Youth International Party

Founding and Origins:

• Founded in 1967 by Abbie and Anita Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Nancy Kurshan, and Paul Krassner.
• Term ‘Yippie’ coined by Krassner, Abbie, and Anita Hoffman.
• Symbolized a fusion of hippies and political activists.
• Anita Hoffman proposed the name Youth International Party for a formal image.
• Yippie! was used as a joyful exclamation.
• Aimed to connect domestic and international issues.

Culture and Activism:

• Blended political radicalism with counterculture.
• Paid tribute to pop-culture figures like the Marx Brothers and Lenny Bruce.
• Differentiated from the Old and New Left through their style.
• Used face paint and bandannas for anonymity during protests.
• Engaged in street theater, smoke-ins, and politically themed pranks.

Impact and Legacy:

• Used theatrical gestures to challenge the social status quo.
• Known for street theater, smoke-ins, and politically themed pranks.
• Hoffman and Rubin’s trial brought attention to Yippie antics.
• Aimed to build a new nation rooted in countercultural values.
• Yippies influenced by counterculture and New Left movements.

Activism and Protests:

• Led anti-war protests in Washington, D.C., in 1969.
• Organized marijuana smoke-ins across North America.
• Established alternative institutions like free stores and legal aid funds.
• Participated in large protests in Washington, D.C., in 1971.
• Managed political punk bands like D.O.A. and The Subhumans in Canada.

Political Pranks and Campaigns:

• Nominated a pig for US president in 1968.
• Nobody for President was the official candidate in 1976.
• Pushed for None of the Above on the ballot in Santa Barbara County in 1976.
• Invented pie-throwing as a political act.
• Yippies’ writings contributed to various publications promoting their ideals.

Youth International Party Data Sources