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Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice
On October 16, 1968, during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner in the 200-meter sprint, and John Carlos, the bronze medal winner, stood on the podium in black socks and raised their black-gloved fists to protest racial injustice inflicted upon African Americans. Both men were forced to leave the Olympics, received death threats, and faced ostracism and continuing economic hardships.
In his first-ever memoir for young readers, Tommie Smith looks back on his childhood growing up in rural Texas through to his stellar athletic career, culminating in his historic victory and Olympic podium protest.
In his first-ever memoir for young readers, Tommie Smith looks back on his childhood growing up in rural Texas through to his stellar athletic career, culminating in his historic victory and Olympic podium protest.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2022
About the author
Tommie Smith
5 books19 followersTommie 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 413 reviews
January 16, 2023
Before Colin Kaepernick polarized the United States by taking a knee, Tommie Smith shocked the world by raising his fist in a Black Power salute with fellow American John Carlos on the medal podium at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.
Smith retraces his life from a sharecropping farm in Texas through a move to California as part of the Second Great Migration to his rapidly rising star as a track athlete. He reflects on the events and forces of the 1950s and 1960s that caused him thrust his arm into the air: his upbringing, racism, the Civil Rights Movement, other athletes who had taken stands, and the assassinations and growing turbulence in the United States.
My only reservation about the book is how quickly it skims through the decades following his Olympic victory, passing quickly through the backlash he faced and his own marriages and children.
Still, it's a good introduction for young readers to an inspiring story about taking a stand for one's beliefs.
(Another project! I'm trying to read all the picture books and graphic novels on the kids section of NPR's Books We Love 2022.)
Smith retraces his life from a sharecropping farm in Texas through a move to California as part of the Second Great Migration to his rapidly rising star as a track athlete. He reflects on the events and forces of the 1950s and 1960s that caused him thrust his arm into the air: his upbringing, racism, the Civil Rights Movement, other athletes who had taken stands, and the assassinations and growing turbulence in the United States.
My only reservation about the book is how quickly it skims through the decades following his Olympic victory, passing quickly through the backlash he faced and his own marriages and children.
Still, it's a good introduction for young readers to an inspiring story about taking a stand for one's beliefs.
(Another project! I'm trying to read all the picture books and graphic novels on the kids section of NPR's Books We Love 2022.)
November 6, 2022
I love the story of Tommie Smith and John Carlos and have loved it since I first heard about it in high school. This book gives some great insight to Smith. His background and his believes. I loved the artwork. I only wish that there had been more depth at how Smith felt about things and not just a recounting. Especially after the Mexico City Olympics.
February 16, 2023
"Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice" is an outstanding book that recounts the life of one of the most iconic athletes in American history. Tommie Smith's name is synonymous with the 1968 Olympic Games, where he made history with his Black Power salute on the podium after winning the 200m race.
The book is a fascinating exploration of Smith's journey from a young boy growing up in poverty in the American South to becoming an Olympic champion and civil rights activist. It covers his early years in athletics, his struggles with racial discrimination, and his eventual decision to take a stand for justice on the world stage.
Smith's writing is engaging and powerful. He also provides a unique perspective on the civil rights movement and the struggles of Black athletes during the 1960s and 70s. Which really wasn't that long ago when you think about it.
I really enjoy 'graphic memoirs' because it's a unique way to share your story and reach a wide age range of readers.
The book is a fascinating exploration of Smith's journey from a young boy growing up in poverty in the American South to becoming an Olympic champion and civil rights activist. It covers his early years in athletics, his struggles with racial discrimination, and his eventual decision to take a stand for justice on the world stage.
Smith's writing is engaging and powerful. He also provides a unique perspective on the civil rights movement and the struggles of Black athletes during the 1960s and 70s. Which really wasn't that long ago when you think about it.
I really enjoy 'graphic memoirs' because it's a unique way to share your story and reach a wide age range of readers.
March 2, 2023
I'm really happy I'm living in a time when people who aren't necessarily "graphic novel people" are making their personal stories into graphic novels.
The images of Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their black-gloved fists in the air at the 1968 Olympics are iconic. Here, Smith gives context to that act.
He tells his life story, from his youth as one of 12 children living in Texas, through his running career at San Jose State University, to his post-Olympics life.
While his iconic act was a flashpoint, it had real consequences to his life. He was fired from his job at a car dealership "before we even left Mexico City." He writes, "I did whatever I could to feed my wife and son: swept streets, washed cars, you name it. I held eleven track and field world records, but no one would hire me."
