Opinion: Chicago's protests show democracy's shifts since 1968
The past and present merge for NPR's Scott Simon, who attended the Democratic National Convention in Chicago as a teen in 1968 and now as a senior citizen.
1968
'Marchers Are Full Of Hope': Civil Rights Leaders See Progress In Today's Movement
The Rev. Jesse Jackson and Josie Johnson reflect on the civil rights movement and the protests following the death of George Floyd. "We're not going to give up. We're not going to stop," Jackson says.
1968: When Apollo 8 First Orbited The Moon And Saw The Earth Rise In Space
On Dec. 21, 1968, the Apollo program's second manned spaceflight lifted off from Earth to orbit the moon. Many people still remember the greetings from astronauts, sent from space.
1968: After Dozens Of Acquittals, Police Forced To End Raids On Gay Haven
When nearly two dozen gay men were arrested, put on trial, and eventually acquitted of sodomy in 1968, it demonstrated to the larger gay community that they could organize against police harassment.
Philly Frustration, 1968: 'The Day That They Were All Against Everything'
Philadelphia Eagles fans are known for passionately — sometimes rudely — backing their team. That reputation was cemented on a cold Sunday in 1968, when disgruntled fans pelted Santa with snowballs.
Key 1968 Harvard-Yale Battle Sets Scene For 'The Game' — And Football's Future
Author George Howe Colt's choice to delve into the lives of the players and coaches in his new book, as well as the turbulent year itself, makes his writing about the actual game pay off beautifully.
How A 1968 Disaster In A Coal Mine Changed The Industry
A mine disaster fifty years ago in West Virginia helped shape a new regulatory framework for the health and safety of coal miners. Surviving family members are still looking for justice.
Those Raised Fists Still Resonate, 50 Years Later
Olympic sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos won gold and bronze at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Their raised-fist salute outraged many viewers — and still resonates today.
What's Changed Since Mexico's Bloody Crackdown On 1968 Student Protests?
Fifty years ago, government forces opened fire on a student-led protest in Mexico City. Some say the repression opened a path for democratic change; others say a legacy of impunity has endured.
How A Mule Train From Marks, Miss., Kicked Off MLK's Poor People Campaign
Martin Luther King Jr. chose Marks as a starting point for the economic justice fight because of the entrenched poverty he saw there. Today, poverty remains a challenge in Marks.