Motown Meets the Movement: A preview of August’s SummerFest lecture
GROSSE POINTE FARMS Aug. 1, 2025 – The 1960s in America were a transformative decade marked by significant social, cultural, political, and economic changes.
Chris Hemler will be at The War Memorial on Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. for the SummerFest Lecture: Motown Meets the Movement. 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, amid the Vietnam War.
“There’s this understanding in the music community that Berry Gordy was very cautious with the songs they released and that Motown didn’t want to get political,” he said. “Working with students, we started to uncover some primary sources that challenges that narrative.”
In 1959, Gordy founded the Motown record label which included artists like Diana Ross & the Supremes, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, Michael Jackson & the Jackson 5.
Hemler is the Cynthia N. Ford Chair of History and the Social Studies at University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe Woods. He formerly worked at The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in the education and learning services department.
“There’s nothing better than hanging out, listening to some music, and being educated,” he said about the Aug. 27 event. “This is very much our story and so to have open conversations about the good, bad, and ugly of it and get some music in the process in a beautiful setting at a beautiful venue is great.”
The 2025-2026 school year will be his 11th at the school. It’s been from his time at Liggett that Hemler’s interest in 1960s American history has grown, thanks to his students in a 1960s history elective class.
“Before I started teaching the history of the 60s class, I spent a summer diving into primary sources and secondary tellings of the decade,” he said. “I fell in love with it because the students fell in love with it. The whole idea was the I would teach that class for one year, but by the end of the year, I saw how much students resonate with the decade. I’ve now taught it nine or 10 times in 10 years.”
Speaking about an interview from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Marvin Gaye, the musician behind the song “What’s Going On.” Hemler said that Gordy didn’t want Gaye to record that album.
“According to Gaye, he famously said, ‘if you ever want me to record an album for Motown ever again, you’re going to let me do this,’” Hemler said. “It’s Marvin Gaye’s story about that album that has taken over the historical narrative.”
Hemler said that people often forget that in 1963, Motown released a spoken-word album, which features speeches from Martin Luther King Jr.
“Today we think of King as this unifying figure in peaceful protest and nonviolence,” he said. “At the time, Martin Luther King was one of the most hated men in America at the time. Putting out an album of his speeches is inherently political.”
One song Hemler notes that may not have been written to be political, but due to the time period was interpreted as such, is Martha and the Vandellas “Dancing in The Street.”
“It was embraced as almost having a political message and bringing everyone together,” he said.
Not only will Hemler discuss anti-war songs during the lecture, he’ll also dive into pro-war songs, like “The Dawn of Correction” by The Spokesman, “Ballad of the Green Berets” by Barry Sadler, and “Okie From Muskogee” by Merle Haggard.
“You can’t look at the protest music without looking at the other side as well,” Hemler said. “You have to understand what protest and pro-war music looks like in the era in order to figure out how Motown compares to what is going on.”
Speaking about the transformative role of music in the 1960s, Hemler said one good example is the juxtaposition between Barry McGuire’s “Eve of Destruction” and a song made in response to that - “The Dawn of Correction.”
“McGuire put out his song to say, ‘we’re in a really rough spot here and pushing the world toward the eve of destruction,’” Hemler said. “The Spokesman take exception to that and try to pick apart his argument piece by piece. I think it’s such a good vignette to show the polarizing nature of music.”
In response to what the end result of the social and political upheaval in the 1960s was, Hemler said it was the government creating a roadmap for how to avoid instances from the decade occurring in the future.
“Under the Johnson administration, the Kerner Commission report was written and most of those recommendations were tossed aside because the administration switched in the election of 1968 when Nixon wins. RFK and Dr. King are assassinated in 1968 and everything the movement seems to have been building toward, collapses.”
The Kerner Commission investigated the causes of over 150 race riots throughout the country in the summer of 1967.
The lecture will be held prior to the SummerFest Concert Series finale at The War Memorial with Drey Skonie & the Klouds presented by Motown Museum. To register for the lecture, click here.
About The War Memorial
The War Memorial, located on the shores of Lake St. Clair in Grosse Pointe Farms, is an experiential space open to everyone. For over 75 years, this nonprofit organization has served as a patriotic, cultural, and community center, offering a wide range of innovative programs for all ages. Annually, The War Memorial welcomes thousands of guests for community events, educational programming, and private gatherings in its unique and historic setting.
At its core, The War Memorial celebrates the ideas of American democracy while honoring those who have defended these ideals with tireless effort and personal sacrifice. As a dynamic and forward-thinking hub for southeast Michigan, The War Memorial remains committed to inspiring and enriching the community through unparalleled experiences. This includes a steadfast commitment to patriotic programming that honors the legacy of service members and amplifies the voices of veterans through storytelling, education, and public engagement.
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CONTACT:
Alex Szwarc, The War Memorial
Patriotic Programming and Communications Administrator
313.881.7514, aszwarc@warmemorial.org