Social Change – Solutions to American Social Problems This semester we have focused on American Social Problems. In each section, we have learned that solutions have been proposed for a variety of social problems, some effective and others less so. In addition to policies, some individuals have organized and mobilized groups to create social change across the nation – they changed the culture. This assignment will focus on that social change. The research has one major goal: to communicate how social change happens in society. You will describe the dialectic relationship between individual troubles and social problems by including the following information: Who is the person? And where did they come from? [Short Bio] What Social Problem are they interested in solving? Why? [Provide some social structural statistics to show the "problem" - i.e., rates, rich description of social relations using evidence] What did they do? What actions did they take? [Strategy] What was the outcome? [Did this affect policy and/or the US culture? How?] Did the agent go to prison/jail? Topics PICK ONLY 1 PERSON Reverend Billy – The Church of Stop Shopping John Lewis – Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Larry Kramer – Act Up! Dolores Huerta – National Farm Workers Association Woody Guthrie – Labor Activist Naomi Klein – No Logo/ Occupy Movement Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi and Patricia Cullors - #BlackLivesMatter (Travon Martin; Black Liberation Movement)

Social Change Agent Research

Social change is the great force that moves the curve of history towards a better future. It is the sacrifice of individuals that catalyze social change. Among some of the topics that are common in matters, social change is a democracy, civil rights activism, better governance, better health care programs, education reforms, environmental conservation, gender equality, women empowerment, LGBT rights, and such like topics which are at the heart of every progressive citizen’s agenda. The initiatives that rise from social movements help in solving the most critical and pressing issues in society. Often, the different issues are met with opposition, or with indifference by those in power or by members of the public. However, people must rise to confront the most critical and pressing issues and raise a national/ international consciousness about them. At times the call to duty entwines with one’s purpose in life. History is replete with examples of agents of social change. John Lewis is such an example as he spearheaded activism against racism. He was a key leader of the Southern Nonviolence Coordinating Committee.