America in the Sixties: Movements for Change
Please note: Course fee (reduced) and location were revised after the brochure went to press.
"America in the Sixties" will reflect upon the watershed decade of the 1960s with an emphasis on the social movements for change and how they shaped—and continue to shape—the course of American history. We will ponder issues of historiography, the complex web of questions about how we think about a historical period with truth and wisdom. For our purposes, the decade begins on February 4, 1960, with a lunch counter sit-in in Greensboro, North Carolina, and ends with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords on January 27, 1973.
Our focus will be upon the protest movements of the sixties: the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, the Student Movement, the Counter-Culture, the Anti-War Movement, and the beginnings of the Women’s Movement. We will explore the nature of these movements, their virtues and their vices, their successes and their failures, their interaction with established political institutions, and their impact on the direction of American society. Our goal will be to dispel some of the myths about the sixties (and there are many) and move in the direction of accuracy and understanding.
Faculty Bio
Bill Smoot is a writer of fiction and essays. He received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Northwestern University. He teaches college classes in San Quentin Prison.
This is an In Person-Only Course
- Classes meet in person at the Golden Bear Center, Suite 202/204, at 1995 University Ave., Berkeley.
- You must be a current OLLI @Berkeley member to register. Learn about membership, including our fee assistance program.
Schedule Highlights
- Course starts on Tuesday, April 2, and ends on Tuesday, May 7
- Classes meet for 6 weeks, 2 hours per session (1–3 PM)
- Course materials, including videos, will remain available to view and enjoy through May 31
Member Praise for Bill Smoot
This was absolutely one of my favorite OLLI courses. Bill is an engaging and intelligent instructor, well-versed in philosophy and film. The class discussions were excellent, and Bill was skilled at facilitating discussion.
Everything about this class was a pleasure. Wonderful instructor!
I appreciated the philosophical underpinnings that Bill discussed as a way of broadening my understanding. And I really enjoyed his sense of humor and the way he engages with the class and fosters discussion.
Faculty Q&A
- Read an interview with Bill Smoot from our archive.