Tommie Smith Biography
Tommie Smith began life quietly, born to Richard and Dora Smith on June 6, 1944 in Clarksville, Texas the seventh of 12 children. Smith survived a life-threatening bout of pneumonia as an infant which allowed him to carry out the work that God intended for him. Today, his historic achievements make him a nationally and internationally distinguished figure in African American history. He is the only man in the history of track and field to hold eleven world records simultaneously.
During the historical 19th Olympiad in Mexico City in the summer of 1968, Smith broke the world and Olympic record with a time of 19.83 seconds and became the 200-meter Olympic champion. As the Star-Spangled Banner played in the wind at the Mexico City Summer Olympic Games, Smith and John Carlos stood on the victory podium, draped with their Olympic medals, each raised a clinched fist covered in a black leather glove in a historic stand for black power, liberation, and solidarity. This courageous, unexpected worldwide event propelled Smith into the spotlight as a human rights spokesman, activist, and symbol of African American pride at home and abroad. Cheered by some, jeered by others, and ignored by many more, Smith made a commitment to dedicate his life, even at great personal risk to champion the cause of oppressed people. Dr. Smith completed his Autobiography titled “Silent Gesture” published by Temple University Press in January 2007, was nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the literary category Autobiography and Biography. The story of the “Silent Gesture” is captured for all time in the 1999 HBO TV documentary: "Fists of Freedom".
Smith’s courageous leadership, talent, and activism have earned him well-deserved acclaim and awards. Some highlights are included here: On November 1, 2019, he was inducted into the United States Olympic & Paralympic Legend Hall of Fame; he's been featured in Sports Illustrated, Ebony, Time, and Newsweek; from 1969 to 1971 he played for the Cincinnati Bengals and was inducted in 1978 as a member of the National Track & Field Hall of Fame; he was part of the coaching staff of the 1995 World Indoor Championship team in Barcelona, Spain; in 1996 he was inducted into the California Black Sports Hall of Fame; in 1999 he won the Sportsman of the Millennium Award; in 1999 he was inducted into the Bay Area Hall of Fame and the San Jose State University Sports Hall of Fame; from 2000 to 2001 the County of Los Angeles and the State of Texas presented Smith with Commendation, Recognition, and Proclamation Awards; and the French Government named a Gymnasium and a Youth Sports House in Paris in his honour. Since the games of the 19th Olympiad, Smith has enjoyed a distinguished career as a coach, educator and activist.
Smith served as a faculty member at Santa Monica College for 27 years, teaching and coaching and serving on academic committees. He has dedicated a total of 37 years to educating and teaching children. In June of 2005 he retired and moved to Georgia, but he continues to travel worldwide giving of himself to all.
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How much does it cost to book Tommie Smith?
Booking fees for Tommie Smith, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. Pricing often varies between live and virtual events. Other factors that can affect speaker fees include the talent's schedule, market conditions, length of presentation, and the location of the event. The live and virtual event speaking fees listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only. In some cases, the actual quote may be above or below the stated range. For the most current fee to hire Tommie Smith, please fill out the
booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak with an experienced booking agent.
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Who is the agent for Tommie Smith?
All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like Tommie Smith for clients worldwide for more than 20 years. As a full-service talent booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Tommie Smith for your next private or corporate function.
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All American Speakers is a "buyers agent" and exclusively represents talent buyers, meeting planners and event professionals, who are looking to secure celebrities and speakers for personal appearances, speaking engagements, corporate entertainment, public relations campaigns, commercials, or endorsements. We do not exclusively represent Tommie Smith or claim ourselves as the exclusive booking agency, business manager, publicist, speakers bureau or management for Tommie Smith or any other speaker or celebrity on this website. For more information on how we work and what makes us unique, please read the AAE Advantage.
Tommie Smith is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Tommie Smith for your event is $20,000 - $30,000. Tommie Smith generally travels from Stone Mountain, GA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Nikki Giovanni, Tamika D. Mallory, Renee Montgomery, Bakari Sellers and Clayborne Carson. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Tommie Smith for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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