John Carlos leaves bold mark on TMU

By Tristan Forde

“When did you let me go to the games? I qualified for the games,” said John Carlos. “Just like I qualified to do what I felt was necessary.”

Carlos is a retired track athlete for the United States (U.S.) Olympic team, recipient of three honorary doctorates and a spearhead for action and belonging in the Black community. His career was defined during the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, when he and teammate Tommie Smith clenched their fist and pointed to the sky, making the Black power salute while on the podium for the 200-metre dash.

This action would in turn end up removing them from the U.S. Olympic team and banning them from the Olympic Village. It all took place just 10 days before the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., cementing Carlos as a memorable figure of the civil rights movement.

On Feb. 4, the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold Athletics hosted a conference inviting Carlos and other influential speakers from the Black community in Toronto to grasp the motives and understanding behind such an uplifting figure.

“When did you let me go to the games? I qualified for the games”

Before the event kicked off on the eighth floor of the Sheldon & Tracy Levy Student Learning Centre, the room slowly filled with students, visitors from across the city and North America—including some from Manitoba, Texas and beyond. A majority of the TMU Bold varsity teams were also present and clad in their black “Bold, Beautiful & Brilliant” shirts.

“[Carlos’] story left a lasting impact on my team,” said first-year Bold men’s soccer player Noah Pickering. “Everyone should know the challenges that Black athletes and athletes of colour face all the time.”

An enlightening opening act performed by Toronto-based poet and storyteller, Nigel Birch Jr., set the stage for the rest of the afternoon. He recited a poem about being Black, wonderful, smart and standing up for a culture.

“We are beautiful, bold and brilliant,” said Birch Jr. to conclude his poem.
Last year’s event host Mark Stoddart, a Toronto-based designer, returned to the event this year and spoke to those in the audience about being persistent and not giving up. He encouraged the crowd to take a step forward and chase after their goals without letting anyone stop them.

This was exemplified when Stoddart offered the crowd copies of Carlos’ and co-writer Dave Zirin’s book, “The John Carlos Story: The Sports Moment that changed the World.” Numerous hands went up but one woman went a step further, cautiously walking up to the stage to be handed the book by Stoddart.

“With your hands up you have an opportunity to make change,” said Stoddart to the crowd, “You can’t allow those dreams to be stagnant.”

Stoddart partnered with the Bold to create the “Bold, Beautiful & Brilliant” shirts last year, which the teams wear pre-game and on the bench throughout the month of February. For this year’s event, a new shirt was designed to honour Carlos’ legacy and everlasting impact on Black athletes across the world.

The new shirt features multiple added symbols across the front and back, including the Olympic ring colours and a multi-coloured fist on the left sleeve, which itself features a silhouette of Carlos performing the Black power salute.

“As an artist, you try to create things that are impactful in a way that it resonates for people to be curious,” said Stoddart.

After a few words from TMU Chancellor Donette Chin-Loy Chang, Carlos made his way onto the stage, greeted by a standing ovation. To lighten the mood, he started by telling the audience he doesn’t enjoy applause.

“His story is a beacon of light for people affected by racial discrimination. It shows things can get better”

Since the Mexico City Olympics, Carlos has dedicated his time to civil rights activism and humanitarian efforts. He educates many on the importance of inclusion and equality and acts as one of the founding members of the Olympic Project for Human Rights to protest against segregation.

Once Carlos took a seat, he shared his heartfelt story with the audience. The activist detailed his life before the 1968 Olympics and before the moment that immortalized him in history. Sharing the story and experiences of becoming an athlete representing a nation that did not respect him or his people back.

Members of the crowd sat in silence internalizing each and every word that Carlos spoke. Those in attendance could hear the story, relate to his hardships with racism and discrimination but also draw from his perseverance amidst the backlash, punishments and threats directed to him.

“His story is a beacon of light for people affected by racial discrimination. It shows things can get better,” said first-year Bold women’s soccer player Gabrielle Solano.

Despite the sombre nature of the tale of his youth, Carlos spoke with a smile across his face and kept a humorous tone as he shared the story—showing that despite the deprivation, he still pushed forward and isn’t afraid to spread his word to the world.

With much of Black history being rooted in mistreatment, racism and violence, many can get caught in focusing solely on the negative aspects that could tear a community apart, while disregarding the endeavours made by the more vocal members of said community—like Carlos—to rebuild it. For Stoddart, this is an opportunity to express the meaning behind his art.

“Beloved, means keeping hope and faith,” said Stoddart on one of his designs. “I thought that it was important to create the conversation, especially for Black History Month.”

Towards the conclusion of Carlos’ speech, the floor was opened for questions, where those who voiced any would be rewarded with a copy of his book.

As the event came to a close, members of the crowd gave one final applause for Carlos, but laughter emerged as some remembered that he didn’t like applause. The spectators took to conversing with each other and going to line up for pictures with him.

“With your hands up you have an opportunity to make change”

The efforts of TMU Bold marketing director Nuala Byles, combined with various student unions and societies, allowed students and members of the community the opportunity to meet such an esteemed guest. Through support and funding from student groups, the Bold held a dinner for Carlos the night before the event and paid for his hotel and travel.

“We turned the impossible into the possible,” said Byles. “It’s because the students brought them forward, they paid for this and they wanted him here.”

Throughout February, TMU is continuing its efforts to highlight the importance of Black History Month. This includes a walk of fame exhibit outside the courts at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC), a “What does BHM mean to you?” message wall in both the MAC and the Recreation Athletic Centre as well as social media content all throughout the month.

While some who receive the awards and praise of an Olympic athlete, Carlos emphasized a vision for a whole community. To him, the true message behind Black History Month is to embrace the people and heritage around you.

“Don’t think about yourself and your greatness, think about your community because your community made you who you are.”