1974
During China’s Cultural Revolution, Little Red Guards (红小兵) was the name of a selective children’s organization endorsed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from December 1967 through October 1978. The term itself, as well as the group as a whole, was used as propaganda to promote young children as the next generation to fight for the revolution. Members of the Little Red Guards were school students ages six through fourteen. Most children participated, and members were characterized by their trademark bright-red, triangular scarves around their neck. Membership in the Little Red Guards was selective and children who allegedly failed to meet certain political criteria were denied membership. As a result, the children who were selected to become members of the Little Red Guards enjoyed the great honor of being part of the organization.
Notably, the “Little Red Guards” are not synonymous with the infamous Red Guards (红卫兵), an organization of older teenagers and college-aged youth who played a far more aggressive role during the Cultural Revolution. The Little Red Guards were strictly young children used to embody the notion that the next generation would continue to follow Maoist thought and fight for the revolution.
