TAKEAWAYS

What does Volume 16 of the Great Speckled Bird reveal about Atlanta in the 1960s?

Volume 16 reveals the main events that the youth and New Left movement were grappling with during the late 1960s. The creators of the Bird put together newspapers that would be of interest to their audience. Through the topics in this volume, it is evident that the audience cared a lot about the voice of the New Left movement and how it was received amongst older generations. It is also clear that they held high expectations for how the Civil Rights movement was to be represented within history books. While they recognized the growth in ideology surrounding the movement, they acknowledged that it was not enough.

Furthermore, they were a united front in the anti-Vietnam war movement. They stood behind those who, like John Wilson, boycotted the war, and they encouraged others to use their voice and speak up against the unfair involvement of the US in Vietnam. Lastly, readers had a passion for music. Concrete and rock music characterize this period, although listeners are critical of the quality of such music. Throughout the writing, the Bird uses informal delivery with profanity and hyperbolic statements to connect with its audience. 

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After analyzing this volume, some questions arise. How did class play a role in the makeup of the audience of the paper? Was the concern over these issues the same between higher and lower classes? Were women given an equal part in the production of the Bird? And how did racial politics stand in the way of an integrated support system for the New Left movement and counterculture in the southeast?