Victory Salute (statue)

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Victory Salute
Victory Salute (statue)
Artist Rigo 23
Year2005
Mediumfiberglass and ceramic
Subject Tommie Smith and John Carlos
Dimensions6.7 m(22 ft)
Location San Jose, California, United States
Coordinates 37°20′7.8″N121°52′57.2″W / 37.335500°N 121.882556°W / 37.335500; -121.882556
Owner San Jose State University

Victory Salute, commonly referred to as the Olympic Black Power Statue, is a monument depicting the 1968 Olympics Black Power salute performed by African-American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos. The monument consists of two fiberglass statues covered in ceramic tiles, atop a concrete base designed to emulate the Olympic podium. It was created in 2005 by Portuguese artist Rigo 23 and is installed next to Tower Hall on the San José State University campus, in San Jose, California, United States.

Contents

History

The photo recreated by Victory Salute John Carlos, Tommie Smith, Peter Norman 1968cr.jpg
The photo recreated by Victory Salute

In 1968, as members of San Jose State's Speed City era of athletics, Tommie Smith and John Carlos competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. After earning gold and bronze medals respectively, the duo raised a Black Power salute while "The Star-Spangled Banner" played, which became one of the most defining acts of protest of the civil rights movement. [1] [2] [3] Despite disapproval of the protest among the general public, San Jose State University President Robert D. Clark expressed his support of the act. [4]

In Winter 2002, San Jose State student Erik Grotz initiated a project to honor Smith and Carlos at their alma mater; "One of my professors [Cobie Harris] [5] [6] was talking about unsung heroes and he mentioned Tommie Smith and John Carlos. He said these men had done a courageous thing to advance civil rights, and, yet, they had never been honored by their own school". [7] Grotz worked with Department of Art Chair, Dr. Robert Milnes to create a mock-up to pitch to the University's Associated Students board, who approved the project on December 11, 2002, and began fundraising. [8]

The Associated Students raised over $300,000 for the project [9] [5] and initially intended the statue to be placed next to the now former location of the Scheller House [10] on the Paseo de San Carlos. [11] However, the project was moved to be on the lawn adjacent to the Tower Hall and the Robert D. Clark Hall in order to be in a more central location on campus and to honor President Clark's support of the protest. [12] On October 16, 2003, the 35th anniversary of the protest, Portuguese artist Rigo 23 was announced as the sculptor for the project. [8]

Victory Salute was assembled in early October 2005, [13] and was unveiled to the public on October 17, 2005, drawing hundreds in attendance. A panel discussion was held featuring Smith and Carlos, as well as silver-medalist Peter Norman, fellow Speed City era sprinter Lee Evans, and head coach Payton Jordan. [14] Additional speeches were given by vice-mayor of San Jose Cindy Chavez, San Jose State President Don W. Kassing, and actor Delroy Lindo, followed by honorary doctorate degrees awarded to Smith and Carlos. [15] [16] The statue was unveiled during a performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner", mirroring the original protest. [15]

In January 2007, History San Jose opened a new exhibit called Speed City: From Civil Rights to Black Power, covering the San Jose State athletic program. The exhibit focused on the San Jose State athletic program, highlighting how many student athletes from the Speed city program gained global recognition during Civil Rights and Black Power movements. [17]

In 2008, after critics argued that Victory Salute did not give unfamiliar onlookers the appropriate historical context, a plaque was added in front of the statue. [18] [19] The plaque reads:

At the México City 1968 Olympic Games,
San José State University Student-Athletes
Tommie Smith and John Carlos
Stood for
Justice, Dignity, Equality, and Peace.

Hereby the University and Associated Students
Commemorate their Legacy.

