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This Weekend in 1968

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    This Weekend in 1968

    This Weekend in 1968: Iraq

    Saturday Jul. 26, 2008

    The Ba'ath Party wrested control of Iraq's government 40 years ago in 1968. Although initially bloodless, the so-called "White Revolution" became increasingly ruthless as a young and ambitious Saddam Hussein consolidated his power and silenced his opposition. On the anniversary of the Ba'athist Regime's rise to power, we hear from Iraqis who witnessed the birth of a new government.

  • This Weekend in 1968: At War on the Fourth of July

    Back in the day

    People nationwide will celebrate our nation's independence this weekend. There will also be hundreds of thousands of U.S. servicemen and women hunkered down in Afghanistan and Iraq. Two veterans of two different wars discuss their experiences serving under fire and then and returning home from an unpopular war.

  • The Fall of Resurrection City

    Young residents of Resurrection City, 1968

    This weekend marks the 40th anniversary of the end of Resurrection City, the last campaign organized by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., before his assassination. Dr. Maurice Isserman, now a history professor at Hamilton College, was a high school student at the time. He remembers being a part of the last stand.

  • This Weekend in 1968: RFK's Enduring Message of Hope

    Robert Kennedy campaign stop, Oregon

    Coming just two months after the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert F. Kennedy's death was too much to bear for many Americans. People talked about the end of hope. But Kennedy's life continues to inspire others, and his presidential campaign resonates today, perhaps more than any year since his death.

  • This Weekend in 1968: Political Plays to the Silent Center

    The man at the center of it all

    This weekend in 1968, Republican presidential candidate Richard Nixon gave a radio address that became a pivotal moment in American politics. Nixon emphasized that most Americans did not stage political protests or riots -- and he tried to make himself the candidate for these Americans.

  • This Weekend in 1968: The Legacy of Resurrection City

    Resurrection City, June 1968

    Forty years ago on this weekend in 1968, people began arriving in Washington, D.C., as part of the Poor People's Campaign -- the last movement organized by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., before he was assassinated. The organizers of that movement remember what was lost, and what was gained.

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About this series

  • In 1968, the United States seemed on the verge of a nervous breakdown -- assassinations, riots, protests and war were tearing at the fabric of our society. It was a year that would shape the course of a nation for decades to come. This series uses 1968 as a lens through which to view our own era. By looking back, we see how far we've come and also where we've fallen short.

Timeline

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