Smith, Tommie, and Derrick Barnes. Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice. ‡ Dawud Anyabwile, Illus. Norton, 09/2022. 200pp. Biography .GRADES 7 – 12. OUTSTANDING. Trade $22.95. 978-1-324-00390-8.
Olympic gold medalist Tommie Smith tells his story of life as a poor sharecropper’s son who became a legend at San Jose State University for protesting racism by raising his fist from the medal stand at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. He describes his youth in the rural South, the family’s move to California’s Central Valley to work in agriculture, and his athletic success at San Jose State. He also describes his influences, including sports sociologist Harry Edwards and teammate John Carlos, who also held up his fist in silent protest. There is one illustration of a lynching and a few uses of the nword as slurs directed at Smith. The distinctive first-person voice is matched by the black ink on white background cartoons of the paneled graphic novel artwork. Sure to appeal to a wide age range, including teens who probably never heard of Smith, this does a great job of reminding people of his legacy. This book has California-specific content.
Penny Peck—San Jose State University iSchool