He did eventually make a career out of coaching, but as a reader, I could feel the heartbreak of what he lost after that famous moment in time.
I'm so glad Smith is telling his story, and in a form that will be accessible to lots of people. We need to know our history. Especially the ugly parts.
The images of Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their black-gloved fists in the air at the 1968 Olympics are iconic. Here, Smith gives context to that act.
He tells his life story, from his youth as one of 12 children living in Texas, through his running career at San Jose State University, to his post-Olympics life.
While his iconic act was a flashpoint, it had real consequences to his life. He was fired from his job at a car dealership "before we even left Mexico City." He writes, "I did whatever I could to feed my wife and son: swept streets, washed cars, you name it. I held eleven track and field world records, but no one would hire me."
He did eventually make a career out of coaching, but as a reader, I could feel the heartbreak of what he lost after that famous moment in time.
I'm so glad Smith is telling his story, and in a form that will be accessible to lots of people. We need to know our history. Especially the ugly parts.
June 14, 2022
This is a story that needs to be told over and over again for the masses and I am thrilled that it is a graphic novel so it is reachable to more people. History books gloss over “facts” to meet their objective. I lived through some of this history and am ashamed to say I was ignorant of some of the facts. To truly understand, one needs to listen to those who lived it. Our country has come a long way, but we still have a ways to go. Thank you to Tommie Smith for writing your story.
Thanks to Norton Young Readers for an advanced digital copy of the book via NetGalley. Anticipated publication date is 9/27/22
Thanks to Norton Young Readers for an advanced digital copy of the book via NetGalley. Anticipated publication date is 9/27/22
January 14, 2023
Quick read. Awesome artwork. I loved learning more about Tommie Smith’s background prior to the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. I didn’t know he was sent home and could never run in the Olympics again after he raised his fist during the anthem. I was fuming at the hypocrisy of the whites who sent him death threats and or even simply called him juvenile. I saw the parallels of 2020 and how unjust things are even today. And I also saw the hope and the change and the desire to continue fighting for what’s right. I love that they added Colin Kaepernick at the end. I wish these books were written for older people I know who would “never not stand for the anthem.” Thank you for your work, Tommie Smith and John Carlos.
February 13, 2023
"We had to be seen because we were not being heard."
In 1968, Tommie Smith broke a track and field record and seized the gold medal for Team USA at the Mexico City Olympics. His teammate John Carlos took third in the race. They made history for their raised fists during the national anthem: a protest against the racial injustice in America. This graphic novel recounts his life before, during, and after that iconic moment in history.
I learned a lot reading this young adult graphic novel; I was, of course, familiar with the image but didn't know very much beyond that. I was interested in how Tommie's family was part of the Great Migration described in Isabel Wilkerson's The Warmth of Other Suns. I hadn't realized that these athletes had lost their chance to compete in the rest of the games (and the next games, too) with this singular action, and they'd lost their jobs, as well; it took decades before their courageous actions were rewarded, well after the civil rights era had supposedly ended.
I would have liked even more about life after the Mexico City games in this book, but on the whole this was fascinating.
Excellent illustrations throughout! Very well done. Glad I included this in my Black History Month reading.
In 1968, Tommie Smith broke a track and field record and seized the gold medal for Team USA at the Mexico City Olympics. His teammate John Carlos took third in the race. They made history for their raised fists during the national anthem: a protest against the racial injustice in America. This graphic novel recounts his life before, during, and after that iconic moment in history.
I learned a lot reading this young adult graphic novel; I was, of course, familiar with the image but didn't know very much beyond that. I was interested in how Tommie's family was part of the Great Migration described in Isabel Wilkerson's The Warmth of Other Suns. I hadn't realized that these athletes had lost their chance to compete in the rest of the games (and the next games, too) with this singular action, and they'd lost their jobs, as well; it took decades before their courageous actions were rewarded, well after the civil rights era had supposedly ended.
I would have liked even more about life after the Mexico City games in this book, but on the whole this was fascinating.
Excellent illustrations throughout! Very well done. Glad I included this in my Black History Month reading.
February 16, 2023
At the 1968 Mexico City Summer Olympics, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, US athletes who had medaled in the 200-meter sprint, raised their hands to protest racial discrimination among their Black brethren. This brave act of activism during a time of Civil Rights unrest catapulted both of them into fame but also caused them great turmoil.
