Silent Gesture: The Autobiography of Tommie Smith

Sporting

by Tommie Smith, David Steele

In 1968, Tommie Smith and his teammate John Carlos won the gold and silver medals, respectively, for the 200 meter dash.a Receiving their medals on the dais, they raised their fists and froze a moment in time that will forever be remembered as a powerful day of protest.a In this, his autobiography, Smith tells the story of that moment, and of his life before and after it, to explain what that moment meant to him.a

In "Silent Gesture," Smith recounts his life before and after the 1968 Olympics: his life-long commitment to athletics, education, and human rights.a He dispels some of the myths surrounding his and Carlos' act on the dais -- contrary to legend, Smith wasn't a member of the Black Panthers, but a member of the US Olympic Project for Human Rights -- and describes in detail the planning and risks involved in his protest.a Smith also details his many years after Mexico City of devotion to human rights, athletics, and education.a A unique resource for anyone concerned with international sports, history, and the African American experience, "Silent Gesture" contributes a complete picture of one of the most famous moments in sports history, and of a man whose actions always matched his words."

Genres: Memoir, Sports, Nonfiction, History, Race, Biography Memoir, Politics

288 pages, Hardcover

First published February 28, 2007

About the author

Tommie C. Smith (born June 6, 1944) is an American former track and field athlete and former 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.

Reviews

[Ernest · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bittersweet memoir of the victory and struggles of an Olympic gold medalist who took a stand as a student - athlete and human rights activist. It is his rise from a sharecropper family to international fame/infamy for a stand/photo that spoke volumes about the human condition. It tells the effort and intellectual discipline needed to be a world class athlete. And it reveals the high personal price paid when daring to challenge the status quo of society.

[Bea Elwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to read this book, I've been chipping away at it for days and I can't believe how little I've actually read. Such a powerful moment, such an interesting person. But the writing... I just can't describe it, I have to put this book down but I want to find more on Tommie Smith.

[K]

Gave up at 40-something percent. Disorganized and incredibly repetitive - there's a solid story and some good insights in here somewhere, but it is desperately in need of better editing.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tommie Smith was an outstanding athlete who stood on the Olympic podium and raised a fist in 1968 to protest the treatment of people of color in the US. This simple gesture led to him being evicted from the Olympic village and asked to return his gold medal. Upon returning home, he was shunned, unable to get a job, and fearful for his life. I was not aware of the negative consequences he faced for speaking out about a wrong. Smith uses this memoir to air his complaints about how this rejection impacted his life and his relationships with others. I often felt like I was eavesdropping on a private therapy session. The timeline for the memoir was nonlinear, which was confusing. I hope the author found peace and healing from writing out his hurt at the injustices he faced.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tommie Smith is a hero, who was looked down on for years. He is still doing good work.

[Rev. Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tommie Smith, who wrote this autobiography, will be speaking on Feb 26th on our campus, so I wanted to get a glimpse of his life prior to the event. Smith was an amazing athlete. When he came in first in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico in the 200-meter dash, he and his fellow runner John Carlos (who came in third) made a statement to the world when they received their medals: they raised a black-gloved fist, a "silent gesture" that became world famous. His descriptions of the consequences of that gesture, including death threats and abuse to his first family, made for a good but sad read.I am looking forward to hearing him in person.

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this 3 books, because I thought it was truly a moving story about courage and sacrifice. It some way it is really scary that these kind of things happened in the "freest country of the world" merely 40 years ago.
However, this book could have needed a heavy dose of editing. The structure is at times nonexistent and some parts (especially towards the end) appear rather like the random ramblings of an old man. So I can not give this more than 3 stars.

[Byron · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tommie Smith wrote this book, I know that because Tommie Smith himself mentions Tommie Smith constantly throughout as Tommie Smith, an extremely annoying habit and a real drag to try and read! He's taken an inspirational and amazing story and rendered it extremely difficult to digest in written format.

[BetsyD · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a boring book. It was clearly geared toward people who already knew about Mexico City, 1968, and Tommie Smith habitually refers to himself in the third person.