The Dove of Peace: A Global Sixties Protest Icon
During the 1960s, the “peace dove” became a highly charged symbol of protest globally. Taking a perspective from Latin America, this talk follows the political and cultural trajectory of the peace dove, from its association with the Soviet-backed organization, World Peace Council, to its appropriation by the Mexican state as the central motif of the 1968 Olympics. One of several such “icons of protest,” the peace dove offers a unique portal into an era in which the symbolic language of dissent assumed new significance.
Eric Zolov is Associate Professor of History and Director of Latin American & Caribbean Studies. His forthcoming book is titled, The Last Good Neighbor: Mexico in the Global Sixties (Duke University Press).