nefermaathotep: THIS IS HOW WE LOST OUR CULTURE…Converts to Christianity marked their adherence to a new religion by changing the way they dressed. They adopted westernized clothes that signaled them as Christians, as did this Catholic woman in Dakar, Senegal.1935They laughed at your clothes; and made you change your clothes, they laughed at your names; and made you change your names; but most importantly they laughed at your God; and made you change your God.” - John Henrik Clarke
loafersandheels: Black History: October 16, 1968 - The Silent Protest Today in history at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, African-American athlete Tommie Smith won the 200-metre dash in a record time of 19.83 seconds, thus winning the gold medal. White Australian athlete Peter Norman came second at 20.06 seconds and African-American athlete John Carlos came third at 20.10 seconds. While receiving their medals at the podium: Smith and Carlos removed their shoes, wearing black socks to symbolise black poverty Smith represented his black pride by wearing a black scarf Carlos wore beads as a reference to the slaves who were thrown over boats in the middle passage and for those who were lynched, killed, hung and tarred Both athletes wore a single black glove (Peter Norman suggested that John Carlos should wear Tommie Smith’s left-hand glove) Smith and Carlos bowed their head and raised their gloved fists as the American Star-Spangled Banner played, and the crowd booed the athletes as they left the podium. After the event, Smith stated: “If I win I am an American, not a black American. But if I did something bad then they would say “a Negro”. We are black and we are proud of being black. Black America will understand what we did tonight.”