Famous beat poet Alan Ginsberg once wrote protests should have, “masses of flowers.” Public opinion was turning against the Vietnam War, but anti-war gatherings were doing nothing. Suddenly flowers were everywhere. Ginsberg offered the baby boomer generation a fresh alternative to repetitive, and sometimes violent protesting.
Celebrities embraced the movement too, making “flower power”a national phenomenon. Here’s a look back at some of the celebrities you didn’t know joined the movement to make a difference!
Jane Fonda Led The Anti-Vietnam Charge
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In the 1970s, Jane Fonda was as well known for her flower activism as her film and television roles. She spent the early part of the decade touring universities and military towns speaking out against the Vietnam War. She even visited North Vietnam to denounce U.S. involvement in the war.
Explaining her passionate actions, Fonda said, “I was infuriated as I learned just how much our soldiers were being lied to about why we were fighting in Vietnam.” The only thing Fonda regrets about her action is a controversial photograph taken of her sitting behind an anti-aircraft gun. Stick around to remember the most famous “bed-in” from the era.
