Corky believes that the summer of 2020 was, in some ways, like the summer of 1964. Do you agree with her?

Corky believes that the summer of 2020 was, in some ways, like the summer of 1964. What leads her to draw this comparison? Do you agree with her?

I feel that the author is equating the Civil Rights movement impetus in '64 with the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 and they are not even close to being the same. One was a peaceful movement to gain equality and the other was an often violent movement to highlight police brutality.

No I don't believe the summer of 2020 was like the summer of 1964.

No I do not agree with Corky. I think the two summers were very different. I think scgirl has it right on point. Two different objectives and two different ways of trying to achieve them.

I also do not agree with Corky the summer of 2020 and 1964 were completely different and I also think scgirl explained it well.

No I don’t agree with Corky. I agree with the other reviewers, they were two different movements with two different purposes and outcomes. I didn’t get the impression that the author was trying to say they were the same; just a character speaking about 2020 and 1964.

Amazing how we read the same words but interpret them differently. Corky clearly states (p.279)”And now I sit, thinking how this summer of 2020 is so like yet unlike the summer of’64.” I think the only thing she thought was the same between the two summers was that they were both life changing. So I agree with her.

I also don’t see the author comparing the civil rights movement in the 60’s to the Black Lives Matter movement. And by the way they both absolutely are the same: protesting against unequal treatment. There was a lot violence and death in the civil rights protests in the sixties. Most Black Lives Matter protests were peaceful.

All the responses have definite merit. I am wondering if today our reaction to 1964 vs. 2020 is what we remember in our youth versus what is portrayed on our news choices now; i.e. whether we choose conservative or liberal news sources. I wish that we could TALK to each other by truly listening, It seems in 2020 people react before understanding what is factual. Social media is part of that response.

Even though the topics were different, I feel the summers were similar. People felt strongly about the movement that was happening and wanted to be heard. There was disagreement about feelings in both summers. There was also unrest in both summers.

Comparing the two summers (1964 & 2020) seems silly to me, even within context of civil rights, because the main point of difference... THE MEDIA! Both social and more traditional forms of media (TV and radio) feed the frenzy of any one subject matter, plus the 24-hour news cycle brings issues forward with a frequency that is difficult to ignore. What is often not discussed is the "rebel rousers" who incite protests and violence for the impact factor versus true believers in a particular cause. Unfortunately legitimate concerns often get lost in the sensationalism of the protest making the truth challenging to decipher.

I agree with Joyce.

I see the two summers differently because we are looking at them through two different sets of lenses (youth vs adult) and again bring with it experiences accrued over a lifetime. Both time periods are tumultuous. Both time periods are fighting for individual rights. However, I think our 24/7 media cycles impact us in a huge way. News was still delayed in the 60s. Yes, horrific events happened, but we didn’t hear about it simultaneously. I think our media plays a huge part in stirring up reactions today.

I understand everyone's answers and they all have merit. Maybe Corky was brought back in her mind to 1964 as a young girl even though she was now an adult. Even though we now have instant media, all things in human nature stay the same ... even though they are different. Life goes on with droughts, famines, wars, greed, poverty, changes of governing rulers, countries. We are more aware now than we have ever been, but 50 years from now, we will continue with new perspectives.
In the 1920's a man declared that they should close down the US patent office, because everything had already been invented. I think not!!! My dad and grandfather were patent attorneys.

I too agree with Joyce.