Michael Leunig Quotes
In some ways, calm bodily protest has a nakedness to it that may be deeply embarrassing for observers; an act not unlike the bare-faced Oliver Twist effrontery that stands vulnerably before authority, asking for more or better.
Leunig, Michael. The Lot: In Words. Penguin Books, 2008.
There was a planned boycott of the Olympics protesting three factors: Avery Brundage, the long serving head of the American Olympic Committee was a notorious racist and anti-Semite, Apartheid South Africa and Rhodesia had been invited to the Olympics, and there were almost no Black coaches of the American Olympic team while the majority of the athletes were Black. Dr. King met with the organizing athletes. The boycott did not get organized soon enough and did not materialize. However, Carlos and Tommy Smith made the famous raised fist gesture during the Olympic victory ceremony, and the third medal winner Australian Peter Norman wore a button supporting the protest at the ceremony. All 3 athletes faced serious retribution afterwards.
Michael Leunig, typically referred to as Leunig (his signature on his cartoons), is an Australian cartoonist, poet, artist, philosopher and cultural commentator. His best known works include The Curly Pyjama Letters, cartoon books The Essential Leunig, The Wayward Leunig, The Stick, Goatperson, Short Notes from the Long History of Happiness and Curly Verse, among others and The Lot, a compilation of his 'Curly World' newspaper columns. Leunig has also written a book of prayers, When I Talk To You. He was declared an Australian Living Treasure by the National Trust of Australia in 1999.
