Jim Adkins and his team-mates at Speed City (San Jose State)
Rev. Adkins, an Escondido High School product, held Palomar’s mile (4:09.9), 880, and 3-mile records and was a member of three record-setting relay teams under coach Larry Knuth when he accepted a scholarship to San Jose State University. There, he was a teammate of John Carlos, Tommie Smith, and Lee Evans and ran on the Spartans’ 1969 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field championship team.
Adkins placed third for Knuth in the mile in the state community college meet as a freshman in 1966 and was second in the state as a sophomore in 1967. Adkins is currently pastor at the West Gate Church in Placentia, CA and is a published author.
From the Book Cover –
Lee Evans, African-American and Gold Medalist in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics in the 400-meter dash, allowed me to observe his life up close. I saw the treatment he received by whites. Lee and I were teammates on the San Jose State track team from 1967-1969. This gave me first hand exposure to both the overt and subtle forms of hate and prejudice he faced daily. Through this journey, I came to grips with the innate racism and prejudice in myself. This book is a challenge to people of all ethnicities to look inside and move past tolerance to love.
Before Black Lives Mattered will:
- Challenge everyone to think through their feelings about those different from them
- Present an inside look at one of the all-time great dual meet track teams in history
- Give you a fresh look at the dramatic “Black Power” salute by Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City
