What were beatniks protesting back in the '50s to mid-'60s?

I am doing research on American subcultures, past and present. Beatnik was a media stereotype prevalent throughout the 1950s to mid-1960s that displayed the more superficial aspects of the Beat Generation literary movement of the 1950s. When I think of a beatnik, I think of someone dressing in black, standing in front of a crowd with a microphone, reciting poetry and beating on bongos. Beatniks were comparable to hippies. Hippies protested against war and the government. What were beatniks protesting? I am curious- please help. Thank you.