Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a daily column that runs on Page 1 of The Asahi Shimbun.
June 29, 2020 at 15:12 JST
The Olympics appear to have been filled with disarray in their early years.
During the St. Louis Games in 1904, North American indigenous peoples and other ethnic and racial groups were assembled for track and field and other events at a related competition.
It was aimed at demonstrating the supremacy of white athletes from the United States and Europe by measuring the performances of non-white people.
Jules Boykoff’s “Power Games: A Political History of the Olympics” includes another episode.
At the opening ceremony of the 1906 Intercalated Games, held between two Olympic Games, athletes from Ireland, governed by Britain at the time, provoked a controversy by wearing green blazers designed to show their identity during a march.
An Olympic Charter provision says, “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas,” as a way to overcome problems related to racial issues and international conflicts.
But that rule has been called into question amid global outcry over the death of George Floyd, a black man, in the United States due to violence of a white police officer.
The incident has rekindled protest against racial discrimination within the sports community.
And that prompted the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) earlier this month to allow athletes to make symbolic gestures such as raising a fist or taking a knee.
In a statement, Canada’s sports ethics body also called for amending the rule in the Olympic Charter, citing freedom of expression for athletes.
In the 1968 Mexico City Games, two black athletes from the United States raised their fists in black gloves on the podium and were then ostracized in the sports community. The acts of desperate but determined protest have been etched in the history books.
“For decades, you have spoken about equality and unity and sacrificed your moment on the podium to call for change,” said Sarah Hirshland, the USOPC’s chief executive. “And we have failed to listen and tolerated racism and inequality. I am sorry.”
Fresh debate is needed to attain the Olympic ideals of athletes assembling regardless of race or creed.
The profound apology has a sharp resonance, pressing for the transformation of the Olympics.
--The Asahi Shimbun, June 28
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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
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U.S. sprinters Tommie Smith, center, and John Carlos raise their gloved fists in racial protest at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Smith received the gold and Carlos the bronze for the 200 meter run. Australian silver medalist Peter Norman is at left. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
