While many might think he opposed the demonstration by not participating, he was silently protesting by wearing an “OPHR” or “Olympic Project for Human Rights” badge on his track suit. 4 years ago. Another aspect of the photo that not many people talk about is the third man on the podium, Australian runner Peter Norman. Athletes have sometimes used a clenched-fist gesture as a political statement.While raised fists have frequently appeared in the Black Lives Matter movement, it isn't the only symbol used.24/7 coverage of breaking news and live eventsHere's a closer look at the gesture.Defenders of the West Point cadets have said the women were celebrating their impending graduation, not trying to make a political statement.Sometimes a fist raised in the air is simply a fist raised in the air, even when political figures use the gesture.He did say the cadets showed "a lapse of awareness in how symbols and gestures can be misinterpreted and cause division. The raised Black Power fist is absolutely a racist gesture. " -- A national debate about race and proper military behavior broke out this week after sixteen African-American West Point cadets posed with raised fists for a pre-graduation picture.In one iconic image, American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists during a medal ceremony at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games. In the 1960s and 1970s, black nationalist groups in the United States and elsewhere often used a dark-skinned clenched fist gesture or image as a …
A Class Project for AMST 384: Myth and History and American Memory, UNC at Chapel HillClearly, the context in which the clenched fist is seen can be wildly variable. A black fist logo was also adopted by the northern soul music subculture. Sometimes used as a symbol of resistance or defiance. The memory of the fist as a symbol of black power is forgotten by white nationalist groups or individuals who exhibit blatant disregard for the welfare of black lives.
A fist raised in the air that may be used as a celebratory gesture: the fist pump.Can also be used to represent zero items, due to a lack of any fingers being held up.. During many of the protests, demonstrators raise their fists. Sometimes a fist raised in the air is simply a fist raised in the air, even when political figures use the gesture. It’s also interesting to see how the fist’s meaning can be twisted around depending on who uses it – for example, the fist raised by the Black Panthers means something so different from Trump’s fist. It can also be incorporated into the larger idea of the uniform of the BPP because so many members would have their fists in the air while in uniform. And while Tommy Smith and John Carlos were received with open arms by the black community when they returned home, Norman’s career pretty much ended because he decided to stand up for what he thought was right.It’s amazing how the fist has been used in both the particular–black power–and the universal, as a sign of resistance against oppressors. All of this uncertainty surrounding the current meaning and ramifications of what was once known as the “Black Power fist” beg the question: for a gesture that supposedly means so many things, does it really mean anything at all?https://www.si.com/nfl/2016/09/12/colin-kaepernick-national-anthem-protest-rams-fists-air-49ershttp://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/1018.html#articlehttp://www.danwynn.com/blog/2016/12/3/gloria-steinem-and-dorothy-pitman-hughes-1971I love that you began this post with a discussion of the 1968 Olympics.
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