This graphic novel memoir is co-written by Derek Barnes and Tommie Smith, who was one of the two medalists. He chronicles his hardscrabble youth, as one of twelve children of a sharecropping family in Texas. As a child, his family moved to California hoping for better opportunities, and there his athletic talent was discovered. Smith was a triple threat, excelling in football, basketball and track, but he later concentrated on track once he was offered a college scholarship. A star at San Jose State he gets involved in the Civil Rights Movement, and he and Carlos decide to take a stand when they know all eyes will upon them at the Olympics. This was a sacrifice, as both were blacklisted by the white establishment, but heralded as heroes in many other circles. He endured additional discrimination for raising his fist for justice, but his later years and family life was just skimmed over in this narrative. It has only been in recent years that his sacrifice has been honored, with numerous awards and a statue of him and Carlos erected on the San Jose State campus.
The artwork by Dawud Anyabwile was kinetic, perfect for showing Smith’s active lifestyle. Illustrated in black and white, with dot matrix used for shading, the art captured the real-life people and era very well. It was reminiscent of the style used in John Lewis’s memoir March, which I believe has inspired other stories such as this one and George Takei’s, They Called Us Enemy.
As this event occurred before my birth, I was not fully aware of the significance, although I’ve seen the picture before, but didn’t know the full scope of the story. I hope this excellent memoir brings this culturally relevant story to the front of a new generation’s eyes and they can learn of the many painful contributions that others made for them.
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2023/02/1...
This graphic novel memoir is co-written by Derek Barnes and Tommie Smith, who was one of the two medalists. He chronicles his hardscrabble youth, as one of twelve children of a sharecropping family in Texas. As a child, his family moved to California hoping for better opportunities, and there his athletic talent was discovered. Smith was a triple threat, excelling in football, basketball and track, but he later concentrated on track once he was offered a college scholarship. A star at San Jose State he gets involved in the Civil Rights Movement, and he and Carlos decide to take a stand when they know all eyes will upon them at the Olympics. This was a sacrifice, as both were blacklisted by the white establishment, but heralded as heroes in many other circles. He endured additional discrimination for raising his fist for justice, but his later years and family life was just skimmed over in this narrative. It has only been in recent years that his sacrifice has been honored, with numerous awards and a statue of him and Carlos erected on the San Jose State campus.
The artwork by Dawud Anyabwile was kinetic, perfect for showing Smith’s active lifestyle. Illustrated in black and white, with dot matrix used for shading, the art captured the real-life people and era very well. It was reminiscent of the style used in John Lewis’s memoir March, which I believe has inspired other stories such as this one and George Takei’s, They Called Us Enemy.
As this event occurred before my birth, I was not fully aware of the significance, although I’ve seen the picture before, but didn’t know the full scope of the story. I hope this excellent memoir brings this culturally relevant story to the front of a new generation’s eyes and they can learn of the many painful contributions that others made for them.
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2023/02/1...
March 1, 2024
very engaging and informative. definitely a book i would recommend to any teen
November 21, 2022
Excellent. I appreciated the attention to small details including the choice of header font.
February 28, 2023
This was an excellent graphic autobiography. I was familiar with the story through Malcolm Gladwell’s recounting but I appreciated more backstory on Tommie as a kid. I think I wanted more overall, this felt rushed, especially at the end. But definitely worth picking up. Incredible illustrations.
January 26, 2023
Can’t pass up a book about my first true love, track and field. Also happens to have a National Book Award honor. This is the memoir of Tommie Smith, track and field gold medalist in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, written in graphic novel format. Most of us know the image of him and his teammate, John Carlos, quietly standing on the podium with raised fists. It cost him his entire running career, which it shouldn’t have. “We had to be seen because we weren’t being heard.” Tommie starts with his childhood, growing up as a sharecropper’s son in deep rural Texas. His family settled in a California, and he eventually accepted a scholarship to San Jose State. There is so much we assume we know about history, then a perspective comes by to remind us that we know nothing. How would it feel to be a celebrated athlete on a predominantly white campus, being called racial slurs, and not even have proper housing because no one would rent to a black person? To be asked if you take “normal” classes?! As someone who was a college athlete, I can’t even begin to fathom the amount of perseverance it would take to wear the uniform of a school that didn’t value my existence. Or of a country where hangings and lynchings were still acceptable in certain parts of the country. This was only a decade before I was born! While I’m glad we have made *some* progress as a nation, I think it’s important to hear other viewpoints and experiences to realize all of the things that shaped the human experience for Americans from all walks of life. Read. Read a lot. Read about those who are different from you. Read to be a better human.
