Tommie Smith was born June 5, 1944, in Clarksville, Texas. John Carlos was born in Harlem, New York, a year later. They will forever be joined by the year 1968, a year unlike any other -- the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy; anti-war protests; black power; the summer of love; the Olympics in Mexico City.

Smith and Carlos, teammates at San Jose State University, represented a new breed of athlete that was unwilling to passively wait for change.

The two were moved by the suggestion of a friend, sociologist Harry Edwards, who had asked for a boycott of the 1968 Olympic Games to demonstrate that the Civil Rights movement had not done enough to eliminate the injustices that plagued black Americans.

The boycott never materialized, but about an hour before they were to run the final of the 200 meters, Smith and Carlos secretly planned a nonviolent protest in the tradition of Dr. King.

In the race, Smith won the gold medal (in a then-world record 19.83 seconds) and Carlos the bronze. As the American flag was raised and the Star Spangled Banner played, the two closed their eyes, bowed their heads and each raised a single, black-gloved fist.

The striking photographs of two black American sprinters standing on the medal podium in silent protest serves as a grim reminder of the troubled times of the 1960s. It also serves as a powerful reminder of the impact of sport. Given the proper stage, the two athletes made a statement that reverberates still.

Smith and Carlos were expelled from the Olympic village immediately. They both went on to finish their educations and have spent their lives teaching and coaching. Both now live in Southern California.