What Saved the U.S. in the Late 1960s May Be Emerging Again, Particularly After Charlie Kirk’s Assassination

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Traditionally placed much of its content behind a paywall, but some stories are deemed too significant to restrict. One such narrative examines a pattern in American life that appears to be resurfacing in the wake of last week’s assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Historians and cultural analysts often point to the late 1960s and early 1970s as a period of profound turmoil in the United States. The year 1968, in particular, was marked by seismic social upheaval: the assassinations of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and presidential candidate Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, alongside the ongoing conflict in Vietnam. Raw national grief and uncertainty defined the era—a collective trauma many Americans today can relate to, following the killing of Kirk and last year’s attempted assassination of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Like King, Kirk championed positive, nonviolent political and cultural engagement from outside government structures. His sudden death at a young age left a palpable void in the national political and social landscape.

Yet history shows that even in the darkest periods, a countercurrent of renewal often arises. During the Jesus People movement of the late 1960s and 1970s, as many as three million Americans embraced Christianity, renouncing illicit drugs and rejecting the permissive ethos of the so-called “sexual revolution.” Christian youth ministries flourished in this environment, with organizations like Bill Bright’s Campus Crusade for Christ and Loren Cunningham’s Youth with a Mission experiencing explosive growth, according to Christianity.com.

While it may be difficult to draw a direct line from the Jesus People Movement to Ronald Reagan’s election in 1980, the infusion of newly energized Christians into American society undoubtedly played a role in shaping the nation’s cultural and political trajectory. Reagan’s campaign slogan, “Let’s Make America Great Again,” echoed a broader sentiment of renewal and optimism, culminating in what he famously described as “morning in America” during his 1984 reelection campaign.

Fast forward to the 2024 election, and a similar dynamic appears to have unfolded. Former President Donald Trump’s campaign resurrected the “Make America Great Again” slogan, while Charlie Kirk, through his organization Turning Point USA, helped mobilize young voters in unprecedented numbers. Trump himself acknowledged Kirk’s influence last week: “I dominated with young people, and it’s never happened before, and I give him so much credit.”

Data reinforces the impact Kirk and Turning Point had on youth engagement. A Tufts University survey published last November found that 56 percent of men ages 18 to 29 voted for Trump, reversing the 2020 trend in which the same cohort had favored Joe Biden. Overall, Trump’s support among younger voters increased from 36 percent in 2020 to 46 percent in 2024—a ten-point gain that analysts say was decisive in key swing states.

Faith was central to Kirk’s work, and his advocacy for Christian principles resonated strongly with younger Americans. Barna polling published in April highlights a pronounced faith renewal among Gen Z and Millennial men, with 67 percent of Gen Z men reporting a personal commitment to follow Jesus in 2025, up from 52 percent in 2019. Among Millennial men, that figure jumped from 52 percent to 71 percent over the same period. Women in both generations also reported growth, albeit at slightly lower rates.

Institutional and cultural indicators corroborate this trend. Fox News reported last month that Grand Canyon University in Phoenix—the nation’s largest Christian university—expects record-breaking enrollment this year, reaching 133,000 students across online and in-person programs. Meanwhile, Billboard data analyzed by the Washington Times shows Christian and gospel music among the fastest-growing genres in the U.S., trailing only rock, Latin, and country in streaming popularity. While most genres experienced a decline in streams, Christian music saw an 8.9 percent gain through late May, more than double the industry’s average growth rate. Popular tracks such as Alex Warren’s Ordinary, Forrest Frank’s Your Way’s Better, and Brandon Lake’s Hard Fought Hallelujah have charted on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching mainstream audiences with overtly Christian themes.

In the wake of Kirk’s death, the spiritual dimension of his influence has become particularly visible. Vigils across the country have featured Christian hymns such as Amazing Grace and I Have Decided To Follow Jesus, reflecting both personal grief and the broader revivalist currents taking hold among younger generations.

The parallels between the late 1960s and today are striking: in times of national pain, social upheaval, and cultural uncertainty, Americans have historically turned toward faith and spiritual renewal. The evidence suggests that this pattern may be repeating itself in the wake of Kirk’s assassination, signaling a potential revival that could shape the nation’s moral and cultural landscape for years to come.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who experienced the profound trauma of losing his father to an assassin’s bullet at just 14, offered a deeply personal perspective that connected a turbulent chapter in American history to the present moment.

“Yesterday, my 17-year-old niece left for Europe to go to college,” RFK Jr. said during his remarks at a vigil for Charlie Kirk at the Kennedy Center on Sunday. “And while she was packing, Amaryllis [Fox Kennedy], my daughter-in-law, noticed that she had put a Bible in her suitcase.”

“And Amaryllis was curious about it,” Kennedy continued. “She asked her. And Zoe said to her, ‘I want to live like Charlie Kirk,’ and that’s a great thing for our country.”

“The overarching mission of Charlie Kirk was Jesus and also free speech, and he saw them as intertwined,” RFK Jr. added, highlighting the principles that guided Kirk’s life and work.

He concluded with a call to action: “Now it’s our job, he’s no longer there to lead us, to rush in and fill the breach, and win this battle for our country, for God, and for our families.”

A Christian revival among the nation’s youth helped steer the United States through the turbulence of the late 1960s and 1970s, and evidence suggests that a similar spiritual awakening may once again serve as a source of renewal and guidance for the country today.

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