16 October 2005.

In 2022, San Jose State students and faculty embedded Victory Salute into their Public Art as Resistance project. [20] [21] [22]

Design

Victory Salute was Rigo 23's first-ever sculpture, but he wanted the statue to be a "labor of love". In order to correctly sculpt the musculature, he took 3D full-body scans of Smith and Carlos. [12] Rigo 23's signature is on the back of Smith's shoe, and the year 2005 is on Carlos's shoe. [23]

The statues' faces were rendered realistically and with emphasis placed on the emotion of the athletes. They were constructed from fiberglass over steel supports and covered with ceramic tiles, their track pants and jackets form a mosaic of dark blue ceramic tiles, with red and white detailing on the stripes of the track suits. [24]

Peter Norman asked to be excluded from the monument, so that visitors could participate by standing in his place, and feeling what he felt. [25] [26] Norman said, "Anybody can get up there and stand up for something they believe in. I guess that just about says it all". [27] [5] There is a plaque in the empty spot which reads "Fellow Athlete Australian Peter Norman Stood Here in Solidarity; Take a Stand". [18]

Use as protest space

Due to Victory Salute depicting an act of protest during the civil rights movement, as well as its proximity to San Jose City Hall (less than 0.3 miles away), the statue and its surrounding lawn have been focal points for protests in San Jose. [18]

2020 Black Lives Matter protests

On June 5, 2020, after the murder of George Floyd and the ensuing Black Lives Matter protests, a protest was held at Victory Salute with protestors raising their fists, mirroring the 1968 protest. [28] On September 1 of that year, San Jose State student athletes organized a protest which started with the athletes giving speeches given at Victory Salute, followed by a march to the City Hall. [29]

2024 pro-Palestine protests and encampment

The 2024 pro-Palestine encampment surrounding Victory Salute Pro-Palestine Protest at SJSU.jpg
The 2024 pro-Palestine encampment surrounding Victory Salute

On October 12, 2023, after the Hamas-led attack on Israel and subsequent Israel–Hamas war, the San Jose State chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine organized a protest consisting of speeches given at Victory Salute, followed by a march around the campus. [30]

In April 2024, following the campus occupation at Columbia University, student protestors began demanding that San Jose State divest from Israel over its alleged genocide of Palestinians. The university's Associated Students board unanimously adopted a measure to boycott Silicon Valley companies involved in pro-Israeli activity on April 24. [31]

Protests continued on campus, [32] when on May 13, an encampment was established on the lawn around Victory Salute. [33] [34] One of the encampment's demands was the firing of history professor Johnathan Roth after a physical altercation between himself and a pro-Palestine protestor in February 2024. [35] [36] On May 14, the University communicated with the protestors about their demands but asserted that the encampment had to be disbanded before finals began on May 15. [37] [38] Additionally, the University released a statement cosigned by Tommie Smith, John Carlos, activist Harry Edwards, and activist Ken Noel which expressed disapproval of the encampment around Victory Salute. [39] Rigo 23 released a statement supporting the encampment and gave a speech at the encampment. [39]

On May 21, the protestors met with University President Cynthia Teniente-Matson and Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Mari Fuentes-Martin to discuss the protestors' demands. Teniente-Matson suggested the creation of a student advisory council composed of students from Middle Eastern student organizations that would work with faculty to address concerns about university partnerships with Israel. Following these talks, the encampment was dismantled on May 23. [40]

See also

Related Research Articles

The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad and officially branded as Mexico 1968, were an international multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 October 1968 in Mexico City, Mexico. These were the first Olympic Games to be staged in Latin America, the first to be staged in a Spanish-speaking country, and the first to be staged in the Global South. Consequently, these games also marked the first time that there would be a gap of two Olympic Games not to be held in Europe. They were also the first Games to use an all-weather (smooth) track for track and field events instead of the traditional cinder track, as well as the first example of the Olympics exclusively using electronic timekeeping equipment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Jose State University</span> Public university in San Jose, California, U.S.

