VICTORY. STAND!

“We had to be seen because we were not being heard.”

Gold medalist Smith teams up with award-winning creators Barnes and Anyabwile to vividly share the freedom dreams that inspired his iconic protest at the 1968 Olympics. Born in Texas to sharecropping parents, Smith and his large family followed the Great Migration that sent thousands of Black families out of the Deep South. Landing in California, he navigated racist misconceptions from peers and authority figures alike. Arriving at San Jose State at the height of the civil rights movement, Smith met like-minded friends who balanced athletic excellence with a commitment to justice. After achieving gold and bronze, respectively, in the 200-meter sprint, Smith and John Carlos arrived at the podium prepared to make a global statement protesting racial injustice. During the playing of the U.S. national anthem, they raised black-gloved fists in support of impassioned ideals that emerged from the Black student–led Olympic Project for Human Rights. Smith navigated post-Olympics professional repercussions and remained committed to his principled stance; decades later, reverence for his protest would return in the form of honors and awards, yet the struggle to upend racial injustice continues. The black-and-white illustrations’ realism echoes the visual influences of the Black Power period. Art and text present an unflinching look at the physical and verbal racist violence of the time. This evocative undertaking extends histories of 20th-century Black struggles for new generations, reminding us to continue to be brave, courageous, and organize for change.

Authentic and inspiring.