According to Herbert Kohl (1995: 26), social change takes place as a result of large social movements. This author claims that social change can not be attributed to individuals, and children should be informed of this in school. However, this view is contradicted by Amy and David Goodman in their book Standing Up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times (2008). These two focus on a single individual (hero or heroine) in analyzing social justice activism in the United States of America. The two authors argue that one individual, a hero or a heroine, is responsible for instigating social change in the society. This essay is going to look at the techniques that Goodman and Goodman use in this book to convince their audience that their hypothesis is right. The success of these techniques (or lack of it thereof) to convince the audience will be analyzed. This essay will achieve this by analyzing the first chapter of the book.
As stated earlier, Goodman and Goodman (2008) hypothesize that social change in the society is attributable to the actions of a single individual in the society. They make efforts to convince the audience on this in each and every chapter and in each and every case study in the book. Their hypothesis is the complete opposite of the one proposed by Kohl. However, a textual analysis of chapter one and the “Turning Point” of the same points out that the Goodmans’ arguments emerge somewhere in between the continuum. In their argument of how to effect social change in the society, Goodman and Goodman reveal (intentionally or otherwise), that social change is instigated both by a single individual and mass movement in the society. The individual may be the source of the impetus for social change, and this far the Goodmans are right. However, it takes the mobilization of the masses to effect real social change. In other words, it is the action of the masses that turns the ideas of the hero or heroine into reality. This will emerge in several quotes that will be analyzed in the chapter to be analyzed.
On the “Turning Point” section to chapter one, Standing up to the Madness in 1955: the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Goodman and Goodman (11-13) talk about the rise against Jim Crow segregation laws in America. They give their story focusing on Rosa Parks as the heroine of the movement.
Goodman and Goodman attribute the origin of the modern civil rights movement to the actions of this seamstress. They report that “(Rosa) Park’s action was the spark that ignited the modern civil rights movement” (Goodman & Goodman 12). They are of the view that the ruling by the Supreme Court in June 1956 declaring the Jim Crow segregation laws as unconstitutional could not have taken place if it were not for Rosa Parks (Goodman & Goodman 12).
The authors go as far as to refute the claims made by what they refer to as “the (American) corporate media” (12) after the death of this heroine. The media was of the view that Rosa was a “no troublemaker” (12), arguing that she was just tired and was unable to vacate the bus seat for the white man. Goodman and Goodman refute this by claiming that “the truth (of the matter) was that Rosa Parks was an activist……..a first-class troublemaker” (12).
But Goodman and Goodman refute claims made by American “corporate media” selectively. They express support for those quotes in the media that seems to support their position. For example, they quote Studs Terkel as saying that “Parks did not come out of a vacuum” (13). They use this quote to support their claim that the heroine was the force behind the Montgomery bus boycott.
However, the fact that Goodman and Goodman arguments falls somewhere in between the continuum is supported by several quotes in their text. For example, they quote Terkel as saying that “it was never (the responsibility of) one person-remember that. It’s a combination of many people, many forces” (13). This quote goes a long way in proving that as much as Rosa Parks may have instigated the Montgomery bus boycott, it was mass action that realized the changes that followed.
In chapter one, “Reclaiming Common Ground”, Goodman and Goodman carry on with their hypothesis about the responsibility of a hero to instigate social change. They tell the story of the formation and activism of Common Ground Movement, a movement fighting for the rights of the victims of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita in New Orleans. Again, they attribute the formation and activities of this group to the activities of one hero, Malik Rahim. Like in the “Turning Point” section, the story in this chapter revolves around this hero.
Goodman and Goodman introduce the chapter by introducing Malik. They describe him as “….a barrel-chested, 59 year old man with long gray dreadlocks” (14). They use this description to introduce Malik as a fearless character fighting for the rights of his people. They describe his traits as “….good training for the epic struggle he is now engaged in: fighting for the right of poor and working class residents of new Orleans to return home after being uprooted by hurricane Katrina….” (15).
Goodman and Goodman quotes directly from Malik to strengthen their arguments. For example, they quote his reaction to hurricane Katrina. They report that “(while) it took days for the world to fully comprehend (what was happening in New Orleans), it took Malik only a few hours…….’this is criminal,’ he wrote (on the internet). ‘If you ain’t got no money in America, you’re on your own” (20). These sentiments by Malik serve Goodman’s purpose of arguing that he was responsible for the activism taking place.
As earlier indicated, Goodman claims that Malik used his background as a member of the Black Panther to instigate social change in his community. They report that “Rahim fought back against official neglect in the way he knew best: He organized” (22). In other words, if it were not for Malik, Common Ground as a social movement would never have existed.
Just like in the “Turning Point” segment, Goodman, deliberately or otherwise, reveal that the individual hero inadvertently relies on mass action to actualize their ideas. This is what Rahim did when “….he published his phone number on the internet with a plea (for help)” (22). Malik realized that as much as he wanted to help his community, he would have to rely on the input from others.
This position is reiterated when the Veterans for Peace responded to Malik’s plea and came with help for the community. Goodman and Goodman write that “the old soldiers (Malik and the Veterans for Peace) exchanged bear hugs……and got down to work” (23).
The actual formation of Common Ground Relief was carried out by a group of people, not a single individual. Goodman and Goodman attribute this formation, unintentionally, to a group of volunteers. One of them (volunteers) argued that “’what you need to find is common ground that you agree to work under’, thus was born Common Ground Relief” (23).
In conclusion, it is important to note the salient points raised by this text analysis. The essay revealed that as much as the Goodmans would like to argue that the individual hero and heroine reigns supreme as far as instigating social change is concerned, a critical analysis of the text reveals a slightly different state of affairs. Both the Goodmans and Kohl are right in their arguments. However, they fail to realize that there must be interplay between the individual hero and heroine and the mass action. The individual hero and heroine create the impetus for social change, but mass action actualizes and realizes the change.
References
Goodman, Amy, and Goodman. David. Standing Up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times. New York: Hyperion Books, 2008.
Kohl, Robert. Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott Revisited. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1995.