March 11, 2023
Graphic autobiography of Tommie Smith, gold medal sprinter at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City who--along with bronze medalist John Carlos--raised his fist in a black power salute on the medal podium. Both men were evicted from the games, fired from their jobs, banned from all future track competition, and rendered unhirable. ("Cancel culture" whiners should take heed--this is what cancellation actually looks like.)
It's not terribly well-written. The biographical portions can be lethargic, the competition descriptions awkwardly melodramatic. My pulse pounding like race car pistons. How could I summon the acceleration to not fall behind? My surge happened around the 80 meter mark. And anyone who counted me out was in trouble...
But it's a powerful story. Smith puts his bold act in historical context. America was in turmoil after the passage of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts. This decade saw the Klan murders of numerous civil rights activists who dared to register black voters. The assassinations of MLK, JFK, RFK, Medgar Evers, Jimmie Lee Jackson. The lynching of Emmett Till. The vicious assaults by white authorities on the Selma bridge marchers.
Smith himself had his property vandalized, his car destroyed, received hundreds of hate-spewing death threat letters. What he risked--and lost--is staggering. Four decades passed before Smith began receiving the accolades and awards normally accorded Olympic medalists and world record holders. He was invited to the White House by President Obama in 2016. In 2019 he was finally inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame.
But lest we chalk this up as another tragic story of historical injustice, we should bear in mind that Colin Kaepernick is still being blacklisted--for kneeling during the national anthem--in 2023.
It's not terribly well-written. The biographical portions can be lethargic, the competition descriptions awkwardly melodramatic. My pulse pounding like race car pistons. How could I summon the acceleration to not fall behind? My surge happened around the 80 meter mark. And anyone who counted me out was in trouble...
But it's a powerful story. Smith puts his bold act in historical context. America was in turmoil after the passage of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts. This decade saw the Klan murders of numerous civil rights activists who dared to register black voters. The assassinations of MLK, JFK, RFK, Medgar Evers, Jimmie Lee Jackson. The lynching of Emmett Till. The vicious assaults by white authorities on the Selma bridge marchers.
Smith himself had his property vandalized, his car destroyed, received hundreds of hate-spewing death threat letters. What he risked--and lost--is staggering. Four decades passed before Smith began receiving the accolades and awards normally accorded Olympic medalists and world record holders. He was invited to the White House by President Obama in 2016. In 2019 he was finally inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame.
But lest we chalk this up as another tragic story of historical injustice, we should bear in mind that Colin Kaepernick is still being blacklisted--for kneeling during the national anthem--in 2023.
January 9, 2023
Read for the 2023 RCLS Mock Printz awards
Without a doubt this is an important story and will win many awards for its depiction of Tommie Smith's life and meaningful silent protest at the Olympics.
I normally don't read social justice stories or nonfiction, I rather spend my time reading stories that are nothing like the world we live in, something to escape into, but I read this for a work discussion. This story is important and while I am glad I read it - how come I've never heard this story!? - I didn't 100% enjoy it. It was more factual than I wanted (duh, Kara it's nonfiction!). The book lays down the facts without any flowery language and made it too dry for me. The art is great, but I also wish some color was added. I'm also not a big sports book person - obviously Smith's ability was the catalyst for his platform, but I didn't need to read each and every race time.
I do highly recommend this book though. It would be great in a classroom setting and for reluctant nonfiction readers.
Without a doubt this is an important story and will win many awards for its depiction of Tommie Smith's life and meaningful silent protest at the Olympics.
I normally don't read social justice stories or nonfiction, I rather spend my time reading stories that are nothing like the world we live in, something to escape into, but I read this for a work discussion. This story is important and while I am glad I read it - how come I've never heard this story!? - I didn't 100% enjoy it. It was more factual than I wanted (duh, Kara it's nonfiction!). The book lays down the facts without any flowery language and made it too dry for me. The art is great, but I also wish some color was added. I'm also not a big sports book person - obviously Smith's ability was the catalyst for his platform, but I didn't need to read each and every race time.
I do highly recommend this book though. It would be great in a classroom setting and for reluctant nonfiction readers.
June 2, 2022
This has all the feels of John Lewis's story turned into a graphic memoir with the power of making good trouble as Dr. Tommie Smith did specifically with his iconic fist raised at the Olympics, however what the book does in Barnes's capable writing of Smith's life, Anyabwile's fantastic artwork, and Smith's own life on the page is showcase the fight for rights, visibility, and success for Blacks in America.
