SummerFest Lecture: Chris Hemler

Prior to the SummerFest Concert Series finale at The War Memorial with Drey Skonie & the Klouds presented by Motown Museum, join us for a historical lecture led by Chris Hemler, Cynthia N. Ford Chair of History and the Social Studies at University Liggett School. His talk will explore the transformative role of music in the 1960s, amid the Vietnam War. 

This lecture explores the transformative role of music in the 1960s, focusing on the rise of protest songs that reflected the era’s social and political upheaval. We’ll examine how artists used folk, rock, and soul to address issues like civil rights and the Vietnam War, making music a vehicle for change. Even Motown, a label initially known for love songs and dance hits, embraced protest music in response to the growing demand for social commentary, showing how music both shaped and was shaped by the movements of its time. 

To register for the lecture, visit warmemorial.org/eventcalendar11/summerfest-chrishemler 

About the Speaker 

Chris Hemler is an award-winning history and social studies teacher at University Liggett School, most recently being named the 2025 History Teacher of the Year by the Historical Society of Michigan. He has been teaching social studies for two decades, and served as the education manager at The Henry Ford before coming to University Liggett School. He is the lead teacher of ULS's place-based United States history course and also teaches electives on the Sixties, Native American Studies, and technology. Chris is also an educator-partner of the Smithsonian Institute and will be a presenter at the 2025 Smithsonian Education Summit.   

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