Said to Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who had given the black power salute while receiving their Olympic medals
“
The black fist is a meaningless symbol. When you open it, you have nothing but fingers — weak, empty fingers. The only time the black fist has significance is when there's money inside. There's where the power lies.
— Jesse Owens
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "The black fist is a meaningless symbol. When you open it, you have nothing but fingers — weak, empty fingers. The only time the black fist has significance is when there's money inside. There's where the power lies." in the context of "Said to Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who had given the black power salute while receiving their Olympic medals" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Jesse Owens" (Quotes, Jesse Owens, Champion Athlete (1990): Quotations of Owens from Jesse Owens, Champion Athlete (1990) by Tony Gentry )
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Jesse Owens
James Cleveland Owens (12 September 1913 – 31 March 1980) was an African-American athlete and civic leader; winner of 4 Gold medals in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany; he used the name Jesse beginning in childhood, when he gave his name as "J.C. Owens" and was misheard.
About Jesse Owens
James Cleveland Owens (12 September 1913 – 31 March 1980) was an African-American athlete and civic leader; winner of 4 Gold medals in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany; he used the name Jesse beginning in childhood, when he gave his name as "J.C. Owens" and was misheard.
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