Story From Mexico Olympics

Apart from language and region, people have distinct identity in the form of physical appearance, class, religion, gender, caste, tribe, etc. In this chapter, we are going to understand how democracy responds to social differences, divisions and inequalities.

A STORY FROM MEXICO OLYMPICS : During the medal ceremony of the 200 metres race in the 1968 Olympics held at Mexico City, the two US athletes stood with clenched fists upraised and heads bowed, while the American national anthem was played. They were Tommie Smith and John Carlos. They were African-American athletes. They had won the gold and bronze medals respectively. They received their medals wearing black socks and no shoes to represent Black Poverty. With this act, they tried to draw international attention to racial discrimination in the United States. The black-gloved and raised clenched fists were meant to symbolise Black Power. The third +athlete (silver medallist) standing with them was a white Australian athlete, Petar Norman. He wore a human rights badge on his shirt during the ceremony to show his support to the two Americans.The International Olympic Association held Carlos and Smith guilty of violating the Olympic spirit by making a political statement. Their medals were taken back. They were subjected to a lot of criticism in their home country. Norman also suffered tor his action and was not included in the Australian team for the next Olympic. but their action succeeded in gaining international attention for the Civil Rights Movement in the US. Later on, the San Jose ('Saan Hoze') State University of which they were former students, honoured them and installed their statue in the University campus

DIFFERENCES,SiMILARITIES, DIVISIONS: The athletes in the given example, were responding to social divisions and social inequalities. However, this happens even in societies which do not have racial divisions like in Belgium and Sri Lanka. In the case of Belgium, people who Iive in different speak ditferent languages. In Sri Lanka, linguistic as religious differences are there. Thus, soctal diversity can ditferent forms in different societies.

Origins of Social Differences : Social diversity takes different forms in different societies. We belong to a community because we were born into it. We all experience social differences hased in our daily lives, but all experience of social differences on not based on birth only. Some of them are based on our choices. Every social difference does not lead to social division. Social differences divide similar people Fom one another, but they also unite very diferent people. People belonging to different social groups share differences and similarities cutting across the boundaries of their groups. In the example of Mexican Olympic, rwo players were African-American and one was white, but they were all athletes who stood against racial discrimination. It is often seen that people belonging to same religion feel that they do not belong to the same community because their caste or sect is different. le possible for people from different religions to have the same caste and feel close to cach other. Rich and poor persons trom the same family often do not keep close relations to each other.