This deeply personal project—Rebels with a Cause—is a photographic book that captures the 1960s, a formative period of American history when groups of rebels initiated a series of changes and started a revolution unlike any other. The book is our love letter to the heroes and heroines who changed America and allowed Jean-Pierre and I to document it. It is an ode to those who fought for a better world not just with force or power, but with spirit, music, courage, and imagination.

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When we arrived in the United States in 1965, America was in the middle of profound turmoil. The youth of the country, along with some dreamers and fighters, were the ones pushing it forward little by little. We began documenting this change. The streets and campuses were loud with protests, but there was a palpable feeling of hope, enthusiasm, and joy. There was tragedy as well, and we lived through the murderous year of 1968 when Robert Kennedy campaigned to be the next President and Martin Luther King was shot dead in Memphis. On April 22, 1970, we went together to the first Earth Day in New York, when thousands of mostly young people filled the streets to demand protection for the planet. It was striking to see environmental concern emerge as a form of activism, driven by the same generation that was questioning war, politics, and the future itself, reinforcing the idea that protest could be thoughtful, creative, and deeply constructive.

We saw the counterculture emerge as a significant social movement. We saw students march against the Vietnam War, four of whom were shot dead at Kent State University, and to represent their suffering, a young man strapped himself to a crucifix. We saw veterans occupy the Statue of Liberty where the American flag was turned upside down, a poignant symbol of resistance. At Watkins Glen, we saw hundreds of thousands of hippies dancing in the rain, sleeping in fields, making love, and sharing what they had. “Make love, not war” became their slogan. The hippie generation is gone now but has impacted our ways of life in profound ways. At the same time we followed the women’s movement [see photos below] as it grew, fighting for change and struggling for equality, pushing back on the expectations placed on them.

Our first encounter with the LGBTQ+ community came in 1965, when two young trans people asked Jean-Pierre to take their picture. They invited him into their building on West 65th Street and introduced him to their friends. They had an unapologetic lust for life and most touching was when they came together to play with dolls, pretending to be mothers with their babies. Jean-Pierre suggested we go to the roof to have a fashion shoot. They loved the idea and took an additional two hours to dress, groom, and make themselves up. Being gay was still uncharted territory and their trust, at a time when visibility was dangerous, was courageous.

Their courage defined an era, and their legacy continues today.

Jean-Pierre also photographed young Americans searching for spiritual meaning. At Explo ‘72 in Dallas, thousands pointed their fingers toward the sky in a moment of collective belief. Years later, at Rajneeshpuram in Oregon, he observed a community attempting to build a self-contained world based on meditation, work, and devotion. They cultivated an environment of love and friendship, and even surprised Jean-Pierre with the largest birthday cake he had ever received. He actually did succumb to the charm of their cult and was sad to leave the Nirvana they tried to create. The community advocated a spiritual life and represented their idea of an earthly paradise.

We mingled with the Black fans outside of Madison Square Garden for what was called “The Fight of the Century” between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Jean-Pierre took photos of celebrities arriving in flamboyant velvet suits, matching fur coats, towering hats, and golden platform shoes that screamed confidence and pride. They represented the trailblazing changes of fashion extravaganza. When we revisited Jean-Pierre’s archives many years later, we understood that Ali and Frazier were not the stars of the show—that crowd was.

Jean-Pierre spent time with a gang called the Savage Skulls in the Bronx who were known for violence that made newspaper headlines. They made no effort to integrate into the society that rejected them, yet they welcomed him into their world. Behind the reputation that surrounded them, there was humor, loyalty, and pride. Jean-Pierre felt affection for this struggling youth that found a way to support each other. These experiences showed us that love and faith, in many forms, was another way young people tried to respond to uncertainty and disillusionment.

Each chapter in Rebels With a Cause—war protesters, hippies, feminists, muscle ladies, the LGBTQ+ community, spiritual groups, street gangs, and black style—comes from moments we lived with people full of aspiration, motivation, and optimism. They opened their doors, their neighborhoods, their dreams, and their struggles to create a new world. Their trust allowed us to document a country that was in the middle of reinventing itself. What united them is simple: they were young, criticized, often underestimated, and determined to make a difference. They rejected mainstream American materialism and promoted peace and love. Their courage defined an era, and their legacy continues today.

Fifty years later, these photographs still feel alive. Rebels with a Cause is our way of honoring the generations who made history and allowed us—young immigrants—to create a kaleidoscope of what was happening in America in the 1960s and 70s and witness their revolution up close.

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From Rebels With a Cause, by JP Laffont and Eliane Laffont, available now from Damiani.