Important information for ticket holders: All eventibrite ticket holders must pick up a General Admission ticket from the Rosenthal Pavillion, on the 2nd floor of the Kimmel Center. The Kimmel Center will be open on the day of the event from 12:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m., however we would like to encourage people to pick up their tickets before October 12th, so that all who RSVPd on eventbrite can be ushered straight to the pavillion. Once again, priority will be given to NYU students, so please pick up your free General Admission ticket as soon as possible!

John Carlos, Cornel West, and Dave Zirin will be speaking at NYU to launch the long-awaited memoir, The John Carlos Story.

Seen around the world, John Carlos and Tommie Smith's Black Power salute on the 1968 Olympic podium sparked controversy and career fallout. Yet their show of defiance remains one of the most iconic images of Olympic history and the Black Power movement. Here is the remarkable story of one of the men behind the salute, lifelong activist, John Carlos.

"John Carlos is one of the grand figures of the 20th century. His incredible political courage, indisputable athletic excellence and indestructible spiritual fortitude set him apart from most contemporary celebrities. In fact, his fame derives from his courage, excellence and fortitude. Yet it is only in this powerful and poignant memoir that we learn of what and who made him who he is."
--Cornel West, from the Foreword to The John Carlos Story

Tickets are free and first come, first-served, with priority given to NYU students.

This event is sponsored by: Haymarket Books, Black Student Union at NYU, Center for Multicultural Education and Programs, Coles Sports Center, LGBTQ Student Center, NYU Division of Student Affairs, Silver School of Social Work, and the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.

About the authors

John Carlos (http://www.johncarlos.org) is an African American former track and field athlete and professional football player, and a founding member of the Olympic Project for Human Rights. He won the bronze-medal in the 200 meters race at the 1968 Summer Olympics, where his Black Power salute on the podium with Tommie Smith caused much political controversy. He went on to equal the world record in the 100 yard dash and beat the 200 meters world record. After his track career, he enjoyed brief stints in the National Football League and Canadian Football League but retired due to injury. He became involved with the United States Olympic Committee and helped to organize the 1984 Summer Olympics. He later became a track coach at a high school in Palm Springs, where he now resides. He was inducted into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2003.

One of America's most provocative public intellectuals, Cornel West (http://www.cornelwest.com/) has been a champion for racial justice since childhood. His writing, speaking, and teaching weave together the traditions of the black Baptist Church, progressive politics, and jazz. The New York Times has praised his "ferocious moral vision." His many books include Race Matters, Democracy Matters, and his new autobiography, Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud.

Dave Zirin (http://www.edgeofsports.com/) was named one of the "50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Our World" by Utne Magazine. He writes about the politics of sports for the Nation magazine, and is their first sports writer in 150 years of existence. Zirin is also the host of Sirius XM satellite's popular weekly show, "Edge of Sports Radio," as well as a columnist for SLAM Magazine, the Progressive, and a regular op-ed writer for the Los Angeles Times. Zirin's other titles are What's My Name, Fool? Sports and Resistance in the United States; Welcome to the Terrordome: The Pain, Politics, and Promise of Sports; The Muhammad Ali Handbook; A People's History of Sports in the United States; and Bad Sports: How Owners Are Ruining the Games We Love.

See the book trailer for the The John Carlos Story
http://www.vimeo.com/28868181

About the book:
http://www.haymarketbooks.org/hc/The-John-Carlos-Story

Price: $22.95
ISBN: 9781608461271
Published: October 2011
Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Haymarket Books