During the medal ceremony for the 200-meter race, American athletes John Carlos and Tommie Smith wore black gloves and made the gesture to mimic the Black Power salute. (Their shoeless, socked feet was to represent black poverty.) It was quite the political statement about civil rights, and one that got them kicked out of the games by the IOC chair. (Little known fact: the silver medalist, Australian Peter Norman, may look like he's not participating, but he's actually making a very big statement too by wearing a human rights badge on his uniform. Thirty-eight years later when Norman died, both Carlos and Smith were pallbearers at his funeral.)