Changemakers Presentation by Sherley Joseph

 

 

For this months project in my speech 2608 class, we got to discuss changemakers in our societies history. Our class focused on the 1700, 1800, 1900, and 2000’s. To start off, I found this project quite interesting from the start. We got the opportunity to not only learn about change makers individually, but we got to explain them to our classmates. I also loved how we were taught the actions Miami Dade college is doing to take part in civic related in engagement. Being a project manger allowed me to oversee the process each group went through to organize their presentation. Each participant gave the class new and in depth information. I can also tell each group got better with time management.

 

Group 2 spoke about the“Revolutionary 1900s,  With figures such as Cesar Chavez who was a Latino civil rights influencer and lead nonviolent protests. His act created enforcement of labor laws and helped with workers advocacy. Which is something that is major for the working class right now. His movement paved a way for the U.S government to promote awareness of social justice, workers’s rights and more.

Then they introduced Claudette Colvin who was really the first person to refuse to give up her seat on the bus as a black women. I believe this was very important because it helps bring awareness to people who many were not introduced to.

Another figure who was mentioned was Martin Luther King. He is a figure who is well known by most people. He promoted nonviolent protest and equality. He led many major events such as the Selma to Montgomery marches (1965).I would say that all three figures and more had a common denominator and that was wanting change not only for the current generations but the generations behind them which is us. Because of these leaders things such as voting laws, workforce related activities and segregation were changed for the better. After learning about had figures the group lastly showed us how MDC is helping by hosting continuous service learning opportunities and leadership workshops.

 

Group three focused on change makers from the 1700s. They showcased leaders like George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Abigail Adam’s, and other leaders who were connected to The United States history of democracy. After explaining important historic figures from that period, they connected the leaders' histories to the different achievements they accomplished in our country's history. For example, Naomy covered George Washington’s presidency and how he helped shaped constitutional convention in 1787. Through group threes presentation the audience was able to see and  understand the impact of these leaders on laws and the economy. Lastly, group three talked about Miami Dade College’s actions toward democracy which involved civic engagement, discussions and encouraging voting and leadership.

 

 

Group one’s focused on change makers from the 1800s. Thus included Fredrick Douglass , Thomas Edison, Susan b Anthony, Harriet Tubman , Samuel colt and Abraham Lincoln. After each presenter introduced their change maker, the group highlighted the importance events that happened as a result. Such as the Louisiana Purchase which happened under Thomas Jefferson’s term. Another one of the wars being the Mexican and American war. Overall, the covered many things that were relevant to America history. Another thing I loved about group one’s presentation is the pictures they included. The one that caught my eye was slide four which was a continuation on Fredrick douglass’s impact on America. The picture displayed a black slave who was chained and had a sign that said “am I not a man and a brother”. It was deeply disheartening but the picture displayed a reality for many people at that time. Moving on, the group covered Susan b Anthony and how her fight is was led to women being able to vote today. One last thing I will add is group one did a great job with providing in depth information.

Last but not least group four. They chose to present on the 2000’s. I would say this was my. Favorite time frame. They spoke about many different trending figures but the one that caught my attention was the story about Malala Yousafanzai. By choosing to stand up for women’s rights she became a source of inspiration for so many women not only in her country but around the world. She also did not let retaliation stop her from spreading word about how important women’s rights are. It is funny because a couple of days ago, I seen her TikTok page of her dancing, singing and being just a normal person. Even though she is a well-respected individual, she shows through social media that she is human and loves to laugh and make jokes. It also inspires the youth to understand how change can be made by anyone. She did not allow a title of being young stop her from standing up for what was right.  And that is the point of change making. Not only do we get the chance to learn but we get the chance to be inspired and do good.the group connected change to how the college is informing students on how to make changes in their everyday lives. With items such as the civic scorecard. I’ve actually participated in the civic score action card. I started a nonprofit student led organization along side friends and got points for that.  Volunteered at a food shelter called feeding south Florida and did a couple of other fun things. I genuinely enjoyed my experience taking part in. You can tell that it is made so that people can understand what ways they are making a difference and helping others.

 

All in all, being a project manager and overseeing these projects has been a great experience. And I appreciate all that I have been learning from it. I can’t wait to see what our next project consists of. The groups did a great job at teaching the class and did better on time management this time around and excellent with confidence.