Race: Len Tau (left) and Jan Mashiani of South Africa participated in the 1904 Olympic marathon but didn’t officially represent the country. Photo: Missouri History Museum
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.
The first modern Olympic Games was held in 1896 in Greece….
