Background: As we saw last week, a new American generation born after World War II (Boomers) had aspirations for peace, prosperity, and technological advancements (remember the 1964 World’s Fair).
The Cold War rivalry between the nuclear-armed Superpowers (US and USSR) put these lofty aspirations in constant doubt. Diplomacy in the nuclear age set the world on edge, even extending to outer space with the Space Race to send manned flights to the moon!
The Korean War (1950-1953) and the Vietnam War (1960s-1973) were two of the largest “hot wars” in the Cold War era. Asia became a focus as China had a Communist Revolution (1945-1949) and joined Cold War rivalries. Communism served as a liberation ideoogy for many nations looking to overthrow European colonial rule.
Capitalist economic opportunities and the promise of democrcy inspired others seeking national self-determination. During the Cold War era, revolts against European colonial rule in Asia, Africa, and elsewhere created new nations in many, many places such as Vietnam (formerly French Indochina) and Kenya (formerly a British colony).
When the US, USSR, or China offered military or financial aid to rebels, the Cold War threatened to heat up into what were called “proxy wars”.
At home in the US, Baby Boomers faced a social dilemma about their future: enter the mainstream of America offering prosperity and peace but requiring conformity to conservative racial, and gender norms?
Baby Boomer aspirations for peace and prosperity turn to social justice movements at home, rather than fighting Communism abroad? These choices produced one of the most politically divided times in American history — perhaps similar to our own.
This week, we focus on one important year in this Cold War history: 1964 in the USA. Next week, we will go more global with another year, 1968.
Used the term “human rights” to describe the black liberation struggles in the US and around the world in the post-WWII era. It was the preferred terminology used by the United Nations in its (our) Univeral Convention on Human Rights.
Here in the US, we usually refer to this movement as “the civil rights movement”. Each time and place and generation creates it’s own ways to articulate the dignity of our humanity.
Today we might say Black Lives Matter or Women’s Rights are Human Rights. Whatever ways we express it, we are bound by international law to affirm the rights of all people to live freely, safely, and equally.
Assignment materials to consult on below before writing 1 article “Segregation and Civil Rights in SF” and 4 videos on 1964 Boomer activism in the Free Speech Movement and Freedom Summer (about 40 minutes total video time).
50th Anniversary Free Speech Movement UC Berkeley 1964
30 minute documentary from NBC Bay Area California. Issues and activism of 1964 that sparked activism across America.
Some things to think about: What were some of the different issues that motivated protests for change? Who were some of the different people who got involved?
What were the sources of resistance to change? How did the different sides view freedom and security in the Cold War Age of Anxiety?
Segregation and the Civil Rights Movement in San Francisco
https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Segregation_and_the_Civil_Rights_Movement_in_San_Francisco
Webpage. Read the article on civil rights and segregation 1930-1960s in “the North” (California), proving that structural racism was not just a “Southern problem” in the US. After you read the history, take a look at the photographs of CORE (Congress on Racial Equality) in San Francisco that promoted the civil rights message of “Jobs and Freedom.
This group teamed with Berkeley college students to promote union rights round the Bay Area. The video interview there with activist Darrell Rogers is worth seeing.
1964 Remembering Freedom Summer
3:30 minute ABC news program from 2014. Baby Boomer US college students teamed with civil rights activists to register voters in Mississippi. Filmaker Stanley Nelson describes what happened and why.
1964 Freedom Summer: David Dennis
3 minute video. Baby Boomer civil rights activist David Dennis remembers his eulogy for James Cheney.
1964 Freedom Summer: Fannie Lou Hamer
3 minute video. The leader of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer, frightened President Lyndon Johnson. Find out how.
What do you think were the most important aspects of these Baby Boomer movements of 1964? What civil rights did they define as most important? How were the movements in the American South similar and different to the movements in the San Francisco Bay area of California (SF and Berkeley)?
Be sure to include specific examples.