Two figures stand on a podium with raised fists and melancholy faces.
They have short dark hair and dark skin.
Rays of sunlight reflect off of the blue tiles that form their jackets.
Below them is a stone podium with the five Olympic rings.
The taller figure stands on the highest point of the podium and around his neck is a gold medal.
The letters 307 read on his ceramic jacket.
The figure below him on the third place podium holds his hand behind his back and both of their heads are tilted downward.
The third place winner’s jacket is open to display a colorful necklace.
The numbers on the back of his jacket read 259.
The gold medalist is numbered 307.
He holds a wooden box with olive branches decorated upon the lid which is likely the box the gold medal came in.
Both of the figures are seen wearing socks rather than shoes.
Instead their shoes are placed next to them on the podium.
Their jackets appear to have USA embroidered on them in red.
If one were to get close to the statues they would quickly realize how immense they are.
At the medal podium of the 1968 Olympics Tommie Smith and John Carlos drew attention to African-American mistreatment in the USA by raising their fists in the black power salute and removing their shoes to symbolize the poverty African-Americans suffered.
The statues were built in 2005 at San Jose State University and dedicated to Tommie Smith and John Carlos’ protest at the 1968 Olympics.
Antonio Carrillo 100W 