Blog 2 -Changemakers Presentation Reflection -Louie Alvarez

   Welcome to the ever increasing lineage of changemakers! My name is Louie, and I have learned much from the various people that have caused national and global change throughout the years. From MLK Jr. with the Civil Rights Movement to the Founding Fathers to modern day presidents and Supreme Court Justices, my classmates and I have highlighted some noticeable figures deserving of recognition. Let's explore each Change-maker and the lessons I have learned through each person's hardships and success!

 

    Starting with the period of the founding fathers and the early American age, some of the changemakers during that time were James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Roger Sherman, George Mason, and George Washington. Beginning with James Madison, who drafted the Constitution, designed the three-branch system, and served as president during the War of 1812, showed me that regardless of what age you are, you are always capable of impacting a nation and making a change, even during uncertain times. Benjamin Franklin revised and helped draft the Constitution and worked up a middle ground for the ratification of the Constitution. He also served as an ambassador to France to gather support during the American Revolution. His impact for the developments of the United States showed me you do not have to originate an idea to create a change but to nurture it so it develops complete and see it to fruition, and that change is not done alone but with support. Alexander Hamilton worked closely with most of these changemakers and his bravery and support taught me that even at such a young age, you can still make an impact because courage has its own strength and community, or a group that share an ideal, can embolden it. Each changemaker from the early American time period, Sherman, Mason, and Washington, all unified under an idea and combined their strengths to ensure that they would see it to its completion. All their teamwork has taught me that we can start a change with an idea, but it is not for us to carry alone, instead we find like-minded people who support the cause you share, like the motto "E Pluribus Unum" meaning "out of many, on" as they were each different yet unified.

    Moving on to the 1800s we had many more individuals who impacted the future of the US in an age of starting revolution and political shifts. Some individuals I learned about during this time period were Frederick Douglass, John Brown, Florence Nightingale, Clara Barton, Andrew Carnegie, and John D. Rockefeller. Frederick Douglass and John Brown both showed me to fight for change when something that is a common occurrence is not morally correct, even when you are not the one being directly affected. They both realized that the overall improvement of quality of life is an improvement to the individual's life and worked to ensure that the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment would meet that standard that they fought for. Florence Nightingale and Clara Barton brought a sense of humanity to the medical practice with ensuring safe environments that can provide patients proper care extended to all people, even if others may believe it is not of the best personal interest. Their bravery was in their compassion, and it taught me that compassion has a place in this world that largely focuses on results and growth. Compassion can bring back humanity to those that are lost in being a number rather than a person. Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller taught me how to expand my outreach for philanthropic ventures by beginning an idea whether for economic growth and efficiency or solely to provide a form of employment and social services through one's company. Each individual during this time witnessed a deficiency and sought a solution to fill it for the betterment of themselves and those they care.

    The 1900s were an evolutionary time for American economy and expansion. With its revolutionary boom, the people still faced many hardships with the Great Depression and global uncertainty with the struggle of two world wars. However, these selected individuals provide some solace for those suffering, these being Alice Paul, Jonas Salk, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., and Betty Freidan. Alice Paul and Betty Freidan had witnessed the disproportional treatment between men and women and fought to change that, eventually leading to women's suffrage and equal rights through their protests in all forms. Those two were similar changemakers to Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela as they as well fought for civil rights and racial discrimination and systematic segregation that existed in their countries at the time. All four of them show a group of like-minded individuals each fighting for a marginalized group that did not deserve to be treated as less than. They showed me that we should be a voice for those without. Ruth Bader Ginsburg fought similarly for women's right but from within the judicial system as she also broke new ground entering into a field that was solely male. She proved that even through an untread path, you should not be afraid to walk it because no one else has: be the first. Jonas Salk, the man who created the Polio vaccine was a medical discovery that revolutionized the world. His decision to not patent it and focus on its preventative properties to protect peoples' health taught me that compassion and selflessness has a place in this world and that I should be determined to uphold that quality as it can change lives, including my own.

    Leading into modern day, there have been people who continue to influence the lives of everyday people and accomplish wonderful achievements that have given me hope for the future. These individuals include Barack Obama, Vivek Murphy, Ketanji Brown Jackson, George W. Bush, Stacey Abrams, Alejandro Mayorkas, and Sonia Sotomayor. Beginning with Barack Obama's presidency, and being the first African American president, his policies expanded healthcare, provide financial stability, and expanded rights for non-heterosexual couples and undocumented children. Obama continues to improve society after his presidency through the development of a library and community center. He has taught me that to care for others is not just to those I know and care about, but to all who can benefit from the good I can produce. Vivek Murphy taught me the same lesson during his time as US surgeon general, prioritizing the development of mental health resources and awareness. Ketanji Brown Jackson was a changemaker I selected as she inspired me to give a voice to the people and to break new ground as she did. From being raised in Miami, she worked her way up to being the first Black woman and public defender to become a Supreme Court justice. Her rulings on cases have also shown that she has protected the rights of people from being exploited by others and companies. George W. Bush came into his presidency during a difficult time with the attack on 9/11 and changes on foreign policy. However, he changed how Americans would view the executive role of President as he took each problem national and foreign into a more hands-on approach. His role showed me that even with the support you may have to uphold an ideal, you still have to take charge to ensure it is completed. Stacey Abrams's work to ensure that voting rights were not disrupted and that the voice of all communities are not misrepresented has taught me that the work is not finished when first achieving a change, but when it is ensured that it stays protected. Alejandro Mayorkas is the first Latino to be Secretary of Homeland Security and stepped up during a time that immigration policies were a heated topic. By ensuring asylum protections and equal protection under the law, he taught me that even in justice, the capacity of fairness is a necessary requirement to be able to distribute it. Lastly, Sonia Sotomayor became the first Latina and youngest Supreme Court justice whose change was brought through case rulings and highlighting the importance of dissenting opinions to protect people's protections, especially in criminal justice and voting rights. Sotomayor has shown me that there are people in the system of government that are aware it is not perfect but still ensure to voice their opinion so the people trust it can improve and is not corrupted. 

    

    Each of these individuals that my classmates and I had chosen are all people who have improved the world, each in their own individual field. They all have taught me that change can be made in numerous different ways, regardless of upbringing, race, disability, and social class. Having an idea that can help people should be protected and held dear, and, along the way, we will find others who do the same, as was with the founding fathers to modern day Supreme Court Justices. The power that the people have is their community and unification through there diversity, meaning we are all different but equal, and showing that through social change means we can help improve everyone's quality of life and our own. This was a wonderful project to work on that has hopefully inspired my classmates to improve the quality of life for people as it has inspired me!