Reading Reflection #9

"Just like societies of the present, future societies are molded and shaped by human action." (p 310)
My first thoughts when beginning this chapter was WOW, I have actually finished this amazing book already. I guess I look at it as being a text book, but the material in it definitely isn't dry, or boring. It has always been a very interesting read. I have learned so much from reading this book. It really makes me feel more connected with the outside world as a whole. This last chapter proved to ring true to the statements I just made as well. My reactions was one of inquisitiveness once I had finished reading Newman's final thoughts. What really will happen in the future, concerning ethnic differences? The way the author sees it, is that it can go two ways. Either the world will become a "melting pot" and race will not matter, or people will want their "uniqueness" to last generations, and the race lines will be drawn even more visible. Of course the author tells the audience this depends on a number of different things. One is social movement. This is when a group of people who are either being oppressed or are friends, or want to help the oppressed come together to change a law, or social norm they do not like. It gives an example in the text about four teens during the 1960's who attended North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University at Greensboro. These four teens started a social movement when they continually sat at the counter at Woolworth's restaurant, after picking up followers, doing numerous amounts of sit-ins, and even being arrested and thrown into jail. They were at that counter as many times as they could be to demand service, for during that time they were allowed to shop in the same store, but they weren't allowed to eat at the restaurant. This movement lead to other protests at other Woolworth's stores around the United States. After several months of this, Woolworth's integrated their lunch counter. How amazing is that? This further proves the movements that make the most change require a broad coalition of supporters, not just the oppressed.
The author challenged many biases and beliefs in this chapter. It was basically a wrap up of the past eight chapters. He discussed where he believed the United States would be years from now concerning race, sexuality, gender, and class. He advocates for equality throughout the whole text, and he states how hopefully the U.S. will realize that everyone deserves to be tried under the same justice system, and that everyone deserves to have the same rights as others. What makes this text so incredibly good is that the author really believes in what he is writing. He isn't just writing a text book to state the facts, he is putting his life history into it, and making it personal and real.
I have definitely changed my attitude after finishing this chapter, and text altogether. I realize that it does take cooperation of others to make effective institutional changes in this world, but it all begins with one person. One random act of kindness. From now on, I will do my best not to try and say that I can't change something that is wrong without even trying. I learned that you need to be that one person that isn't afraid to say something is wrong and help change it for the better. Individually, people can do so much more then they might think.