Historic sports protest explored in new play by ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ director
Written by Black Hot Fire Network on March 30, 2023
Now on stage at The Old Globe is the world premiere of playwright and filmmaker Kemp Powers' "The XIXth" (The Nineteenth), directed by Carl Cofield.
The play is a fictionalized account of the 1968 Summer Olympics, when two Black American sprinters raised their fists as a form of protest on the medal podium as the National Anthem played, protesting racial injustice. Tommie Smith (played by Korey Jackson) and John Carlos (Biko Eisen-Martin) had just won the gold and bronze medals in the 200-meter dash — Smith even got a world record of 19.83 seconds.
