The “John Carlos Story” is a book about the difficulties of growing up black in America at a time when much of the nation was still segregated. John Carlos was a member of the “Olympic Project for Human Rights”. After winning the bronze medal, John Carlos and a friend and teammate, Tommy Smith, who won the gold medal, raised their fists in opposition to racial inequality and civil rights unity. This book shows examples of sociology in everyday life that can be explained through theories and concepts, mainly focusing on the event surrounding their victory at the Olympic Games. A seemingly non-emotional, non-verbal and non-violent protest against racism was welcomed. with a lot of negativity at the Olympic Games. Because of where their “protest” against racial inequality was taking place, many people disagreed with what they were doing. It was not considered socially acceptable to let their opinion on racial issues become part of the “opinionless” Olympic Games. Immediately, the crowd at the match didn't like their way of making their beliefs known while the crowd remained silent. As John Carlos said in his book: “There is something terrible about hearing fifty thousand people fall silent, like being in the eye of a hurricane. Then, as the national anthem blared, the calm before the storm ended and the boos began to descend” (Carlos 121). Smith and Carlos were then able to walk off the field but things got worse, “the anthem the shock had worn off and things were officially getting bad” (Carlos 121). The public began to scold them and call them “anti-American” (Carlos 121). Because of the social context, people didn't understand the purpose of what they were doing or what it represented. There was a period of time (1968) when there was no racial cohesion and blacks were not viewed positively by some Americans. Furthermore, the location was probably not the right place for such a “demonstration”. Once again, people had different reactions and to some, Carlos and Smith were heroes. This can be considered a “labeling theory” that focuses on “how people define deviance – what is or is not 'normal' – which is a fundamental question” (Ballantine/Roberts 175). In the end, those who thought he was a hero were helpful to John Carlos and with his book society accepts him for his efforts and if there are individuals who still don't think so, they are the minority in society. Works Cited Ballantine, Jeanne and Roberts, Keith. Our Social World, Introduction to Sociology.Pine Forge Press, 2011.Carlos, John. The story of John Carlos. (With Dave Zirin). Haymarket Books, Chicago, IL 2011.