WHO CAN WE TRUST SAGA

Men At The Right Time, The Right Place And For The Right Reasons

During their medal ceremony in the Olympic Stadium in Mexico City on October 16, 1968, African-American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos each raised a black-gloved fist salute during the playing of the US national anthem. The two athletes fell into the center of a churning controversy for their salute as a symbol of black power and the human rights movement in America at large.

Silver medalist Peter Norman, a white Australian runner, didn’t raise his fist that day, but he stood with Smith and Carlos.
Peter Norman is standing still. He has just run second in the 200 meters at the 1968 Mexico Olympics.

At the medal receiving podium, behind him are Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos. They bow their heads and raise their leather-gloved fists in a black power salute to protest racism and advocate for civil rights.

We must also not forget that this whole scenario was taking place at a time when his country was practicing white Australia policy.

As we can see, he didn’t raise his hands like his opponents did. What else did he do besides standing there starkly to deserve all the accolades?
History celebrates Peter Norman, not for his courage to support the two men, for his gallantly overcoming giants of the games, winning the silver medal and above all, being there standing alongside American heroic athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos who stood tall for humanity.

Norman was unmoving but he stood with Smith and Carlos by wearing an Olympic task for human rights badge alongside his silver medal. This was an attendance that changed his life.

A statue of the full podium, with Smith and Carlos without Norman, was erected at the runners' alma mater, San Jose State University in California, USA.

1968 Mexico Olympics, Tommie Smith, center, and John Carlos raise gloved hands

In Australia, Norman’s recognition, statue in his Olympic honor and the rest of public reputation, is his presence at the right time, the right place and for the right reasons that remembers him as the other different mortal that stood alongside the great African-Americans who courageously represented their people for equal rights.

If you haven’t already read “WHO CAN WE TRUST”, read collections of commentaries here: https://timeforchangesociety.blogspot.com/2019/08/who-can-we-trust.html

Speaking and being truthful to evade immoral ambiences.

If you’ve been living under the impression that we live in a post-racial society, this post & the recommended reads might make you uncomfortable as I assume is made evident by the title, but I think it’s worth the discomfort, so I hope you stick with it. At the very least, I hope that it starts a conversation or more sustained thoughts on the topic of race and the ways in which we are all affected by racism.

Not just a matter of individuals’ racist beliefs and actions, there is racism on the individual level and racism on the systemic level. When we talk about white supremacists and the actions of racist individuals, which is on the individual level. But systemic racism doesn’t require that all white people are racist individuals.

Every time someone from the opposite racial background tells a true story about something, why can’t we see it as simple personal opinion even if we don’t like to accept the truth? Similarly, we should not cover up the truth in order to protect the ongoing inequalities that have happened for so long.

The dissemination of fake racial news & media that perpetuates negative stereotypes about black people while simultaneously spreading positive stereotypes about white people and how this works to uphold the status quo that is systemic racism is individual’s interpretation.

1968 Mexico Olympic Mural of Peter Norman, Tommie Smith and John Carlos

Mind you, this event was reported at the time when media reports were mainly from one racial group over the other as most reporters of the time were from white racial society. Please, think about the truth of the matter instead of the manner in which the truth is presented, nothing, but the truth where everyone is adamant to talk about racial differences, especially, the painful years. Certainly, don’t intend to dwell in the past implications that have been unsympathetically hard-pressed upon black people as a result of utter ignorance and personal gain and expansionism.  

It’s not hard to see even in our modern day racial equality is at its utmost weakening point, but hard to discern with the necked eye as its operational cycle has become elusive and tremendously implicit. We can see some visibility in the media outlets where most white retired sport’s personalities have the opportunity to become media commentators while those from Indigenous and the nation’s resident blacks don’t share that opportunity. This is just one small tip of the iceberg misfortune out of the many disproportions that you probably know. However, lest we forget, things are changing at the speed of a turtle.

Please, don’t get angry. This reality existed and still remains to exist, unless we share the dilemma and do our part to live together in harmony. Why is it so hard to talk to white people about racism? If talking about racism bothers you, and you often find yourself feeling angry and defensive, this might be the read for you.

The half-truths and ridiculous misconceptions that have thoroughly corrupted the way race are represented in the classroom, pop culture, media, and politics. Centuries after some nations were founded on genocide, settler colonialism, and slavery, many of these people maybe waking up to the reality that the racial politics are still proliferating implicitly. But in the midst of this reckoning, widespread denial and misunderstandings about race persist, even as white supremacy and racial injustice are more visible than ever before.

The truth is urgently needed for our racist relatives, friends or bosses and a call to action for everyone who wants to challenge white supremacy and intersectional oppression in our society.

Racism should have no place in our lives, and should never be condoned. Education is our best means of combating ignorance and prejudice. It is so important to teach our children the value of cultural harmony, and if we infuse their learning process with these lessons, we will only be stronger in our campaign to eradicate racism from society.

Racism and any immoral ambience are disgusting and many people are completely aware of this and yet it remains to occur in society. Racism is ugly and it is something that will not go away until action is taken by everyone who is aware of how bad it has gotten. Don’t judge, this is the truth and exact observations of what has occurred and remains till this day, do something about it.

All schools should be prepared to accept and respect multicultural ideals and maintain its outlined principles as an ongoing harmonious contribution and agreement for students from different racial and religious backgrounds in order to lessen the torments and damages racism causes.

Prejudice is destructive in all its forms, especially racism. We all have the responsibility to break down the ignorant prejudices that dominate the beliefs of so many Australians. We must initiate to speak out whenever we witness racism and to educate those around us. Speak up, the truth!

If you act properly, your actions allow you to be psychologically integrated now and tomorrow and into the future while you benefit yourself, your family, your environment and that reverberating to the whole world. If you decide that you are not justified in your resentment of Racism, despite its inequity and pain, you may come to notice things you could do to reduce by a bit some unnecessary pain and suffering.

Ask yourself, “What should I do today, to make it better?” Guided by love and speaking truth and if you attend to some moral obligations, you will experience and find an ever deepening meaning. It’s not bliss. It’s not happiness. It’s something more like atonement for the criminal fact of your fractured and damaged Being. It’s payment of the debt you owe for the insane and horrible miracle of your existence. It’s how you make amends for the pathology of history.

We cannot get sick enough to help sick people get better. We cannot get poor enough to help poor people thrive. We can’t be bigoted to feel the empathy. It is only in our thriving that we have anything to offer anyone. If we want to be of an advantage to others, be as tapped in, tuned in and turned on as we can possibly be.