Lessons of the Sixties: A history of local Washington, DC activism for peace and justice from 1960-1975: Oral history interviews

Lessons of the Sixties is an organization dedicated to documenting the efforts and lessons learned by local DC Metropolitan Area activists, students, organizers and those who dreamed of building a better world through new ideas, political advocacy, local organization building, and other means in the years 1960-1975. The organization's goal is to make materials easily available for future activists, historians, students, writers, and media producers. Members have given presentations on their findings in order to facilitate direct dialogue between generations of social justice activists. One of the most significant contributions are the oral histories it conducted between 2010-2019 with local activists. Lessons of the Sixties has the objective of focusing on key local and national movements and events of this period in which D.C-area-based residents were involved. These topics include, but are not limited to, 1963 March on Washington, anti-Vietnam War organizing, Black power movement, civil rights movement, DC statehood movement, early battles against gentrification, fair housing, international solidarity, May Day 1971, peace movement, Stop the North Central Freeway/3 Sisters Bridge, student activism for peace and civil rights, and the Women’s movement.

Since 2010 the Institute for Policy Studies has served as the organizational home for the Lessons of the 60s providing office space and infrastructural support.