Victory Stand

YA graphic biography 

      The 1968 Olympics were held in Mexico.  Tommie Smith took the gold in the the 200 meter event, becoming the first to run it in under 20 seconds.  As the American national anthem sounded he and the bronze medalist, John Carlos, raised their fists in the air.  Just like when more recently football players were reviled and punished for kneeling when it was played, their dignified protest generated a lot of hate from white journalists.  Avery Brundage, the white International Olympic Committee president who has been compared to Bull Connor, stripped them of their medals and sent them home.

     But why did they make this statement that predictably would have ended or at  least jeopardized their athletic careers?   As teen readers can learn in Victory Stand:  Raising My Fist For Justice they were using an international platform to show the rest of the world what America was really like in regard to racism.  

     I highly recommend this book for school and public libraries.  The topic is sadly still very relevant.  And the graphic novel format carries its message much more powerfully and eloquently than words alone could have.

On a purrrsonal note, today was the second day of Clean Sweep.  We set a new record.  This year we netted over $11,000 for the campus food pantry and student volunteering. (Jules)

That is a lot of money.  (Tobago)

A great big shout out goes out to all our customers who spent that money. 

Tobago and Jules Hathaway 

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