1960s Radicalization and Feminism

1960s Radicalization

• Yippies (Youth International Party): A countercultural group opposing the Vietnam War, advocating against repression, and employing radical protests.

• Black Power Movement: A shift in civil rights from integration to Black self-determination, pride, and empowerment.

  • Key figures like Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael influenced it.
  • June 1966, James Meredith's march and shooting sparked the movement.
  • The Black Panther Party (founded in 1966) advocated for self-defense and community programs.
  • The movement faced growing violence, leading to a loss of white support.
  • Accusations of sexism existed within the movement.
  • Focused on Black consciousness and community-based activism.
  • The 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. further fueled the movement.

Feminism and Intersectionality

• Second-Wave Feminism (1960s-1980s): Focused on reproductive rights, workplace equality, and domestic violence awareness.
• Intersectionality: Included the struggles of ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ women.
• Combahee River Collective: Focused on Black and lesbian women's issues.
• Chicana Activism: Advocated for Mexican-American women's rights.
• "The personal is political": Highlighting how private issues reflect systemic inequalities.
• 1967: Interracial marriage legalized nationwide (Loving v. Virginia).
• 1973: Roe v. Wade secured the right to abortion until the third trimester.
• Title VII (1964 Civil Rights Act): Banned employment discrimination.
• 1973: Homosexuality no longer classified as a mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association.

The Peace Movement

• Context: Opposition to the Vietnam War fueled the peace movement.
  • Advocacy for nonviolence and social justice.
• Key Groups:
  • Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW)
  • Hippie Movement (peace, love, communal living)
  • Weather Underground (radical, advocated direct action).
• Wounded Knee (1973): American Indian Movement (AIM) occupied Wounded Knee, South Dakota, demanding treaty respect and removal of a corrupt tribal president, referencing the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre.
  • Resulted in a standoff and casualties.
  • Anti-war protests and riots were characteristic of the era.

Stonewall Riots (1969)

• Event: A police raid at the Stonewall Inn (NYC gay bar) sparked protests and violence against discriminatory LGBTQ+ treatment.
• Legacy: Sparked the Gay Liberation Movement and established June as Pride Month.
• Key Figure: Marsha P. Johnson (co-founded STAR to support LGBTQ+ youth).

Gay Rights Movement

• Inspirations: Took inspiration and used tactics from other movements (e.g., "Gay is Beautiful" slogan reflecting "Black is Beautiful").
• Key Connections: Movements share focus on identity, empowerment, and adopted tactics from one another, emphasizing parallels.

1970s Crises

• A Period of Disorder and Change: Marked by protests, riots, and cultural upheaval including civil rights, counterculture, and anti-war movements.
• Riot in Chicago (1968 Democratic National Convention): August 26-29, 1968; protests turned violent after Mayor Richard Daley deployed the National Guard and police. The slogan "The whole world is watching" described the televised events.
• 1968 Election: Richard Nixon (Republican) focused on the "law and order" and "Silent Majority" (white middle-class families), winning narrowly against Hubert Humphrey (Democrat - Johnson's VP, tied to pro-war policies), and George Wallace (Independent, segregationist appealing to Southern voters). The Democrats retained Congress.
• Nixon and the Vietnam War: Promised "Peace with Honor" through Vietnamization; escalated bombings in North Vietnam and Cambodia; Only 27,000 U.S. troops remained by 1972. The 1973 War Powers Act required congressional approval for military actions. Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos fell to communism by 1975.
• The Silent Majority: Nixon's target demographic, white middle-class families, concerned by integration, counterculture, and unrest.
• Nixon Doctrine (1969-1974): U.S. would support allies with money and resources, but not direct military involvement, contrasting the interventionist Truman Doctrine.
• Détente and Triangular Diplomacy: Improved relations with China (recognized People's Republic of China) and the Soviet Union (SALT I).
• Watergate Scandal: June 17, 1972; Burglars linked to Nixon’s reelection committee (CREEP) broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters. Tapes revealed Nixon's involvement in covering up the break-in, leading to Nixon's resignation and Gerald Ford assuming the presidency.
• Sun Belt vs. Rust Belt: The Sun Belt grew; the Rust Belt declined due to industrial job loss (deindustrialization). This affected Detroit and Black unemployment.
• OPEC and the 1973 Oil Crisis: The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) imposed an oil embargo, leading to severe energy shortages and a reevaluation of U.S. global power.
• Crisis of Confidence (1979): Jimmy Carter's speech addressed the energy crisis and American disillusionment; Reagan criticized Carter's pessimism.
• Key Connections for Exams Nixon's policies, Carter's speech, deindustrialization, and the Sun Belt's rise.

Explore the radical movements of the 1960s, including the Yippies and the Black Power Movement, which advocated for social justice and empowerment. This quiz also covers the rise of second-wave feminism and the concept of intersectionality, highlighting the struggles for equality among diverse groups. Test your knowledge on these pivotal historical movements that shaped modern activism.