Throughout American History, activism for what you believe in has been vital to the growth of the country. Whether for social, political, or other reasons, these movements and their ideals have helped to change this country for the better. One of these major movements during the 1960s was the protests of the vietnam war. Whether for ethical, economical, or other reasons, people opposed the fighting that was occurring at the time. During this anti-war movement era, one of the major figures was the National Mobilization Committee to End the War on Vietnam, which was spearheaded by Tom Hayden. Hayden was a significant figure during the antiwar movements, providing and organizing significant movements and events in their crusade against the war. However, some of Hayden’s actions may be seen as negative, as…show more content… Overall, this begs the question of whether or not Hayden’s contributions had a positive overall effect on the anti-war and other civil movements and the country as a whole.
Much of Hayden's work during the 60s and 70s was positive for the anti - war movements as a whole as he focused on helping the people in need. During this time, Hayden worked with impoverished inner-city residents for the Newark Community Union Project. While in Newark, he was exposed to many race riots and violence, which he believed were not only caused by race, but by socioeconomic differences and much more deep underlying issues, as he writes in his book Rebellion in Newark: Official Violence and Ghetto Response. Additionally, in a somewhat controversial move at the time, he decided to visit north vietnam with the heads of a
