Changemaker Presentation Reflection- Destinee Jonassaint

 


This week in class, we all did presentations on changemakers from three different time periods, the 1800s, the 1900s, and the 2000s. Each group was given a different era, and within each group every person picked a different individual who they felt truly made a mark on the world. It was actually really cool to see how many different people across so many different eras managed to change the course of history in their own way. I went in not really expecting much but I walked out actually feeling inspired.

Group 1: 1800s

The first group covered the 1800s, and the ones that stuck with me the most were the presentations on Susan B. Anthony and Harriet Tubman. What I found so powerful about both of them is that they were just regular people who decided enough was enough. Harriet Tubman could have stayed safe after she escaped slavery, but she kept going back to free others even knowing how dangerous it was. That takes a kind of courage most of us will never fully understand. Susan B. Anthony spent basically her whole life fighting for women to have the right to vote, and she never even got to see it happen in her lifetime. That is the kind of dedication that is really hard to wrap your head around. Listening to my classmates talk about these women made me realize how easy it is to forget that the rights people have today came at a huge cost for the people who fought for them back then.

Group 2: 1900s


Then came our group, the 1900s, and honestly I think we had the best era. The 20th century had everything. Two World Wars, the Civil Rights Movement, the birth of television, the rise of pop culture which is the reason why my person was Michael Jackson. I focused on a few things that makes Michael Jackson the changemaker he was. How he debuted the moonwalk which inspired kids all around the world to dance, how he broke racial barriers on MTV by being the first Black artist to have his music videos played on the network, how he donated over 300 million dollars to charity throughout his life, and how he co-wrote We Are the World with Lionel Richie which raised over 60 million dollars for countries in Africa suffering from famine. He was not just an entertainer, he was someone who used his platform to genuinely make the world a better place.

Group 3: 2000s


After we finished, the third group came up with their presentations on changemakers from the 2000s, the one that stood out to me was the presentation on Barack Obama. I always looked up to Obama since I grew up with him as my President. He is one of those figures where you already know he's significant, but hearing a classmate break down his impact in a structured presentation made it feel different. He represented something much bigger than politics. His story alone inspired millions of people, and the way my classmate presented him really captured why he belongs in the changemaker conversation for that era.

Summary

Looking back at all three groups and all the different people they covered, what really stood out to me was how different change looks depending on the era. But across all three eras, every single changemaker had one thing in common. They cared deeply about something and refused to let the world stay the same. That is probably the biggest thing I am taking away from this project. You do not have to be born into power or have everything figured out to make a difference. Harriet Tubman did not wait for permission. Michael Jackson did not ask if the world was ready. Barack Obama ran for president when a lot of people said it could not be done. They all just went for it, and because of that, the world looks a little different today than it did before them. This project was a good reminder that changemakers are not just historical figures in a textbook. They are real people who made a choice, and that is something anyone is capable of.

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