A Psychedelic Generation Gap: How the sixties counterculture changed America’s future
The 1960s were one of the most disorderly and divisive decades in world history.
The number of American young people 14 to 25 jumped 40 percent in the era, representing 20% of the population. The gulf between their parents and these youths, growing up during a period of peaceful, rapid economic growth, revealed a tremendous gap in perspectives.
Young people of the 1960s questioned the previous generations authority and outlooks. They went further by rejecting social norms of race, the traditional family unit, sexuality, and dress. A new, psychedelic inspired music by the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and many other bands delivered lyrics and energy crucial to invigorate political ideas and common experiences. The phenomenon of distrust of those over 30 signaled a growing mood of militant protest that could not be quelled. Join author/historian John Cilio for “A Psychedelic Generation Gap: How the sixties counterculture changed America’s future” at the Woodbury Public Library.
John Cilio is a historical storyteller, author and a member of the Organization of American Historians and the Association for the Study of Connecticut History. He is a storied researcher who has brought historical stories back to life for over 15 years. He retired from IBM corporate marketing communications and has published seven historical books and numerous articles for national and regional periodicals. His book about the evolution of helicopters, whose foreword was written by a son of Igor Sikorsky, is a listed reference source at the Smithsonian Institution.