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1970s

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"If the government won’t stop the war, we’ll stop the government": May Day Protests of 1971

"If the government won’t stop the war, we’ll stop the government": May Day Protests of 1971

07/18/2017 in DC by Lindsay Dillon

Those who travelled into the District in the early part of May could enjoy a rock concert, good food, and plenty of protesting. In May 1971, the culmination of months of anti-Vietnam protesting took hold of D.C., when thousands of young Americans attempted to block traffic, execute sit-ins, and make their voices heard.

 

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The Numbers Game at the National March for Lesbian and Gay Rights

The Numbers Game at the National March for Lesbian and Gay Rights

05/15/2017 in DC by Marissa Dever

When organizers from the National Gay Mobilizing Committee approached him in 1973 about a gay rights march in Washington, Larry Maccubbin was skeptical. A poor turnout, he feared, could undermine the hard work that he and other local activists had done to advance LGBT rights in the nation’s capital.

“We do not want to receive any setbacks at this time due to a poorly conceived, hastily planned, and shabbily supported demonstration,” he replied.

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The Human Kindness Day That Wasn't

The Human Kindness Day That Wasn't

05/10/2017 in DC by Mark Jones

Promote neighborly goodwill and the arts with a free concert on the National Mall? It sounded like a great idea to Stevie Wonder when he was approached by Compared to What, Inc. a non-profit D.C. arts education group in 1975. What could go wrong? As it turned out, a lot.

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The Silent Majority Storm The National Mall

The Silent Majority Storm The National Mall

03/02/2017 in DC by Avi Mednick

The Vietnam era was marked by student anti-war protests and the counterculture movement. But in 1970 the "silent majority" organized the era's largest pro-war demonstration, simultaneously protesting against President Nixon's Vietnam War policies and "hippies and yippies everywhere."

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Thawing the Cold War with Theatre

Thawing the Cold War with Theatre

02/02/2017 in DC by Marissa Dever

In the middle of the Cold War, the United States and the U.S.S.R. managed to find one thing they could agree on: culture. In 1958, the two countries reached an agreement which allowed each to send students, scientists, and performers to the other country to exchange new ideas and technologies. The initial agreement, made during the space race and just a few years before the Cuban Missile Crisis, would eventually facilitate an exchange of 1,700 individuals. Arena Stage became a part of that exchange in 1973 when they traveled to Moscow and Leningrad.

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The Great Folklife Festival Bull Chase of 1976

The Great Folklife Festival Bull Chase of 1976

12/30/2016 in DC by Lila Spitz

On August 4, 1976 cowboys from the American Southwest section of the Smithsonian’s annual Festival of American Folklife were in the middle of demonstrating a calf roping technique when a 400-pound bull calf "made him a hole" in the corral fence and took-off from the Festival site into lunch-hour traffic.

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A Thwarted Protest at the Soviet Embassy

A Thwarted Protest at the Soviet Embassy

10/19/2016 in DC by Max Lee

On Aug. 24, 1973, about 20 D.C. Jewish school children gathered around the Soviet Embassy holding onto basketballs. It was around noon, and they were getting ready to bounce the balls just loud enough for Soviet officials to hear. But they weren't there to play; they were there to stage a political protest.

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Wolf Trap Captures the Hearts of the DMV

Wolf Trap Captures the Hearts of the DMV

10/14/2016 in DC by Benjamin Shaw

Today, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts is a mainstay of Washington, D.C.’s cultural life. The park’s large outdoor auditorium and beautiful green space play host to a variety of performers. However, 50 years ago, some politicians questioned whether it was a wise decision for the government to accept the land gift from Catherine Filene Shouse and build the performing arts center.

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WHFS: Washington’s Godfather of Progressive Rock

09/22/2016 in DC by Richard Brownell

“I was allowed to play whatever I wanted to play and interview whoever I wanted to interview,” said WHFS DJ Cerphe Colwell, who was hired in 1970 to do a Saturday night show. “By today’s standards, it’s astonishing.”

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Old Ebbitt Grill was Saved by Its Beer Stein Collection

Old Ebbitt Grill was Saved by Its Beer Stein Collection

09/08/2016 in DC by Richard Brownell

Washington's Old Ebbitt Grill has served presidents, royalty, Washington luminaries, movie and television stars, and military heroes, and touts itself as being "the oldest saloon in Washington." However, it almost didn't survive the 1960s when the owners racked up a huge tax bill with the IRS. When the building went up for auction, it was purchased by Stuart Davidson and John Laytham who owned Clyde's restaurant and hoped to add Old Ebbitt's collection of antique beer steins to their establishment.

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