Iconic San Jose State monument gets a touch-up before the Olympics

“Victory Salute,” the statue commemorating the Black Power salute given by Olympic athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos on the medal stand in 1968, has become an iconic landmark at San Jose State since its dedication in 2005. And that’s exactly what Rigo 23, the artist who created the 22-foot-tall artwork, had hoped would happen.

“It’s been really nice to see so many young people interact with it over the years,” Rigo 23 said. He arrived on campus this week from Los Angeles with artistic...