The 1960s was a time of political, social and cultural currents that are difficult to encapsulate. It was a time of love…and then some.

In conjunction with the exhibition “William Blake and the Age of Aquarius” scholars from a range of disciplinary perspectives came together to focus on the moment of the 1960s in the U.S.—considering protest and liberation, civil and human rights. Presented on Wednesday October 4, 2017 these 15 minutes lectures took on varied topics to create a complex picture of 1960s social politics that goes beyond a reductive “peace and love” ethos.  Participating scholars included:

• Michael Allen (History) on challenges to traditional elitism
• Michael Kramer (American Studies) on uncategorizable countercultural politics and the emancipatory drive of 1960s protest
• Amy Partridge (Gender & Sexuality Studies) on feminist politics of pleasure
• Martha Biondi (African American Studies and History) on visions for police/criminal justice reform as a pre-history of Black Lives Matter

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