Student, Women, and Anti Vietnam Protests

Question 1

Reasons for Growth of Protest Movements

Answer 1

Many young people took part in the civil rights protests and used their experience to protest for other social issues, such as discrimination against women and other ethnic groups such as Hispanics. There was dissatisfaction as it seemed like only straight white men were experiencing prosperity post WW2. Finally we have the counterculture prevelant in many teens at the time as they rebelled against the traditionalist values of their parents. Celebrities such as Elvis Presley and James Dean as they encouraged youths to rebel. Finally this was the first generation with widespread use of the TV allowing most households to see social issues and injustice from their own home.

Question 2

Students for a Democratic Society + Berkeley Free Speech Society

Answer 2

One of the first student protest organizations was the Students for a Democratic Society. Many of these members participated in the sit ins and freedom rides, but the organization’s focus was on stronger student rights, and to give students more say in the practices and rules of the university. The SDS also protested against rules that gave teachers the power to act like the student’s parents. The SDS began as a small organization but grew across the 60s, by the end of the decade over 150 colleges had SDS groups.
Protests at the University of California in Berkeley began in 1964 and it brought a lot of media attention. They protested against racial discrimination on campus. The uni responded by banning protesting. Students ignored the ban and carried on, police were called and they arrested the protestors but students refused to move, blocking the police car and making speeches criticizing the uni. Eventually students negotiated with the uni and agreed to leave but after this they formed the Berkeley Free Speech Movement protesting for the right to protest. At its peak, thousands of Berkeley students supported the campaign. This carried on through Nov and Dec with some students being punished or even arrested.