Yuliesky Marrero Thoughts on 1970-2000s Changemakers

 Thoughts on Historical Figures

  While this might go without saying, I think everyone did very well with going over their historical figures and giving the class their major impact on society ever since the 1700s to today. Even if it was with one action or aspect of society, or even more than just one, all of these figures did something to earn their fame in America's history. Starting off with Group 3, they went over some of the Founding Fathers like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James Wilson, Madison, and including Abigail Adams, who I found to be the most unique among them. That being said, it's no wonder that she would catch my attention the most, especially with the video that was tied to her. She saw during the American Revolution just how strong, capable, and resilient women could be despite how they are often perceived and treated during these times as I would assume, so she sought to make any change she could through her letters with her husband, asking him to keep the women in mind while he was making the new laws. Though I do sense the irony in that, it really shows her determination and desire to help her fellow women even as far back as this point in time, which I find incredible. That's not to discredit any of the other historical figures though, as even aside the signing of the Constitution and the new laws, these individuals helped shape America in many other ways with their ideas and beliefs. Such individuals like George Washington, with his incredible leadership skills, his strategy, and his political ideas, one of the biggest that remain significant to this day and will hopefully remain important long after being how long a presidency should last, two terms. Naturally, there were the other Founding Fathers contributions like Alexander Hamilton, who is not only on the 10$ bill but also helped establish the first national bank and a system that would help pay the national debt in full, and James Wilson, who believed in popular sovereignty, the idea that a country's strength lies in the people. It's the reason the Constitution starts with "We, the people". There were several others with incredible feats of their own in making America what it is today like Benjamin Franklin and James Madison with his ideas of unity, community, and individual rights, but there are many we could list off so I'll now move on to the 1800s. Being done by Group 1, which did mess with me a little as I found it a little funny, I feel like this was one of the more varied times and presentations as we went through all kinds of individuals who had their own goals and actions. Going from individuals like Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln in their endeavors to abolish slavery, to Susan B. Anthony in continuing the fight for equal rights for women as well, and even to their own form of technological advancements with Thomas Edison and Samuel Colt. What really caught my eye was the efforts in abolishing slavery, though I doubt that sounds surprising, as it ultimately costed Lincoln's life in the end when the country needed him most after the Civil War. There were also the struggles of Frederick Douglas and Harriet Tubman, who some might argue had it much harder, but still made great strides in saving the slaves and helping them escape these terrible conditions. I found it truly inspirational how Frederick Douglas rose up, gained a form of education, and managed to aid Lincoln in the Civil War and in his efforts in abolishing slavery, becoming known as the Voice of Freedom and Equality today, and especially how Harriet decided to go back over and over again through the underground railroad system to save more of her fellow slaves despite the potential risks that came with it. Really, just hearing about these individuals reminds me of how hard the fight for unity and cooperation truly is and how long this fight has been going on even throughout the rest of the world. It makes the following tragedy of Abraham Lincoln all the more sadder knowing that segregation soon follows and that the fight for true liberty and equal rights was not over even after the Civil War. It makes one wonder if segregation would have even been conceived if he continued as president. Speaking of, while it wasn't mentioned all that much during their presentation, if at all, that pretty much brings us to the 1900s and some of the changemakers of that time like MLK or even Claudette Colvin, who refused to give up her bus seat even before the more well-known Rosa Park, so hearing about her was a nice surprise. Funny story but my son actually told me about Rosa Park once prior to this class but his memory was so off that he only remembered her as "the woman who sat on a bus seat", so hearing about her in this class was both surprising and somewhat comedic to me. Even still, hearing about the Civil Rights Movement and how the African Americans continued to struggle to gain equal rights and opportunities really shows how long and arduous this fight has been for them, how it has actually lasted for actual centuries even since the time of the Founding Fathers. The fact that Martin Luther King was a Baptist minister who held strong beliefs only makes me admire and respect him even more. I also have to mention Franklin D. Roosevelt and his great efforts in providing for the Middle Class, giving them a sense of relief, tranquility, and even hope while at the height of the Great Depression. Even while under a lot of pressure he reached out for the middle class with fireside chats and the New Deal Act. Regardless, what I'm trying to say throughout all of this is how these particular individuals that I take note of is their resilience, compassion, dedication, strong, unwavering wills, and their desire to help others even at the cost of their own, to the point of staking their lives for what they believe in! This, to me, ultimately culminates in someone like Michelle Obama who we covered in our Group's final presentation on the 2000s. While we did cover individuals like Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and even Obama, the most personal one for me was definitely Michelle after hearing all of the presentations of before and the things I noticed, especially with that video that was shown. We went from having little to no equal rights and opportunities to now having this black woman as the First Lady, which is just so inspriring and hopeful in my eyes. It shows that no matter our sex or race, we can all do remarkable things and are capable of leaving our own impact on history, all based on our actions and efforts!

Yours truly, Yuliesky Marrero