Greenwich Village served as a place for Beatniks to express themselves and congregate together. They stamped it as their territory through their righteous efforts. One example of a righteous beatnik was John Mitchell, owner of the Gaslight coffeehouse on 116 MacDougal Street. After fire inspectors shut his coffeehouse down, he played an active role in organizing riots against this action. His most successful endeavor, the sit-in protest on January 8, 1961, granted security for the coffeehouse. Also, he spoke up about the unjust bribery of the police on his coffeehouse and with the help of the police commissioner, he had a corrupt patrolman suspended.
Coffeehouses, in general, were popular social hang-outs for the beatniks. One 1963 documentary about Greenwich Village beatniks stated, “there are dozens of intimate holes in the wall where you can listen to jazz, Beat poetry, or the bubbling of espresso machines.” Through these coffeehouses, beatniks attained a sense of community and were able to express themselves in peace.
Throughout the coffeehouse and Washington Square Park struggles, Greenwich Village beatniks proved that they were a force to be reckoned with. Their social and political activism helped popular coffeehouses like the Gaslight Café stay open without corruption and expressed the strength of their ideals.
Although the surrounding non-Beatniks were wary of this growing group and invested in support from the police in their efforts to break up the beatnik’s momentum, the beatniks meant no harm; they were non-violent socially active people who enjoyed the fruits of Greenwich Village. They remained politically and socially active against these opposing forces and this activism cemented the strength of their movement.
If you wish to learn more about the social and political activism of the beatniks of Greenwich Village or request a copy of my final paper, feel free to contact me.
Email: chelseaalterman@gmail.com
