“July 4, 1969, was a day of festive parades and picnics across Southern California: Pacific Palisades had its annual “Americanism” parade, the West Covina parade had two Vietnam vets for its grand marshals and Claremont had an ‘Old Tyme Parade.’” Read the full article here.
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07/7/2020 — L.A. Protest Past & Present: From the Watts Rebellion to the Black Lives Matter Movement Today
“L.A. Protest Past & Present: From the Watts Rebellion to the Black Lives Matter Movement Today”, hosted by the USC Annenberg Center. With a special appearance by Norman Lear. Attendees will be able to buy the books at 50% off from Verso Books. Click here for the Youtube video.
7/2/2020 — Set the Night on Fire: LA in the Sixties: Lost Angles Night School Kickoff Event
Mike Davis and Jon Wiener, authors of Set The Night On Fire: Los Angeles In The Sixties, are kicking off the DSA-LA Political Education Committee’s Night School Series: Lost Angles with a discussion about the working-class radicals who fought the Los Angeles Police Department and the city economic and political elite in the 1960s. This event is the…
The Freedom Rides Made the Most of a Multiracial Activist Base
Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties was mentioned in the article “The Freedom Rides Made the Most of a Multiracial Activist Base” by Meagan Day. “Today’s protests for racial justice are strikingly multiracial. Civil rights organizers have historically considered this an asset and often used it creatively and strategically to their advantage,…
How LAPD chief William H. Parker influenced the depiction of policing on the TV show Dragnet
Monthly Review Online published “How LAPD chief William H. Parker influenced the depiction of policing on the TV show Dragnet,” an excerpt from Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties. “During its January 1960 hearing, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights tepidly attempted to open a window on the police abuse of minorities…
“The History of the ‘Riot’ Report ” in The New Yorker by Jill Lepore
An article titled “The History of the ‘Riot’ Report: How government commissions became alibis for inaction” in The New Yorker, written by Jill Lepore mentioned Set the Night on Fire. You can read the article about riots throughout history in the magazine. Click here to read “The History of the ‘Riot’ Report ” in The New…
Los Angeles Times Bestsellers List — June 14, 2020
Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties is on the Los Angeles Times bestseller list. To see the full list, visit the Los Angeles Times.
6/8/2020 – A Virtual Discussion Hosted by LSE About Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties
LSE’s Department of Sociology hosted a live discussion about Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties on June 8, 2020 at 10 am PST. Mike Davis and Jon Wiener were in conversation with Robin Kelley and Glyn Robbins. They discussed the background to the book and its relevance today, particularly in the context…
New Books Just in Time for Summer Reading
Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties was added to the list of “New books just in time for summer reading” by Danielle Bauter. To see the full list, visit The Orange County Register or Los Angeles Daily News.
Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman: Set the Night on Fire with Mike Davis and Jon Wiener
Suzi talks to historians Mike Davis and Jon Wiener, touching on some of the many intersecting stories they tell in their long awaited and absolutely compelling history, Set the Night on Fire: Los Angeles in the Sixties. Listen to the interview here.