Sixties radicals, then and Now

Aroused by gains in civil rights and galvanized by the antiwar movement, radical leaders of the 1960s sought to make revolutionary changes in American society. Partly through their leadership, a generation was awakened by the call for a counterculture. That generation is now responsible for the same social and political structures they so adamantly, and sometimes violently, opposed. How did the sixties affect the counterculture leaders? And what are they doing now? Paul Krassner, Cleveland Sellers, Jane Adams, Dave Dellinger, Bill Ayers, Warren Hinckle, Peter Berg, Noam Chomsky, Tim Leary, Philip Berrigan, Anita Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Erica Huggins, Jim Fouratt, Bernadine Dohrn, Barry Melton, Peter Coyote, and Abbie Hoffman reflect on the seminal events that dominated the sixties and discuss the major issues and problems facing America (and them!) today.

Library Journal

For this oral history of the 1960s, Chepesiuk questioned 18 activists about their motivations for joining the counterculture, what impact their radicalism has had on current activities, and what their views are on today's societal problems. While adhering to this uniform format, Chepesiuk skillfully elicits a full array of revealing commentary from his subjects. Major figures include Phillip Berrigan, Dave Dellinger, Bernardine Dohrn, Abbie Hoffman, Timothy Leary, and Jerry Rubin (Rubin was hit by a car and died in November 1994). Among the lesser knowns are Weather Underground activist Bill Ayers, former Black Panther Ericka Huggins, and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) member Cleveland Sellers. David DeLeon's Leaders from the 1960s (LJ 10/15/94) is a very useful compilation of 83 key figures; Chepesiuk's volume provides researchers with more depth. Added features include a detailed chronology of events from 1960 to 1973 and a glossary of terms. Anyone interested in 1960s radicalism will gain much insight here. Highly recommended for most libraries. [For an overview of the Sixties, see Terry H. Anderson's The Movement and the Sixties, reviewed on p. 84. Chepesiuk is an LJ reviewer.-Ed.]-Gary D. Barber, SUNY at Fredonia Lib.

Ron Chepesiuk is a professor and head of special collections at Winthrop University. He is also the author of Raising Hell (1997), Hard Target (1999) and The Scotch-Irish (2000). He lives in Rock Hill, South Carolina.