Pot, Politics, Protests — Yes, It Must Be Time Again for the Olympics
I’m old enough to remember the historic impact of Black medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos’ solemnly raising their fists in a Black-power salute at the 1968 Olympics. But executed excessively, aimless repetition can cross the thin line between effective protest and grandstanding annoyance.
A bigger landmark, particularly to some Black women I know, is the fuss over the Soul Cap, a British-based brand of swimming caps designed to protect natural Black hair, which tends to be more voluminous than that of white people.
The International Swimming Federation (FINA) says it is “reviewing” its decision not to allow the caps in Tokyo, citing a peculiar rule that says the caps must “follow the natural form of the head.” I don’t think the rule-makers had natural Black hairstyles in mind.
After numerous complaints, the federation says it respects “the importance of inclusivity and representation.” That’s a relief. Had there been more inclusivity and representation in the past, officials wouldn’t be caught in such embarrassing situations. But better late than never.
Politics and sports don’t mix, it is often said, but probably not as much as it used to be. We should be accustomed by now to how often the Olympics have served, however uncomfortably, as a world-class stage for political messages.
The most notorious example undoubtedly was Adolf Hitler’s 1936 Games in Berlin, where African American runners including Jesse Owens and Chicago’s Ralph Metcalfe brought home the gold, deflating Hitler’s claims of Aryan supremacy.
But also notorious was the awful 1972 massacre by Palestinian terrorists in Munich that left dead 11 Israelis and one German. We remember that atrocity as an example of quite the opposite message to the themes of international peace and friendly competition that Olympics organizers aim to glorify.
In that sense the Games are more than games. The Olympics represent the world, not just for who we are as much as what we, as people of goodwill, aim to be.
Pot, politics, protests and cultural differences can be bumps in the world these days, but that’s hardly new. In an ever-changing world, it’s not always easy to keep up with ... the changes and work out our differences. But it’s worth the effort — a gold medal effort.
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(E-mail Clarence Page at cpage@chicagotribune.com.)
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