When Politics and Athletics Collide

Guest: Professor Douglas Hartmann, University of Minnesota Sociology Department Chair

50 years ago, U.S. Olympic sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists in a gesture of support for the Black Power Movement during the medals presentation at the Summer Games in Mexico City. University of Minnesota Sociology Department Chair and Professor Douglas Hartmann draws parallels between the 1968 Olympics protest and the current controversy surrounding athletes who kneel during the National Anthem. He's written a book titled Race, Culture, and the Revolt of the Black Athlete: The 1968 Olympic Protests and Their Aftermath.