[81alum]

He could have stood during the anthem and raised his fist in a black glove.  I wonder if people would have found that more acceptable.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Olymp...wer_salute

Tommie Smith and John Carlos are now revered as heroes at SJSU for the highly controversial stand they took for civil rights in 1968.  We just celebrated them as civil rights leaders a few weeks ago, when they returned to campus with Harry Edwards, to kick off the restoration of the SJSU "Speed City" track program.  We now have statues of Tommie and John in the center of campus.  Harry Edwards, by the way--one of Bill Walsh's good friends--appeared with Colin yesterday before practice to talk with him, and Colin calls him a good friend and advisor.  Edwards is still a Forty Niner's consultant originally hired by Walsh,  but what you may not know is that he was also an advisor to Tommie Smith and John Carlos in 1968.  So I certainly see a common lineage to Colin's protest.

Now, if anyone is old enough to remember the reaction of the public to what Tommie and John did during the national anthem in Mexico City--they were hated by almost all of white America.  The venom that was spilled out against them at the time was far stronger than what I have seen so far for Colin.  And now they are heroes to many.

Then again, the country does feel more and more like 1968 in many ways to me.

[81alum]

He could have stood during the anthem and raised his fist in a black glove.  I wonder if people would have found that more acceptable.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Olymp...wer_salute

Tommie Smith and John Carlos are now revered as heroes at SJSU for the highly controversial stand they took for civil rights in 1968.  We just celebrated them as civil rights leaders a few weeks ago, when they returned to campus with Harry Edwards, to kick off the restoration of the SJSU "Speed City" track program.  We now have statues of Tommie and John in the center of campus.  Harry Edwards, by the way--one of Bill Walsh's good friends--appeared with Colin yesterday before practice to talk with him, and Colin calls him a good friend and advisor.  Edwards is still a Forty Niner's consultant originally hired by Walsh,  but what you may not know is that he was also an advisor to Tommie Smith and John Carlos in 1968.  So I certainly see a common lineage to Colin's protest.

Now, if anyone is old enough to remember the reaction of the public to what Tommie and John did during the national anthem in Mexico City--they were hated by almost all of white America.  The venom that was spilled out against them at the time was far stronger than what I have seen so far for Colin.  And now they are heroes to many.

Then again, the country does feel more and more like 1968 in many ways to me.