Remember the 1960s? If not – for whatever reason – the Lorenzo Cultural Center at Macomb Community College is shining a spotlight on that pivotal decade in American history with a new series of events and exhibits.
The Sixties: A Decade that Defined a Generation will explore the politics, music and societal events that impacted America and the Detroit region during that tumultuous time. The program series opens Feb. 28 and continues through May 16.
“The reverberations of the events of the 1960s continue to be felt in this country to this day,” said Geary Maiuri, dean of Community & Student Enrichment at Macomb. “The Lorenzo Cultural Center program not only examines the major themes of the 1960s, but also brings many of the leaders of the key movements – civil rights, women’s equality, the space race – to Macomb to bring first-person views to those topics.”
Highlighting the Sixties program will be a special Speakers Series, sponsored by the Kresge Foundation. It features noted civil rights leader Andrew Young, March 5; feminist pioneer Gloria Steinem, April 16; Ted Sorenson, an advisor to President John F. Kennedy, March 26; and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Stanley Karnow, who will speak on the history of the Vietnam War, May 7. Tickets for each of the speaker events are $15 or $5 for seniors, students and military and require advance registration. A limited number of $40 tickets are available to a special wine reception with the speaker prior to the presentation. All of the speaker series presentations are at 7 p.m. on Thursday evenings.
Other highlights include:
• Photos and related materials on the Apollo program that landed a man on the moon; the lives of John F. and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr.; the musical British Invasion and other aspects of life from the 1960s.
• 1960s author and activist John Sinclair offers his perspective on the Motor City Music Explosion, March 7.
• Several programs related to the 1967 Detroit riots, including producers and reporters involved with a Michigan public radio documentary “Ashes to Hope: Overcoming the Detroit Riots” and former Detroit Police Chief Ike McKinnon, who was a young patrolman in Detroit in 1967, March 8; reflections by longtime Detroit TV reporter Dwayne X. Riley, March 12; and Eleanor Josaitis will discuss the birth of the organization she helped to co-found, Focus:HOPE, in the aftermath of the riots, March 28.
• A first-hand insight on the space race by NASA astronaut Story Musgrave, Mach 20 and 21.
• Programs designed specifically for elementary and middle school students including a program to help children discover their own dream, based on King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, March 1; designing “hippie” related art projects, March 15; and designing your own “groovy” album cover, April 26.
• The dance party show era will be brought to life by Robin Seymour, who hosted “Swingin’ Time,” a local version of American Bandstand from 1965-68, May 1. Tickets are $20.
In addition to the presentation by Karnow, several programs will look at various aspects of the Vietnam War, including the anti-war movement of the times. Retired Air Force pilot Donald “Digger” Odell will offer reflections on his more than five years spent as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Other programs examine President Lyndon Johnson’s role in the war, March 29; college debates about the war, April 5 and 15; lessons learned from the war, April 25 and 29; and a tribute to the Armed Services, which will include a video featuring the comments of local Vietnam veterans, May 16.
With the exception of the Sixties Speaker Series and the Seymour event, the exhibit and all presentations are free, but advance registration is required for all presentations.
The Lorenzo Cultural Center is located on the Macomb Community College Center Campus, Garfield and M-59, Clinton Township. The exhibit will be open 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays and 1-4 p.m. Sundays, Feb. 28-May 16. To register for a presentation or for more information on the Sixties presentation, call 586.445.7348 or go to www.lorenzoculturalcenter.com.
The cultural center is located adjacent to the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, which is offering a variety of 1960s-related concerts during the series, including The Smothers Brothers, April 18; the 1964 Tribute band, April 24; Bobby Vinton, April 25; and Detroit rocker Mitch Ryder, April 30. The entertainment acts require a separate paid admission ticket. For tickets or information on the Sixties Speakers Series, the Swingin’ Time event or Macomb Center for the Performing Arts performances, call 586.286.2222 or go to www.macombcenter.com.
About the Lorenzo Cultural Center
The Lorenzo Cultural Center (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 59,000 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:
Dan Heaton
(586) 445-7271
heatond@macomb.edu