How Protests Differ in the Past to the Present

Protesting has been an incredibly effective way of expression in the United States since the first amendment, allowing those without a platform to come together and voice their opinions. Although, over the past couple of decades, this method of proclamation has decreased in efficiency and value. 

Among many protests occurring in the United States of America today, the impact on society and people's rights does not seem to be evolving as it once did in the mid-1900s. Segregation and the Women's suffrage movement are phenomenal examples of how powerful protests once were. Why is it now more difficult to make such a change through this form of expression? 

The real difference between protesting in today's day versus the mid-1900s comes down to the numbers of people marching. In the past, most felt as if being in person to rally was essential because that was the only way to be heard. Although now with social media, influencers are able to share their opinions to millions of people without getting out of bed. 

The problem with this is “protesting” over social media is proving to not be very effective. Instead, we should be using social media as a tool to bring communities together in person, this can result in an increase of people attending street protests, which is what we need if we want to have more of an impact.

Strong political movements hold impacts on protests as well as the outcome of them. A prominent example of this is Martin Luther King Jr’s speech, as he spoke out to over 250,000 people from the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 according to Census.Gov. Although 57 years later Martin Luther King III spoke out at the same place, only thousands of people had come in person compared to the hundreds of thousands that his ancestors gathered. 

The turnout of people that have shown up on the streets to express their voices have decreased drastically resulting in people relying on social media to spread word. This is a problem due to the fact that these protests are not lasting as long and don’t hold as much power as they once did. 

No matter how well executed a movement can be on social media, nothing can compare to the strength of individuals coming together and finding unity whilst fighting for what they believe in. 

The women's movement has evolved over time and through protesting has created a great impact for women in America today. With the final goal of equality, the women’s movement or the feminist movement has shed light to these issues in which women have always faced. The first known feminism protest was in ancient Rome and consisted of women getting together to march and speak out to fight for their equality, Britannica. These protests and marches have rarely come to a halt as women around the world are consistently pushing for their voices to be heard. 

In 1982, over 120,000 women and men walked the streets of Washington to protest for women's equality. Nowadays most protesting happens throughout social media, although, according to the National Organization of Women in 2017 there was a spike in march numbers as there were over 500,000 individuals protesting and working towards equality in Washington, D.C. This is wonderful, but one protest a year is not enough. The suffrage movement was on going, day in and out. It was a life style. One day a year of women getting together can be much easier to ignore than the constant hard work of women pushing the issue.

Protesting brings like-minded individuals together and creates strong communities that are ready to voice their opinions. Although it may attract press and become viral, the aftermath of these rallies is where the problem lies. 

In addition to protests being smaller, America has some other issues that are keeping the voices of the masses down:

Essential topics such as gun control and abortion laws have been protested many times in the past and continue to be ongoing issues in America. These laws are influenced by lobbyists and the large corporations funding politicians, which significantly impacts how the voice of the public makes a difference in America. 

Political parties are financed through numerous affiliations and corporations. The main source of their funding comes from party members and supporters through memberships and subscriptions. This is an ongoing issue in the present due to the impact it has on voting and the decisions that are made for America. 

Often, this represents how many politicians' lobbying efforts may contradict their values.

To transform these ideologies into public policies, these reformed parties would need to be altered in order to create a safer and a more inclusive country. Creating an organization that will take multiple voices and transform them into constitutional law will open up opportunities for those who do not have a platform to share their beliefs. 

"Assembly," written by Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri, touches on how protests either make a difference or none at all. By questioning why these movements have not been able to achieve lasting change, this novel formulates how communities can make an ingrained difference. By advocating for social unionism, "Assembly" focuses on harnessing the power to provide change that will last. 

"Events of resistance have the power not only to escape control but also to create a new world," Hardt said. 

Negri and Hardt's "Assembly" is seen to be a transposition of this sweeping division of labor. In other words, leaders will bring themselves onto more of a schematic role (78). Following this, the mass will be in control of creating an assembly to further provide a community for like minded individuals to express their opinions, (295). 

Conducting similar ideologies into power is seen to be the most effective way to impact change. Although this method takes time and large numbers of people, multiple methods create this impact for those who do not have a public voice such as writing and broadcasting your opinion.

Ways we can help:

An excellent course of action to make a change safely yet efficiently is by writing letters and emails to those in power. Reaching out to leaders does more than one may think it would. Introducing yourself, stating why you have decided to reach out and asking for a response will create a platform to express how your proposal will impact America. 

Another systematic way to get your ideology recognized by the public is to reach out to your local newspaper or speak at public events such as county board meetings. This process will allow you to vocalize and express why you believe these changes are necessary and how they will impact society. 

Help fund organizations bring the ability to induce change by actively fighting against issues world-wide. As protests are a great mechanism to bring upon development, reaching out to these organizations is a way to expand your knowledge on tools to modify and make a difference.  Protests are the first step in global change and the next is what comes after. The opportunity that social media gives individuals is that of bringing together communities with similar mindsets and this is a great tool to use in order to achieve the change that is being longed for. 

Having the right as an American to freedom of speech is one that should not be disregarded due to how crucial this principle is to the past and future of the United States. As seen in history, vocalizing one’s opinion has brought together individuals in order to overcome barriers; and this is essential to the growth and evolution of not only America, but all of humanity.

Finally, let’s get out and protest, but remember protesting is only the beginning!