History-making athlete John Carlos available for Q&A on Wednesday (TODAY!)

Dr. John Carlos, a 1968 Olympic medalist in the 200m, will be in Aderhold Hall Room G10 2:30–3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 23 for a Q&A session.

Carlos made history when, during the medaling ceremony in Mexico City, he made a “speechless” statement, accepting the medal at the podium wearing black socks and no shoes to represent impoverished people who had no shoes of their own, and raised a black-gloved fist above his bowed head to humbly reflect the strength of the human spirit. He was joined in this protest by the other two medal winners, and the statement made international headlines.

As a result, International Olympic Committee president Avery Brundage ordered Carlos and his teammate and gold medalist Tommie Smith removed from the U.S. team and banned from the Olympic Village, and the fallout continued after the games ended. Carlos drew upon his own perseverance and strength to continue making a difference in the future of all people. He went on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Canadian Football League, worked with Puma, the United States Olympic Committee and the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Since 1985, he has been a counselor, in-school suspension supervisor, and the track and field coach at Palm Springs High School in California.

Carlos continues to be involved in the mission to improve human rights and the success of our youth. In 2008, he was a torch-bearer for the Human Rights Torch, which ran parallel to the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay and focused attention on China’s human rights record. In honor of his salute, he also accepted the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the 2008 Espy Awards.

He is in town as a keynote speaker for the 10th Annual Global Educational Forum., which takes place on Thursday at the UGA Hotel and Conference Center.