The events of the 1960s shaped the nation in a way no other decade has been able to do since. Those events all came together in 1968 to create a volatile story of the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War and a cultural revolution of massive proportion.
An exhibit titled "1968 in America" will open on Saturday at the Minnetrista Cultural Center in an attempt to tell the story of the events that had one of the largest effects on America's history, as well as educate the visitors about the importance of that year. The traveling exhibit, created by a company called Exhibits USA, will be at Minnetrista until Jan. 7.
While a large portion of the artifacts are from events that happened nationally, Minnetrista is also incorporating many pieces of local history and artifacts as well, a step that will help visitors connect with the whole story of the time, Minnetrista Communications Specialist Steven Beverly said.
"The '1968 in America' exhibit was designed to look at the events of that year because it was quite a tumultuous time, from politics and war to revolution and music, both on a national and local scale," he said. "Most of the research about what happened nationally was already completed, however a ton of research was done in preparation for the exhibit about what happened locally in 1968."
Some of the artifacts included in the exhibit from local events that year range from pictures of Robert Kennedy during his visit to Ball State University and several mementos from a Jimi Hendrix concert at the Delaware County Fairgrounds. Other areas of the exhibit include photos of Vietnam War soldiers and the Vietcong, music for visitors to listen to and a room which is set up like a bedroom showcasing popular clothing worn by teenagers during the time. There is also a living room that is set up with televisions to show news and popular shows from the era.
For the first time in its history, Minnetrista is having an online forum for people to go to talk about their memories of 1968. Anyone can post a story by logging onto minnetrista.net/1968. The stories are made public for others to read, making it a remarkable way to learn about the time period as well as become part of the "1968 In America" project.
Michael Doyle, Ball State history professor and co-editor and contributor to "Imagine Nation: The American Counterculture of the 1960s and 70s", said 1968 was an historical landmark because almost a decade's worth of culturally significant events occurred within the space of one year.
"The 60s functions as almost a century unto itself, and 1968 serves as almost a decade on its own," Doyle said. "You have to study the events of each week to really track what actually happened. The era represents something much larger than itself that most decades do not."
Local events will play an important role in the exhibit, Doyle said. In April 1968 Robert Kennedy took the stage at Ball State during his campaign for the presidency. Just minutes after his speech was over, news came that Martin Luther King Jr. had been assassinated. Almost two months later, Kennedy also fell prey to an assassin, leaving people across the nation with strong feelings that hope was lost.
The exhibit does far more than showcase events from a time in the past - it allows visitors to find similarities between current events and often the grass roots of causes that are fought for so reverently today, Doyle said.
"I definitely see some similarities," he said. "For instance, ideas based on the green movement that is so important today are largely rooted in the 60s from the Whole Earth Catalog. There are many issues still today that stem back to the 60s era."
What: "1968 in America"Where: Minnetrista Cultural CenterHours: 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Sunday When: Sept. 5 until Jan. 7Admission: Tickets are $6 for adults, $4 for students and free for members.
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