San José State University is a public university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) system. The university, alongside the University of California, Los Angeles has academic origins in the historic normal school known as the California State Normal School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommie Smith</span> American track and field athlete (born 1944)

Tommie C. Smith is an American former track and field athlete and wide receiver in the American Football League. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Smith, aged 24, won the 200-meter sprint finals and gold medal in 19.83 seconds – the first time the 20-second barrier was broken officially. His Black Power salute with John Carlos atop the medal podium caused controversy, as it was seen as politicizing the Olympic Games. It remains a symbolic moment in the history of the Black Power movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Evans (sprinter)</span> American track and field athlete (1947–2021)

Lee Edward Evans was an American sprinter. He won two gold medals in the 1968 Summer Olympics, setting world records in the 400 meters and the 4 × 400 meters relay, both of which stood for 20 and 24 years respectively. Evans co-founded the Olympic Project for Human Rights and was part of the athlete's boycott and the Black Power movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raised fist</span> Symbol of solidarity and support

The raised fist, or the clenched fist, is a long-standing image of mixed meaning, often a symbol of solidarity, especially with a political movement. It is a common symbol representing a wide range of political ideologies, most notably socialism, communism, anarchism, and trade unionism, and can also be used as a salute expressing unity, strength, or resistance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Carlos</span> American track and field athlete

John Wesley Carlos is an American former track and field athlete and professional football player. He was the bronze-medal winner in the 200 meters at the 1968 Summer Olympics, where he displayed the Black Power salute on the podium with Tommie Smith. He went on to tie the world record in the 100-yard dash and beat the 200 meters world record. After his track career, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Canadian Football League but retired due to injury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Norman</span> Australian sprinter (1942–2006)

Peter George Norman was an Australian track athlete. He won the silver medal in the 200 metres at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, with a time of 20.06 seconds, which remains the Oceania 200 m record. He was a five-time national 200-metre champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1968 Olympics Black Power salute</span> Protest during 1968 Olympic Games

During their medal ceremony in the Olympic Stadium in Mexico City on October 16, 1968, two African-American athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, each raised a black-gloved fist during the playing of the US national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner". While on the podium, Smith and Carlos, who had won gold and bronze medals respectively in the 200-meter running event of the 1968 Summer Olympics, turned to face the US flag and then kept their hands raised until the anthem had finished. In addition, Smith, Carlos, and Australian silver medalist Peter Norman all wore human-rights badges on their jackets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rigo 23</span>

Rigo 23 is a Portuguese-born American muralist, painter, and political artist. He is known in the San Francisco community for having painted a number of large, graphic "sign" murals including: One Tree next to the U.S. Route 101 on-ramp at 10th and Bryant Street, Innercity Home on a large public housing structure, Sky/Ground on a tall abandoned building at 3rd and Mission Street, and Extinct over a Shell gas station. He resides in San Francisco, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Edwards (sociologist)</span> American sociologist and civil rights activist

Harry Thomas Edwards is an American sociologist and civil rights activist. After working as an assistant professor of sociology at San Jose State College, he completed his Ph.D. at Cornell University and is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. Edwards' career has focused on the experiences of African-American athletes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Jose State Spartans</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of San Jose State University

The San Jose State Spartans are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent San José State University. SJSU sports teams compete in the Mountain West Conference at the NCAA Division I level, with football competing in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert D. Clark</span>

Robert Donald Clark was an educator and university administrator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olympic Project for Human Rights</span> Former civil rights organization

The Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR) was an American organization established by sociologist Harry Edwards and multiple Black American athletes, including noted Olympic sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, on October 7, 1967. The purpose of the group was to advocate for civil rights and human rights for Black people in the United States and abroad, along with protesting racism in sport in general. The OPHR proposed a complete Black athlete boycott of the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City to achieve its goals. While the OPHR advocated for a boycott backed by all Black Americans, the group did not actively include women in its discussions and in the end was mostly composed of track and field athletes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Jose State Spartans football</span> Football team of San Jose State University

The San Jose State Spartans football team represents San José State University in NCAA Division I FBS college football as a member of the Mountain West Conference. Since its first regular season in 1898, the team has produced over 90 All-America team members, won 18 conference championships, and sent 139 players to the NFL, including Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Bill Walsh and Dick Vermeil. The Spartans head coach is Ken Niumatalolo.

