The Wheaties Box Will Feature Iconic 1968 Olympic Winner Tommie Smith

Tommie Smith, the 1968 Olympic 200 meter winner known for raising a black-gloved fist on the medal stand, will grace the cover of the Wheaties cereal box.

The General Mills-based cereal will offer a special edition box for pre-order starting at $5 in April with all proceeds going to to the NAACP.

“As a world champion, I always wanted to be on a Wheaties box,” Smith said in a General Mills press release. “To now be recognized by Wheaties and selected to grace the cover of their box, in the class with other great champion athletes, is an honor.”

On one side of the Wheaties box, Smith will be shown as a black silhouette raising a right fist standing on the podium. The other side of the box shows Smith running in a San Jose State singlet.

Smith was surprised with the box in an emotional scene featured in a 2020 documentary on his life titled, “With Drawn Arms.” In the film, images of both sides of the box show Smith raising his right fist on the podium and stretching his arms out as he won the 200m final in Mexico City.

Following Smith's gold medal in the 1968 Olympics 200 meters event, Australian Peter Norman won silver and American John Carlos took home the bronze.

Smith stood on the podium and wore an Olympic Project for Human Rights badge.

Carlos, like Smith, raised a black-gloved fist during the anthem. Both Americans were sent home from the Olympic games for their action.