Week #1

            When I used to think of social change, I would think of famous leaders from our history:  Martin Luther King, Jr., President Barack Obama, Rosa Parks, Hillary Clinton, etc.  However, my thought process has changed.  Now, when I think of social change, I think about the group of people who brought about the change.  For example, instead of remembering how Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired our country to strive for equal rights for all, I now think about the Civil Rights March on Washington that he led.  If it weren’t for the hundreds of followers who marched with him in Washington D.C., the march most likely would have not inspired the change that we see today.  My current approach to bring about social change is to know my place in a group.  Sometimes, I may be the leader; other times, I might need to recognize that somebody else has an innovative idea and that it is my responsibility to use my own skills to support the movement this person is leading.  I now see social change as a collaborative effort, and not as a movement brought about by solely one leader. 

            College has really opened my eyes to see that social change is in fact needed in our society.  As a freshman on campus, I quickly joined organizations that share my same beliefs:  Equality, women’s rights, etc.  Small steps like this –simply becoming involved in organizations such as these on campus—have helped me realize that I need to work for social change, and that it is passionate people like myself who can make things happen.  Though there are a variety of problems in our society (environmental, social, civil rights, etc.), we can’t focus on making a difference in all of these categories.  Instead, we need to discover what we are truly passionate about because I think that passion is what drives social change.