Lloyd C. Winter, better known as Bud Winter was an American track and field coach who is regarded as one of the greatest sprint coaches in the world. Over a 29-year coaching career (1941–1970) at the then San Jose State College, he produced 102 All-Americans, 27 who went on to become Olympians.

Omon Fitzgerald Hill is a former American football player and coach and college administrator. Hill served as the head football coach at San Jose State University from 2001 to 2004, compiling a record of 14–33. He was the president of Arkansas Baptist College from 2006 to 2016.

The 2004 San Jose State Spartans football team represented San Jose State University in the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team played their home games at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, California. They participated as members of the Western Athletic Conference. They were coached by head coach Fitz Hill, who resigned after the end of the season to become a "Visiting Scholar" position at the University of Central Florida’s DeVos Sports Business Management Program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 San Jose State Spartans football team</span> American college football season

The 2013 San Jose State Spartans football team represented San José State University in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Spartans were led by first year head coach Ron Caragher and played their home games at Spartan Stadium. The Spartans were first-year members of the Mountain West Conference in the West Division. They finished the season 6–6, 5-3 in Mountain West play to finish in a tie for third place in the West Division. Despite being bowl eligible, the Spartans were not invited to a bowl game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Lipton</span> Former professional tennis player and sociologist

Scott Myers-Lipton was a former professional tennis player in the early 1980s, and sociologist at San José State University for 24 years, where he focused on teaching students about democracy and power by launching and working on campaigns to change policy.

