John Carlos, Ph. D. Oral History Interview

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

The oral history consists of nine digital files: 2011.174.103.1a, 2011.174.103.1b, 2011.174.103.1c, 2011.174.103.1d, 2011.174.103.1e, 2011.174.103.1f, 2011.174.103.1g, 2011.174.103.1h, 2011.174.103.1i. John Carlos, Ph. D. discusses his childhood in Harlem, New York, the changes that he saw in Harlem with the widespread use of heroin and the splintering of families, and describes the disparities in education for black children when he was growing up. He remembers the influence of black leaders including Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Carlos was recruited to run track at East Texas State University, where he experienced racial discrimination and was treated poorly by his coach. He explains his protest at the 1968 Olympics, including the symbols that he and Tommie Smith employed to protest racial discrimination, and he describes the emotional impact that the protest had on him. LOC ID: afc2010039_crhp0103.

Catalog date

August 18, 2013

Recorded places

New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America; Harlem, New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America; Mexico City, Mexico, Latin America, North and Central America

Recorded subjects

African American; Activism; American South; Athletes; Black power; Children; Civil Rights; Education

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