Seen around the world, John Carlos and Tommie Smith’s Black Power salute on the 1968 Olympic podium sparked controversy and career fallout. Yet their show of defiance remains one of the most iconic images of Olympic history and the Black Power movement.

Here is the remarkable story of one of the men behind the salute, lifelong activist, John Carlos who has penned this inspiring new book (Haymarket Books) with progressive sportswriter Dave Zirin. The John Carlos Story also includes a foreward by Cornell West, one of the country's most provocative public intellectuals.

John Carlos is an African American former track and field athlete and professional football player, and a founding member of the Olympic Project for Human Rights. He won the bronze-medal in the 200 meters race at the 1968 Summer Olympics, where his Black Power salute on the podium with Tommie Smith caused much political controversy.

He went on to equal the world record in the 100 yard dash and beat the 200 meters world record. After his track career, he enjoyed brief stints in the National Football League and Canadian Football League but retired due to injury. He became involved with the United States Olympic Committee and helped to organize the 1984 Summer Olympics. He later became a track coach at a high school in Palm Springs, where he now resides. He was inducted into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2003.

If you're interested in bringing Dave Zirin to your campus or community to talk about this book, his other books and his powerful documentary film "Not Just a Game: Power, Politics & American Sports," contact SpeakOut for details.

In the video below, Tommie Smith and John Carlos are honored with the 2008 Arthur Ashe Courage Award from ESPN.