Smith grew up in a sharecropping family, moved to California where it was state law to send your children to school. From this schooling and with his natural talent, he excelled in academics and sport for which he became an Olympic athlete.
The black and white graphic novel is stylistically engaging, with its focus on the people not necessarily the circumstances with closeups of faces and an importance on the dialogue. It's a riveting story that leaves out what it needs to to focus on the important message and experiences of Smith.
Smith grew up in a sharecropping family, moved to California where it was state law to send your children to school. From this schooling and with his natural talent, he excelled in academics and sport for which he became an Olympic athlete.
The black and white graphic novel is stylistically engaging, with its focus on the people not necessarily the circumstances with closeups of faces and an importance on the dialogue. It's a riveting story that leaves out what it needs to to focus on the important message and experiences of Smith.
January 2, 2023
An incredibly powerful Graphic Novel showcasing the life of Tommie Smith, going back and forth between his life as an Olympic Runner at the 1968 Olympics, his childhood in Clarksville Texas & his college experience in California. I had never heard of him before but I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this GN. The title fits the story: Victory. Stand! All throughout his running career, he wasn't just running to shatter a record, he was shattering the walls of segregation and racism. To not be able to participate in something you loved, standing up for the rights of black men and women, only to be lauded as a hero later on in life was shocking. Only now to be recognized for what he staunchly believed in stuns me. There were incidents I had never heard of before and was glad to be introduced to another side of history I was not aware of. The graphics were incredibly drawn, keeping it simple in black and white colors. Definitely one for my library's collection.
May 16, 2023
I picked up this book because it won the 2023 YALSA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction Award, was a Finalist for the 2022 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, and is a Coretta Scott King Award Author and Illustrator Honor Book.
While I had heard of Tommie Smith and John Carlos and their actions at the 1968 Olympic games before reading it, I really knew nothing beyond that the athletes raised black gloved fists in silent protest of the racism in America. This book was a fascinating, but brief, overview of his life. 4 stars instead of 5 because the book skips over the majority of the consequences he incurred as a result of his actions at the Olympics. It goes pretty much from the protest to his being invited to Barak Obama's White House in about 5 pages. Some discussion of the repercussions and increased discrimination Smith suffered during the last 30 years could have made the book all the more powerful.
Highly recommended.
While I had heard of Tommie Smith and John Carlos and their actions at the 1968 Olympic games before reading it, I really knew nothing beyond that the athletes raised black gloved fists in silent protest of the racism in America. This book was a fascinating, but brief, overview of his life. 4 stars instead of 5 because the book skips over the majority of the consequences he incurred as a result of his actions at the Olympics. It goes pretty much from the protest to his being invited to Barak Obama's White House in about 5 pages. Some discussion of the repercussions and increased discrimination Smith suffered during the last 30 years could have made the book all the more powerful.
Highly recommended.
June 5, 2023
This is an excellent story on so many level. Gold Medalist Track Star Tommie Smith begins at the beginning with the powerful influence of his family and their tenacity of spirit through economic hardship and dealing with the racism of Jim Crow & segregation. Through hard work, a deep faith, and opportunities created by open-minded coaches and civil rights advocates, Smith and John Carlos ended up on the podium at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. The only part of the story I knew happened next, when they raised their right arms for 80 seconds during the playing of the national anthem - in protest for the unfair & unequal treatment of Black Americans. I was only 5 when this happened, but I remember my mom and older brother talking about it as she prepared dinner one night. Was it right? What difference would their actions make?
What I did not know is the rest of Smith’s story. That American media framed their actions as shameful and “militant”; that both athletes suffered economic hardship and were banned nationally and internationally from competing by the United States Olympic Committee; that Smith & Carlos were pariahs and received death threats and negative press for decades. Yet each persevered and made a life for themselves, despite many personal & professional setbacks. Not until the 21st century did public understanding and opinion shift regarding Smith & Carlos’ protest.
So here I am in 2023, ordering two copies of this amazing story for my jr high classroom. This is part of America’s story and it needs to be told to this generation. Fifty-five years later we are still learning what it means to be courageous in the face of racism and what it can cost for doing the right thing. So Mom, their actions did matter and they did make a difference.
What I did not know is the rest of Smith’s story. That American media framed their actions as shameful and “militant”; that both athletes suffered economic hardship and were banned nationally and internationally from competing by the United States Olympic Committee; that Smith & Carlos were pariahs and received death threats and negative press for decades. Yet each persevered and made a life for themselves, despite many personal & professional setbacks. Not until the 21st century did public understanding and opinion shift regarding Smith & Carlos’ protest.
