Unit 6 Assignment Historical Background

Challenges for freedom grow with in Civil Rights Movement, first with the returning WWII African American veterans — the Double V campaign (1940s), seeking victory in world war but also victory for civil rights. Then, the Brown v Board of Education Supreme Court case (1954) required states to eventually, but definitely, undo racial segregation laws and practices. Finally, activists launched efforts big and small (from local boycotts to major protests) to make that happen, and sooner rather than later. This victory came with the Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965). These post-war decades of struggle would go on to inspire others who sought change, liberties, rights, protections, or empowerment, including women (Womens Liberation/Second Wave Feminism), LGBT+ Americans and other marginalized groups, and most especially with anti-war/peace activists (aimed against the Vietnam War, which started in 1965 and ended in 1975).

In the late 1960s and early 70s, we find the United States in a new culture war that had some parallels with the 1920s. While some groups pushed for new levels of social progress (especially among the young Baby Boomer counterculture generation) other groups and many elders felt alarm and wanted to push back the tide of change. We live in the fallout of this culture war to this very day. Civil Rights progressed to a Black Power and Black is beautiful movement, and other minority groups stood up for freedom and recognition as well. Women campaigned for basic equal rights still unachieved at that time, like the right to open a bank account or credit card without permission from father or husband, equal pay, and reproductive bodily autonomy. There was nothing like it since the 1920s, which you will remember from our class essay, and they all faced pushback and struggle.

One interesting parallel with the 1920s involved fashion as a statement of personal protest and change. The Flapper girls of the 20s enacted resistance to the older social order by embracing the opposite of their mothers in terms of attire a short bob instead of long hair; mini-skirts in place of floor or ankle-length garb; abandonment of corsets and curves for a thin, boyish, almost androgynous appearance; and, of course, ample use of make-up. Her behavior defied the old gender norms as she smoked, consumed alcohol, and danced in scandalizing, upbeat ways. Similarly, the hippies of the counterculture, both men and women, defied their parents generation by doing, as much as possible, the opposite in terms of fashion women wore jeans and pants on a daily basis, both genders grew their hair long and men grew facial hair (not clean cut); they had a carefree and almost unkempt look (not highly styled or prim); and many went about without shoes, unclad, in unique items from different countries and cultures; and in beads and headbands rather than tidy white gloves, cute hats, suits, fine jewelry, and high heels. Many elders felt scandalized.

Whether you admire or resent the Baby Boomer generation, whether you love their music and their particular brand of counterculture activism or prefer to make OK, Boomer jokes, we pause to look back at a time when a significant number of the largest generation in the history of the nation sought to break from the recent past to seek new freedoms and ideals.

Keep in mind that the young generation was subject to the draft to (Vietnam War, 1965-75), which seemed to cause mass death in a foreign country for increasingly questionable motives. More and more American fathers, sons, and brothers died in combat (in the first war the US would ultimately lose), and some chose to fight back. The anti-war/peace movement and the entire counterculture resisted the draft and the war itself, drawing inspiration from the recent Civil Rights movement and its tactics and victories. Meanwhile, other Boomers enlisted to fight overseas and bitterly opposed the protest actions, whether massive and well organized or just youthful, riotous fun. Again, the culture war at home during this period has simply continued to the present day in one form or another, shifting among new generations; and, if you stop to think about it, there has not been a major change in popular fashion since.

In order to better understand the time period and those who lived through it, we will look at the popular music of the era. You will choose two (2) songs from among the options provided below that span folk, folk-rock, pop, classic rock, country, and soul tunes. All of this music reflects new counterculture and progressive ideals related to freedom, or they generally capture the rapidly changing milieu. If you are unsure which to choose, consider looking up the lyrics, listening to them, or asking elders who lived in that era what two songs from the list were their own favorites or made an impact on their lives. For this assignment, complete the following:

Song Choice: Choose any two (2) songs from the list provided and begin some light research. Using your preferred search engine, look up the lyrics and a bit of background on the tune itself and its writer or performer. Be prepared to share the sources of your research when you add quotes or share specific details aside from lyrics. (As always, both A.I. and Wikipedia are not permitted.)
Content: In your written assignment, you will write what you learned about the song itself and its writer/artist and also analyze how the lyrics and style capture the tunes message and this time period. Your submission will thus include some background information (with intext citations) but also include your own personal analysis of the song lyrics. Do not use outside research to analyze lyrics, as that work constitutes part of your own intellectual effort on this task. An artist might be anti-war, pro-womens rights, challenging the status quo, or maybe even countering those narratives with something patriotic or complicated. As long as you have a grasp of the time period and movements, this should be a simple and, hopefully, fun assignment. The submission should reach a minimum of 600 words of original writing, not counting any quote you use, like song lyrics. Think of writing about 300 words per song, but there is no word count maximum.

Please select songs from this list:

. You may also find it helpful to review these

as an example.

Grading Criteria

Submission reflect on two songs and include background on the tunes and their writers or performers.
Sources are included for direct quotes and/or specific details shared.
Direct quotes of song lyrics are included and used for reflection on the songs meaning, as the source of original analysis.
Content must provide a sense of historical context, how the song related to concerns of the time period, and that should usually be obvious, but your research will help if unsure.
The regular course readings will have provided a historical foundation for your analysis.’

PLEASE DO NOT USE AI

Requirements: 600 WORDS

WRITE MY PAPER

1960s and 1970

Unit 6 Assignment Historical Background

Grading Criteria

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