Tommie Smith and John Carlos to Receive Arthur Ashe Courage Award at The 2008 ESPYs

The 2008 ESPYs co-presented by HUMMER and Under Armour to be Televised on ESPN/ESPN HD on Sunday, July 20 at 9 p.m. ET

At the 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City, against a backdrop of a world in chaos, U.S. Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos stunned the world. After winning gold and bronze medals, Smith and Carlos stood upon the victory stand, bowed their heads and raised their black-gloved fists toward the sky as the national anthem played – an action the two men said represented not only the American struggle for racial equality but the universal struggle for basic human rights - and the world has never forgotten.   Forty years later, and only weeks away from the 2008 Summer Games which are embroiled in a contentious human rights debate of their own, Smith and Carlos will receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at The 2008 ESPYs co-presented by HUMMER and Under Armour.  Presented annually to individuals whose contributions transcend sports, the Ashe Award is the emotional pinnacle of the industry-wide sports celebration, which is being taped on Wednesday, July 16 to be televised Sunday, July 20 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN HD.  The 2008 ESPYs will be hosted this year by Justin Timberlake and take place at the new “NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE.” 

“Four decades after a moment etched forever in sports history – and also 40 years since Arthur Ashe’s first U.S. Open victory – issues of race and social inequality remain an integral part of our daily discourse, enveloping both sports and politics,” said Maura Mandt, executive producer of The 2008 ESPYs.  “The protests swirling around the Beijing Olympics, and athletes being asked to sign waivers stating that they will refrain from demonstrations, reinforce the importance and relevance of this story.” 

Mr. Carlos said, "Arthur Ashe was a great American and a credit to his race, which is the human race. It’s an honor to be recognized and to receive the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage."

Mr. Smith said, “I stand proud to receive this award just as I stood proud on that victory stand 40 years ago. I stood for human and civil rights then, issues that today are just as important.” 

The Arthur Ashe Courage Award

The Arthur Ashe Courage Award is presented each year to individuals whose contributions transcend sports.  In 2007, it was given to Trevor Ringland and Dave Cullen for their work with PeacePlayers, an organization founded to bring enemies together through basketball.  In 2006, the Ashe Award recognized a group of young, Afghan female athletes who are spreading the sport of soccer to their fellow countrywomen.  The award was accepted by Shamila Kohestani and Roia Ahmad, two girls who visited the U.S. to attend soccer clinics in 2004 as part of the Afghan Youth Sports Exchange (AYSE). 

Additional past recipients include: Jim Valvano (1993), Steve Palermo (1994), Howard Cosell (1995), Loretta Claiborne (1996), Muhammad Ali (1997), Dean Smith (1998), Billie Jean King (1999), Dave Sanders (2000), Olympian Cathy Freeman (2001), Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, Tom Burnett and Jeremy Glick, four passengers who lost their lives September 11 on United Flight 93 (2002), Pat and Kevin Tillman (2003), Liberian-born soccer legend George Weah (2004), and disabled athletes Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah and Jim MacLaren (2005). 

The ESPYs

The ESPYs gather top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances.  The 2008 ESPYs co-presented by HUMMER and Under Armour will include both sport-specific awards such as Best MLB Player and Best WNBA Player and distinguishing “Best in Sport” awards, categories that pit different sports against each other, such as Best Team or Best Female Athlete. The ESPYs are committed to the advancement of The V Foundation for Cancer Research, established by ESPN with the late Jim Valvano and announced at the inaugural ESPYs in 1993.

For the fifth consecutive year, fans will determine the winners in all categories (except the Arthur Ashe Courage Award and other special awards) by voting online at www.espys.tv starting Tuesday, July 1.

*The show will be taped on Wednesday, July 16 at 6 p.m. PT. 

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