Reclaiming Democracy: The Sixties in Politics and Memory

Reclaiming Democracycombines personal experience with a brilliant political and historical analysis, while challenging a wide range of sixties observers from George Will to Oliver Stone. In a time of cynicism about the American government's ability to solve the crises of poverty and racism, Mendel-Reyes places the decline of political participation in historical context. She stresses that if told properly, the story of the sixties can help open our eyes to the possibility that ordinary people can take democratic action and make a difference in nineties politics. Mendel-Reyes discusses the ways in which democratic participation was at the heart of sixties politics. The civil rights movement, the anti-war movement, the women's movement, and the New Left all emphasized the everyday participation of ordinary people in activism and public life. Yet despite our current obsession with the sixties, Mendel-Reyes points out that the dominant story we tell ourselves has actuallydiscouragedparticipatory politics today. In spite of this, however, participatory democracy remains alive in neighborhoods and workplaces. Reclaiming Democracyprovides a much-needed critical look at our fascination with the sixties and colorfully brings to life the significant role that our memories of the sixties play in the politics and culture of today.