In response to a series of political military setbacks in the late 1940s and early 1950s, cultural and political hysteria grew in the U.S. in reaction to a perceived growing Soviet threat. The latest program series, The 1950s: Affluence and Anxiety in the Atomic Age, which runs through May 7 at the Lorenzo Cultural Center, on Macomb’s Center Campus in Clinton Township, includes several events that examine communism and McCarthyism during the 1950s.
On Sunday, March 6, at 2 p.m., labor educator and union activist Steve Babson discusses the highly publicized House Un-American Activities Committee 1952 Detroit hearings in which left-wing union members and civil-rights activists were interrogated, provoking vigilante actions in area factories.
Wayne Sate University Professor Ronald Aronson shows a documentary, 1st Amendment on Trial: The Case of the Michigan Six, at 11 a.m., Friday March 11, about the Michigan Communist Party trials of the 1950s and leads a discussion, raising questions about abuses of First Amendment rights that are still relevant today.
Author Michael Ranville focuses on the 1953 court case of Lt. Milo Radulovich, who was dismissed from the Air Force amidst allegations that his father and sister were Communist sympathizers during his presentation on Wednesday, March 16 at 11 a.m
On Thursday, April 14 at 7 p.m., Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, best-selling author and television commentator Haynes Johnson highlights McCarthyism to Terrorism, in which he relates the career of Senator Joseph McCarthy and the continuing legacy of ideological polarization that impacts rational assessment and action against real threats.
Johnson’s presentation is one in a four-part Speaker Series featuring award-winning authors and historians. Tickets are required for the Speaker Series presentations, all of which begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday evenings. A special package price of $60 provides entrance to all four presentations, in addition to Meet & Greet receptions with each presenter at 5:30 p.m. Individual tickets for each presentation are $15, or $5 for seniors, students, and military personnel; and tickets to a single presentation including the Meet & Greet reception are $20. To purchase tickets, call 586.286.2222 or visit www.MacombCenter.com.
The Lorenzo Cultural Center is open 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sundays. Additional information about the cultural center and on the 1950s program series is available at www.LorenzoCulturalCenter.com. Group visits are welcome during the series and may be arranged by calling 586.445.7348.
About the Lorenzo Cultural Center
The Lorenzo Cultural Center (www.LorenzoCulturalCenter.com) explores the influences and experiences that shape our community's heritage, examining topics from a variety of perspectives and creating interactive opportunities for learning, celebration and entertainment. Located on Macomb Community College's Center Campus, Hall and Garfield Roads in Clinton Township, the cultural center is adjacent to the Macomb Center for Performing Arts.
About Macomb Community College
Macomb Community College (www.macomb.edu) is one of the nation’s leading community colleges, providing learning experiences to more than 48,000 students annually. Macomb nationally ranks in the top two percent in the number of associate degrees awarded and as the largest grantor of associate degrees in Michigan. The college’s comprehensive educational programming includes pre-collegiate experiences, university transfer and career preparation programs, bachelor degree completion and graduate degree programs, workforce training, professional education and certification, and continuing education and enrichment opportunities.
Media Contact:
Tish Wirth
Communications & Community Relations
Macomb Community College
586.445.7560
wirthp@macomb.edu