Carlos speaks on book tour stop

Former East Texas State track star and civil rights icon John Carlos was on campus yesterday promoting his new book, "The John Carlos Story," and held a book signing and discussion in the Ferguson Social Sciences Building Auditorium.

Carlos, who attended East Texas State from 1966-67, is famous for putting up his fist as a symbol for black power after he and fellow USA teammate Tommie Smith won bronze and gold, respectively, in the 200 meters race at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. His book, co-authored by Dave Zirin, focuses on that event, what lead up to it, and how it has remained one of the most iconic images of the civil rights era.

"I can't tell you how much it means to be back at Texas A&M-Commerce, also known in John's history as East Texas State University," Zirin said. "Having been able to speak with John and talk with John and know how critical this campus was and this community was in his own political development, it just means so much to have this be a part of our trip."

Zirin said the scene of Carlos and Smith with their fists raised still evokes a response from people today, and that is a major part of why the book was published.

"That image of two people at the olympics doing the most positively inappropriate thing that they can do at that moment, knowing there would be hell to pay but not caring because they had a bigger thought and a bigger principle in mind, that's something that I think is still hypnotic to people. Why does it still matter? People want to know about that image. One of the things we're trying to get across in this book is that it's an amazing moment; but, it wasn't just a moment. It was a movement."

Carlos also spoke of how great it felt to return to a place where he made many great friends, both black and white and how it shaped his mindset before his actions in Mexico City.

"It's a great honor and a pleasure and a blessing for me to be back here at East Texas State University, the city of Commerce, and the new name of Texas A&M University-Commerce," Carlos said. "A lot of people got upset and confused about this fist. This fist was like ground zero today. It was to say with this unified force, we can do something."

His time at A&M-Commerce was, while short lived, filled with memories. Carlos talked about his first impressions of Texas when he met his East Texas State coach in Dallas.

"I never thought about Texas being part of the south," he said. "I remember getting off the plan and seeing a sign that said ‘whites only' on one side of the aisle. Then I remember my coach calling be ‘boy.' Do you know what it is like to be next to your wife and kids and be called ‘boy?' Then he called me ‘negro', which is a term I had never heard before. But, it sounded a whole lot like the other word and I started to get up. My wife put her hand on my leg and told me ‘he didn't say that, it's alright.'"

Carlos wrapped up his talk with a message for all of the students and faculty present based on his actions in 1968.

"You are going to have major crossroads in your life," he said. "When you make a crossroads decision, it's not a partial decision. You think Gandhi didn't know someone was going to kill him? He made a total decision."