»John Carlos Bust

- John Carlos

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Critical Essay by
Matt Parlow
Executive Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer
Parker S. Kennedy Chair in Law
View Bio

John Carlos is a civil rights hero and a former United States Olympian and professional American football player. He was born on June 5, 1945, in the Bronx and was raised in Harlem, New York. In 1967, Carlos began his college career at East Texas State University (now Texas A&M-Commerce). There, he ran the 200-meter dash and was a member of the 4x400-meter relay. That year, Carlos led his team to the Lone Star Conference Championship.  In 1968, he transferred to San Jose State University, where he was coached by National Track & Field Hall of Fame coach Lloyd (Bud) Winter. 

At San Jose State University, Carlos helped establish the Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR) with sociologist Harry Edwards, fellow San Jose State track and field teammate Tommie Smith, and many other African American athletes. The organization sought to advocate for civil and human rights for Black people in the United States, South Africa, and other parts of the world. The OPHR also protested racism in sports with a focus on the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. In particular, the group—including Carlos—proposed a boycott by Black athletes of the 1968 Olympics. While the boycott did not materialize, several Olympic athletes conducted individual protests to raise awareness for civil and human rights.

At the 1968 Olympic Trials, Carlos beat Tommie Smith in the 200-meter finals with a time of 19.92 seconds, breaking Smith’s world record by 0.3 seconds. Carlos’s feat was never recorded, however, because the spike formation on his shoes were out of compliance. At the Olympic Games, Carlos won the bronze medal behind Smith—who won the gold medal—and Australian Peter Norman, who won silver. At the medal award ceremony, Carlos and Smith made history by protesting human rights injustices on the podium. Carlos and Smith wore black socks and no shoes on the podium to represent African American poverty in the United States. In addition, Carlos and Smith raised their black-gloved fists in the air while they were on the podium. The picture of the two athletes protesting on the podium is one of the most iconic images of racial protest in all of sports history. In response, the International Olympic Committee suspended Carlos and Smith from the United States Track and Field team and banned them from the Olympic Village. Carlos and Smith also endured death threats and other abuse because of their protest that day.

In 1969, Carlos led San Jose State University’s track and field team to its first NCAA championship. After college, Carlos was drafted by the National Football League’s Philadelphia Eagles but injured his knee during tryouts. He did play football professionally for one year with the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes. Carlos later worked for the United States Olympic Committee, including serving on the organizing committee of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. 

Carlos has spent his career advocating for racial justice and human rights. For his work and advocacy, Carlos has received numerous honors, recognitions, and awards. He was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame, San Jose State University Hall of Fame, Texas A&M-Commerce Hall of Fame, and the NAACP Legacy Hall of Fame. Carlos was also the recipient of the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. Carlos received the Presidential Medal from Chapman University in 2019, and was the keynote speaker for the 40^th Night of Champions and Hall of Fame event for Chapman Athletics in 2023. 

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