References

  1. ↑ "1968: Black athletes make silent protest" (PDF). SJSU. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 18, 2008. Retrieved November 9, 2008.
  2. ↑ "1968: Black athletes make silent protest". BBC. October 17, 1968. Archived from the original on July 23, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2008.
  3. ↑ Slot, Owen (October 19, 2024). "America finally honours rebels as clenched fist becomes salute". The Times . ISSN   0140-0460. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  4. ↑ Asimov, Nanette. "Robert Clark -- former San Jose State president". San Francisco Chronicle . Archived from the original on March 23, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Carlos, John; Zirin, Dave (2011). The John Carlos Story. Haymarket Books. pp. 168–169. ISBN   9781608462247.
  6. ↑ "Dr. Cobie Archer Harris (Kwasi) | NCOBPS, Inc" . Retrieved 2024-06-04.
  7. ↑ Dickey, Glenn (May 27, 2005). "Overdue honor: SJS pays tribute to Smith, Carlos". SFGate . Archived from the original on May 28, 2024. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  8. 1 2 Barbassa, Juliana (May 14, 2003). "San Jose State Students Want Statue". Midland Daily News . Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  9. ↑ Pellissier, Hank (August 29, 2010). "Black Power Statue". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Historic Scheller House at San Jose State being moved". The Mercury News . January 9, 2019. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  11. ↑ Yuen, Kevin (October 18, 2004). "Carlos and Smith visit King Library, discuss SJSU athletics, '68 Olympics". Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications). 123 (34): 1, 3. Archived from the original on April 8, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  12. 1 2 Biela, Sara. "Beyond Bronze". sjsunews.com. Archived from the original on June 20, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  13. ↑ White, Kevin; Liu, Ben (October 6, 2005). "Tommie Stands Tall". Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications). 125 (24). Archived from the original on April 8, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  14. ↑ Beitpolous, Ilbra (October 18, 2005). "Panel revisits '68 Olympics". Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications). 125 (30): 1. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  15. 1 2 Beacham, Greg (October 18, 2005). "Statue honors stand at 1968 Olympics". East Bay Times . Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  16. ↑ Cheeto, Barrera (October 18, 2005). "'Fists of Freedom' Raised over SJSU". Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications). 125 (30): 1, 4. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Speed City: From Civil Rights to Black Power". History San José. July 28, 2005. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved November 9, 2008.
  18. 1 2 3 Marinelli, Kevin (June 20, 2016). "Placing second: Empathic unsettlement as a vehicle of consubstantiality at the Silent Gesture statue of Tommie Smith and John Carlos". Memory Studies . 10 (4): 440–458. doi:10.1177/1750698016653442. ISSN   1750-6980. Archived from the original on May 31, 2024. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  19. ↑ Smith, Maureen Margaret (2009). "Frozen Fists in Speed City: The Statue as Twenty-First-Century Reparations". Journal of Sport History. 36 (3): 393–414. ISSN   0094-1700. JSTOR   26405221.
  20. ↑ "Victory Salute | Public Art as Resistance in San Jose". www.sjsu.edu. Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Public Art as Resistance in San José: A Walking Tour". humanitiesforall.org. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Public Art as Resistance Walking Tours | San José Museum of Art". sjmusart.org. June 5, 2022. Archived from the original on May 28, 2024. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  23. ↑ San Jose State University, School of Journalism and Mass Communications (October 16, 2018). "About the Statue". Spartan Daily, 2018. 151 (24): B4–B5. Archived from the original on April 8, 2024. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  24. ↑ Crumpacker, John. "OLYMPIC PROTEST: Smith and Carlos / Statue captures sprinters' moment / San Jose State honors protest of oppression". SFGATE . Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Part 2: John Carlos, 1968 U.S. Olympic Medalist, On the Response to His Iconic Black Power Salute". Democracy Now!. October 12, 2011. Archived from the original on December 13, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015. I would like to have a blank spot there and have a commemorative plaque stating that I was in that spot. But anyone that comes thereafter from around the world and going to San Jose State that support the movement, what you guys had in '68, they could stand in my spot and take the picture.
  26. ↑ "The Story Behind The Missing Man". Bartold Clinical. June 6, 2020. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  27. ↑ Zirin, Dave (October 20, 2005). "When Fists are Frozen: The Statue of Tommie Smith and John Carlos". Edge of Sports. Archived from the original on June 4, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  28. ↑ Group, Shayna Rubin | Bay Area News (June 14, 2020). "SJSU athletes raise awareness, money in unique protest against police brutality". The Mercury News . Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  29. ↑ "San Jose State University athletes organize Black Lives Matter solidarity walk in Downtown San Jose - ABC7 San Francisco". September 2, 2020. Archived from the original on September 2, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  30. ↑ "San Jose State University students rally for Palestine". Fight Back! News. October 13, 2023. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  31. ↑ "Resolution in Support of Boycott From Companies That Have Been Involved in the Human Rights Violations in Palestine" (PDF). San Jose State Associated Students. April 24, 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  32. ↑ "Students protest on Smith & Carlos lawn". Spartan Daily, 2024. 162 (43): 1. May 9, 2024. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  33. ↑ Peters, LaMonica (May 13, 2024). "Pro-Palestinian protesters stage sit-in at San Jose State University". KTVU FOX 2. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  34. ↑ "San Jose State students set up pro-Palestine encampment, but school warns it must come down". The Mercury News . May 14, 2024. Archived from the original on May 15, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  35. ↑ Goldberg; Noah (February 26, 2024). "San José State University puts professor on leave over altercation with pro-Palestine student". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  36. ↑ "San Jose State professor suspended after altercation during Gaza protest". The Mercury News . February 23, 2024. Archived from the original on June 20, 2024. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  37. ↑ Cannestra, B. Sakura (May 15, 2024). "San Jose State students stage protest and call for divestment". San José Spotlight. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  38. ↑ Ta, Alina (May 16, 2024). "San José State University administration responds to encampment". sjsunews.com. Spartan Daily. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  39. 1 2 Henkes-Power, Kaya (May 16, 2024). "Smith and Carlos confirm disapproval of encampment in email". sjsunews.com. Spartan Daily. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  40. ↑ "Student encampments end at San Jose State University and University of San Francisco". The Mercury News . May 23, 2024. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
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