Graphic novel tells story of Tommie Smith and his fist-raise for racial justice

Tommie Smith’s decision to raise his fist in support of racial justice during the 1968 Olympic games has defined the last half-century of his life. He has been both ridiculed and praised for the demonstration, which came during a period of racial unrest in America.

Now, amid our most recent racial reckoning, comes Smith’s memoir “Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice,” which chronicles his early days as the son of a sharecropper in Texas, his rise as a world-class athlete, and the civil rights work that came to define his life even more than his athletic prowess.

“Victory. Stand!” is not a typical memoir. It is a graphic novel aimed at young readers. One of itsauthors, Derrick Barnes, a Charlotte resident, is an award-winning children's author.

On the next Charlotte Talks, Barnes joins the program to discuss Smith’s story, his own literary career and the importance of writing these stories for kids.

GUEST:

Derrick Barnes, co-author of “Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice”