Peter Norman, a hero who has a lesson for all of us

Australia's Peter Norman was an excellent athlete. But he made a greater contribution off the field, writes Shelina Janmohamed

In this October 16, 1968 photo, US athletes Tommie Smith, centre, and John Carlos, right, stare downward during the playing of the "Star-Spangled Banner" after Smith received the gold and Carlos the bronze in the 200 metre run at the Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City. On the left is Peter Norman. AP PhotoShow less

On this day in 1968, Peter Norman made history and was immediately written out of it. But his solidarity with the civil rights movement was one very ordinary hero’s contribution to justice. He paid a heavy price for it.

Nearly 50 years ago on October 17, the actions of two black American athletes at the Mexico Olympics created a firestorm. Tommie Smith and John Carlos won the gold and bronze medals, respectively, in the 200m race. During the medal ceremony where The Star Spangled Banner was being played, they staged a silent protest against racial discrimination. Standing with their heads down, they raised their fists in the air. They were wearing black gloves, black socks without shoes, representing black power and black unity. They wore badges for the Olympic Project for Human Rights.

Their action came the same year as the enactment of the second Civil Rights Act, also known as the Fair Housing Act – prohibiting discrimination by sellers or renters of property. It was the year of the assassination of Martin Luther King. The athletes drew wide criticism and were expelled from the American team.

There’s a historic photo of the medallists that show Peter Norman standing in the silver spot. Fifty years on, Norman still holds the Australian record for 200m. The sprinter was disowned by his own country for offering solidarity with those fighting to end the discrimination against blacks in America. He saw in their struggle the shadow of his native Australia, where an apartheid-like situation prevailed.

In a show of support for Smith and Carlos during the ceremony, Norman wore the same badge of the Olympic Project for Human Rights. The consequence: he was excluded from the country’s next Olympic delegation to Munich. He wasn’t even invited to the Sydney Olympics in 2000. He sacrificed his career for a sacred cause: the end of racial discrimination.

Although the struggles of the victims of injustice are always in focus, Norman’s story of sacrifice inspires me. His use of privilege and his unwavering support for a cause that was not his own offer telling lessons.

Exercising whatever privilege you have to fight injustice can be a powerful thing. In South Africa, the privileged whites joined the cause. This year marks the centenary of women getting the vote in the UK. It has been possible in great part because of the involvement of so many highly privileged female members of society were involved in the campaign. Almost all of us have some sort of privilege even if we may not realise that.

When it comes to power, race and privilege, intersectionality is a buzz word. It’s an idea that explains that multiple factors contribute to oppression, that a black man might suffer in different ways to a black woman, who again might suffer differently to a wealthy white woman.

This can help us recognise the aspects of privilege that we enjoy, even though in other areas we may face discrimination or injustice. This should push us to exercise whatever privileges we have in the race towards eradicating discrimination.

Like Norman, using the great responsibility that comes with any kind of privilege is not to be reserved for superheroes.

Shelina Zahra Janmohamed is the author of Love in a Headscarf and blogs at www.spirit21.co.uk