ONLINE: Tommie Smith Awards

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courtesy Madison College Office of Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement

Tommie Smith, a 1968 Olympics gold medalist and lifelong activist.

A new collaborative event coordinated by Madison College and UW-Whitewater, the Tommie Smith Awards recognizes area athletes who are also working for positive change in their communities. The event is named for lifelong social justice activist Tommie Smith, who along with fellow medalist John Carlos made the world take notice with the “clenched fist” gesture at the 1968 Olympics. Smith will speak about activism as part of the livestream, honoring Maka Chikowero (West High School), Jonas Luskey Sanders (Madison College), Eduardo Saucedo (Madison College), and Armari Tucker (Middleton High School). Register here for a link to the Microsoft Teams livestream.

media release: Don't miss the Tommie Smith Awards where we will honor student-athletes whose contributions transcend sports. During the Tommie Smith Awards, we will honor people who found ways through athletics and activism to make a difference far beyond the field of play and impact the world in incredible ways.  

Honorees include:

• Eduardo Saucedo (Madison College Baseball)
• Jonas Luskey Sanders (Madison College Soccer)
• Armari Tucker (Middleton High Football)
• Maka Chikowero (Madison West Swim and Soccer Team)

During this virtual event, we will recognize honorees, and 1968 Olympian Tommie Smith will speak about social justice, community activism, and positive change on campus.

This event is brought to you by the Office of Equity and Inclusion at Madison College, Athletic Department at Madison College, and Student Diversity, Engagement & Success at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater.

History of Tommie Smith

During the historical 19th Olympiad in Mexico City in the summer of 1968, Tommie Smith broke the world and Olympic record with a time of 19.83 seconds and became the 200-meter Olympic champion. As the Star-Spangled Banner played in the wind at the Mexico City Summer Olympic Games, Tommie Smith and John Carlos stood on the victory podium, draped with their Olympic medals, each raised a clinched fist covered in a black leather glove in a historic stand for black power, liberation, and solidarity. This courageous, unexpected worldwide event propelled Tommie Smith into the spotlight as a human rights spokesman, activist, and symbol of African American pride at home and abroad. Cheered by some, jeered by others, and ignored by many more, Tommie Smith made a commitment to dedicate his life, even at great personal risk to champion the cause of oppressed people. Dr. Smith completed his Autobiography titled “Silent Gesture” published by Temple University Press in January 2007, was nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the literary category Autobiography and Biography. The story of the “Silent Gesture” is captured for all time in the 1999 HBO TV documentary: "Fists of Freedom". The Peace Abby Courage of Conscience Award April 2008, and the ESPYS Arthur Ashe Courage Award July 2008. The Trumpet Awards in 2007. April 1, 2012 Tommie was inducted into the California Sports Hall Of Fame. Smithsonian African American Museum 2016. He received the International Peace Prize in Dresden Germany 2018.