So here I am in 2023, ordering two copies of this amazing story for my jr high classroom. This is part of America’s story and it needs to be told to this generation. Fifty-five years later we are still learning what it means to be courageous in the face of racism and what it can cost for doing the right thing. So Mom, their actions did matter and they did make a difference.
March 7, 2023
During the 1968 Olympics, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, stood on the podium and raised their fists to protest racial injustice in the US. After their demonstration, they were blacklisted.
Dr.Smith shares his story, his childhood and what led up to his decision to protest.
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Another book that I read for my YA class and I enjoyed it!
I already knew about this incident but it was interesting hearing how his background affected his life and his choice to protest.
I kinda wish the book spent a little bit more time on his college years(I was so shocked when he revealed his 1st wife and kid.)
It's a good book and informative!
The art's so pretty.
Dr.Smith shares his story, his childhood and what led up to his decision to protest.
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Another book that I read for my YA class and I enjoyed it!
I already knew about this incident but it was interesting hearing how his background affected his life and his choice to protest.
I kinda wish the book spent a little bit more time on his college years(I was so shocked when he revealed his 1st wife and kid.)
It's a good book and informative!
The art's so pretty.
February 8, 2023
Not just the story of Tommie Smith raising his fist in protest of the mistreatment of Black folks in the US at the '68 Olympic games. Instead, we read the story of Tommie Smith's life, interwoven with that famous race, telling us how he came to be a conscious Olympic athlete from his beginnings on a sharecrop farm in Texas. Ties in historic events, the origins of the Black Panther Party, and struggle for civil rights...and how this culminated for Tommie Smith at the Olympics and the effects on his career and life.
June 24, 2024
I’m not usually an audiobook person, but someone recommended that I try memoirs and it worked!! This was such a moving story of a young black man growing up in the 1940-70s and becoming a political activist, track Olympian, world record breaker, and dedicated loving man to his friends and family. Tommie Smith is an example of what it means to stand for a cause even when your career and passions are at risk. I strive to be like him.
March 12, 2023
A terrific graphic novel about a black man’s journey from poverty, to world class athlete and protestor. A man of courage who raised awareness of the systemic racism blacks faced.
June 8, 2023
3.5 stars, rounded down
January 26, 2023
Probably more of a 4.5. Loved learning more about Tommie Smith’s story. The artwork was INCREDIBLE! The ending felt super rushed compared to the rest of the book, so that’s why I marked it down a little. Even though this is a graphic novel, it has a lot to physically read and think about, so it’s one you will want to invest some time into reading.
February 25, 2023
Graphic novel format memoir by Olympic sprinter Tommie Smith, best known for his raised-fist salute on the medal stand at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Smith took part in the "Great Migration" as a youngster, moving with his family from a rural Texas sharecropper life to California's agricultural Central Valley. From there Smith went to San Jose State on an athletic scholarship. As a graduate of another Cal State campus, it made me proud to read about SJSU's "Speed City" track tradition. From there the reader learns about civil rights martyrs, Harry Edwards, the Olympic Project for Human Rights, and the emergence of the activist Black athlete. I didn't know, for example, that Black AFL all-stars forced the relocation of an all-star game from Jim Crow New Orleans to a city that would provide proper hotel and restaurant accommodations to Black people. All in all this is a good addition to graphic novel civil rights literature, alongside the "March" books in particular. The account of Smith's hardworking childhood and loving but no-nonsense family is touching and you can see how this upbringing gave Smith a deep well of inner strength for sports, study, and activism.
November 5, 2023
An amazing graphic nonfiction. It’s a history that I only knew the smallest details and I’m glad to have the whole autobiography set me straight. Highly recommended.
Grades 7 and up.
Grades 7 and up.
October 28, 2022
A powerful and important graphic novel about the life of Tommie Smith, Olympic athlete and civil rights activist. The book starts when Tommie was a young child living with his family in a tiny Texas town. His parents were sharecroppers, and moved up north to give their children better opportunities. Tommie took every opportunity, but was not willing to stay silent when he saw injustice. As Tommie said, “we had to get seen because we were not being heard.”
December 21, 2022
I think this is a good book because it kept my attention the whole time and it's also fast read .
May 8, 2024
I listened to this not realizing it was a graphic novel… Feel like I didn’t get the full story without the images, but got a copy and paged through the images. Powerful book and story.
May 14, 2024
This graphic novel is excellent. A copy should be in every classroom and library across America.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 413 reviews