1960's Hippie. Make love, not war :)

In the 1960’s, Hippies were the white teenagers and young adults born in the epitome of a “personal freedom” revolution and were likely the ones wearing very flamboyant outfits painted with flowers, long hair, and giving a peace sign. Hippies, basically, were one of the major components of some of the most influential youth movements of the 1960’s. Best known for throwing out many of the general public’s ethics and regulations, hippies were an extension of the 1950’s beatnik. They opposed any type of conformity associated with conventional institutions, middle class standards, or war and supported sexual promiscuity, drug abuse, a carefree lifestyle, peace, and desegregation.
Hippies considered the governing culture, “The Man”, as a corrupt, close-minded entity that implemented unjustifiable control over most peoples’ minds and their lives. The Hippie opposition to “The Man” spread around the world to Canada and some parts of Europe. They held many protests to end the war in Vietnam. Hippies did not follow the teaching of their elders; instead they went and did their own thing. They were part of a new generation and did not see "eye to eye" with traditional society. A vast majority of Hippies were said to be from wealthy middle-class families and ran away for multiple different reasons; whether it would be because they rejected their parents ideas, wanted to get away, or were an outcast and thought they’d fit in with the Hippies. Sexual promiscuous was a common trait of a Hippie; as they were often lincked with the term "swingers". The introduction of the birth control pill gave many adults and teenagers the freedom to experiment with sex without the fear of pregnancy. The birth control pill was especially praised among females. In the 1960’s, marijuana, LSD, and cocaine were easily accessible. Hippies took advantage of that factor and engage in risky drug behavior in order to achieve a euphoric state of mind. Unfortunately, several hippies died from drug overdose. Despite all the negative thoughts associated with this specific group of individuals, hippies were also known for their love and compassion for others. The 1960's were a time or racial divide among Americans, schools were segregated and people of different races had an unconcealed hate for one another. As for hippies, because they believed in love and peace, they would accept everyone regardless of color, faith, or sex. Hippies put a lot into ending segregation, which is why many took part in historic movements such as the March on Washington. The hippy culture in the 1960’s protested the war and support the black power and feminist movements. The hippy movement let people get away from main stream society and let them protest issues that they agreed with. It showed people that they didn’t need to conform and they didn’t need to all fit into the same mold you could be an individual and share the love.
-Paris Crockett