New York rapper Nas knows the significance of October 16. The hip-hop veteran has acknowledged the mid-century mark of iconic athletes John Carlos and Tommie Smith‘s game-changing clinched fists moment.

Nasir Jones went to Instagram Tuesday (October 16) to explain today’s importance.

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Its the 50 Year anniversary today of John Carlos & Tommie Smith’s salute. #thirdsalute @tommiesmith68 current pic of Tommie Smith by @afshinashahidi

A post shared by Nasir Jones (@nas) on Oct 16, 2018 at 4:44pm PDT

Throughout the day, various celebrities and media outlets have paid homage to the 1968 Black Power salute.

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Today marks 50 years since Tommie Smith and John Carlos's infamous Black Power salute at the 1968 Mexico Games. They reflect on how far we've come since then. Video: @nikhitachulani

A post shared by The Guardian (@guardian) on Oct 16, 2018 at 11:28am PDT

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50 years ago, 2 comrades took a sacrifice for Black Liberation. They risked it all and paid the price. I am grateful and humbled by their acts of unsung heroism. For those athlvists who recognize that it’s Bigger Than…we stand, kneel, rise and fight with you. We see you. #mexico68olympics @nmaahc by @ms.empr3ssive1 #tommiesmithandjohncarlos #tommiesmith #johncarlos

A post shared by Mutulu Olugbala (@m1deadprezrbg) on Oct 16, 2018 at 5:53pm PDT

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50 years ago today, my Dad Tommie Smith sacrificed individual glory to make a stand for racial equality. We all owe it to John Carlos, Peter Norman and Him to do what we can to combat racial injustice both in our country and worldwide. Though through the efforts of these three and many others we’ve made progress, we still have a LONG way to go >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> #tommiesmith #johncarlos #peternorman #1968 #1968olympics #equality #justice #love #power #ophr

A post shared by T. Mychal Smith (@tmychals) on Oct 16, 2018 at 2:46pm PDT

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Nike has embraced Colin Kaepernick and "finally" wants the country to listen to what Colin Kaepernick has to say and has been saying. . Cleverly releasing their new commercial commemorating the 30th anniversary of it's "Just Do It" ad campaign during the NFL season opener between the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons, Nike will air a powerful commercial and message stating, "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything." . I can personally relate to Kaepernick’s call for people to "believe in something, even it means sacrificing everything" as I took this very stance 50 years ago alongside my two brothers Tommie Smith and Peter Norman on the podium in Mexico City. . None of us could have imagined the backlash we would have encountered and how drastic our lives would have changed due to our protest. We truly believed in our protest and the message behind it. Like Kaepernick, that's all that mattered to us. . Now I wish a multi-billion dollar company like Nike endorsed us back in 1968 to promote our message but like everything in life, sometimes you have to take a stand and be the initiator of change, in order for others to reap the benefits of that change. . Like a relay runner passing off the baton to another runner, the baton was passed on to brother Kaepernick. . . Lead on brother and continue to use your platform to bring awareness and change to the issues facing our communities. . . Looking back 50 years from now, you will remember these moments and remember what side of history you were on. . Dr. John Carlos @liwi1968 #imwithkap #johncarlos

A post shared by JohnCarlos68.com (@johncarlos1968) on Sep 9, 2018 at 7:03am PDT

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