1904 Olympic marathon participants Len Tau (left) and Jan Mashiani (right) of South Africa. Image: Missouri History Museum
Francois Cleophas – 26 July 2024
Jan Mashiani and Len Tau apparently found themselves in the US in 1904 as part of a world’s fair displaying ‘savages’.
Who were the first Africans to compete in the modern Olympic Games? The answer to that question reveals the surprising story of a 1904 marathon – and exposes the history of racism and white supremacy that characterised the Olympics in its early days…
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