smith, tommie

1968 Olympic gold medalist Tommie Smith recounts the events that shaped his life and shares the beliefs that led him to raise a black-gloved fist with his teammate while accepting their medals, creating an iconic representation of the conflicts between race, politics, and sports in the mid-twentieth century.

Junior, a high school senior, is asked by his French teacher to write a biography of a personality who tried to change the world. In light of the death of George Floyd and the numerous anti-racist demonstrations that followed around the world, he chooses to tell the life of Tommie Smith, an African-American athlete who distinguished himself by his raised fist at the 1968 Olympic Games--Adapted from back cover.

"A groundbreaking and timely graphic memoir from one of the most iconic figures in American sports--and a tribute to his fight for civil rights. On October 16, 1968, during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner in the 200-meter sprint, and John Carlos, the bronze medal winner, stood on the podium in black socks and raised their black-gloved fists to protest racial injustice inflicted upon African Americans. Both men were forced to leave the Olympics, received death threats, and faced ostracism and continuing economic hardships. In his first-ever memoir for young readers, Tommie Smith looks back on his childhood growing up in rural Texas through to his stellar athletic career, culminating in his historic victory and Olympic podium protest. Cowritten with Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Honor recipient Derrick Barnes and illustrated with bold and muscular artwork from Emmy Award-winning illustrator Dawud Anyabwile, Victory. Stand! paints a stirring portrait of an iconic moment in Olympic history that still resonates today"--Provided by the publisher.

"A groundbreaking and timely graphic memoir from one of the most iconic figures in American sports--and a tribute to his fight for civil rights. On October 16, 1968, during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner in the 200-meter sprint, and John Carlos, the bronze medal winner, stood on the podium in black socks and raised their black-gloved fists to protest racial injustice inflicted upon African Americans. Both men were forced to leave the Olympics, received death threats, and faced ostracism and continuing economic hardships. In his first-ever memoir for young readers, Tommie Smith looks back on his childhood growing up in rural Texas through to his stellar athletic career, culminating in his historic victory and Olympic podium protest"-- Provided by publisher.

Featuring a timely foreword from a survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, a illustrated picture book introduces young readers to some of America's most influential protestors, from Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King, Jr. to Rosa Parks and John Lennon.