This Day in History – Tommie Smith makes a ‘Black Power Salute’ at Olympics

On 17 October 1968, Tommie Smith caused controversy by making a ‘Black Power Salute’ at the Olympics.

After winning 200m gold in Mexico City, Smith and his fellow American John Carlos – who took bronze – made the gesture during their medal ceremony in order to support the civil rights cause.

Find out more and listen to Smith explain what led him to make one of the most political statements the Olympics has ever seen.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/athletics/24543522

Why Sport Needs to Talk about its Mental Health Secrets

“I only felt pain – being numb was better.”

If Graeme Fowler, an English cricketer who scored a century against West Indies when that was something to ring church bells for, was talking about a broken thumb you would not bat an eyelid.

Injuries are occupational hazards in professional sport. Everybody gets them and everybody has to get over them.

But what if this is an injury you cannot see? What if the pain is in your head and you cannot tell anybody about it?

Fowler was one of the most exciting domestic batsmen of the 1980s and never looked like a man in turmoil at the crease, which was more than could usually be said of the national team.

This image of a man without too many cares was seemingly confirmed by his reputation as a dressing-room joker and later as a cheery presence in the BBC broadcasting booth.

But by 2004 his occasional bouts of dark introspection had become serious. He had not left the house for six weeks and was unable to do even the simplest of tasks.   More … http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/24226844

Sport and Depression

Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month – October 2013

 

Trevor McDonald 1

October is Black History Month and with this in mind we have chosen Trevor McDonald as our Inspirational Diversity Champion.

Trevor McDonald was born in Trinidad in 1939, he worked in various aspects of the media including local newspapers, radio and television before he joined the Caribbean regional service of the BBC World Service in 1960 as a producer.  He moved to London at the end of that decade to work for the corporation (BBC Radio, London).

In 1973 he moved to Independent Television News (ITN) and rose steadily through the ranks to become the first black newsreader in the UK.  He was twice voted Newscaster of the year, and is perceived as the face of ITN after years of fronting its flagship ‘News at Ten’ bulletin.

He is an accomplished journalist, he has written several books including autobiographies on cricketers Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards. His own biography, ‘Fortunate Circumstances’, was published in 1993.

Once viewed as the best-spoken person in the country, he fronted a two-year inquiry into the state of language learning. It warned that government education policy failed to teach pupils the necessary language skills needed for later life.

Trevor McDonald read the news for ITN for over 30 years, in 1992 he received an OBE in the Queen’s Honours List, and in 1999 received a knighthood for services to journalism.  Although now retired from reading the news Trevor continues to broadcast on TV most recently last month when he presented the show ‘Women Behind Bars’ an insight into the Indiana Rockville Correctional Facility.

 

April Ashley, Transgender Icon: Liverpool Exhibition Opens

A year-long exhibition has recently opened at Liverpool Museum dedicated to the astonishing life of April Ashley. It examines how one of the first British people to undergo gender reassignment surgery helped to change society.

The exhibition focusing on her extraordinary journey from George Jamieson to April Ashley MBE draws on her own photographic archive and documents to look at the wider impact of changing social and legal conditions for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.  More http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-24271931

April Ashley

 

Disabled Students ‘Need Campus Help’

Disabled students are calling on UK universities to do more to help them take part fully in campus life.

A study by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign’s Trailblazers suggests many students are unable to access areas such as lecture theatres and libraries.

disabled students

It says many institutions are failing to signpost key information such as details of accessible accommodation.

The Equality Challenge Unit said many universities were working hard to be as accessible and welcoming as possible. More … http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-24367817