less so if you were raised here.

But yeh 60s-80s was a shit time to be anything but white.
 
A

aygomyownroad

Member
Very good read thank you OP.

Never realised all he had done, and how shunned he was when he returned from the Olympics.

As one poster said the statue needs updated. I completely agree, he may have been white but this story shows him for his true colours, human.

Also I am British and I know all about that photo. I just didn't know about his side of the story
 
P

PaulloDEC

Member
Amazing story. I feel bad for not knowing anything about the man before today, but then I guess that lack of awareness is kind of the point.

I hope this story leads to the message getting out a little more. We should all wish to be as strong when faced with the easy thing or the right thing in our daily lives as Peter Norman was.
 
M

mantidor

Member
Klyka said:
Why does the article call the two Americans the "two fastest men in the world" if the Australian was second place?
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Because its not well written. However its emotional story is compelling and people tend to ignore consistency with those.

I do have to agree though that this guy was remarkable regardless.
 
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