Reform and Radical Change vs The Powers That Be

This week, we discussed in depth the ways that many social movements have had to fight against a powerful group (usually the government.) Abram Lewis's article "We Are Certain of Our Own Insanity" describes the LGBTQ+ fight to get rid of negative representation that was present in the 1960s-70s. More specifically, the removal of the "homosexuality" diagnosis from the DSM. While this action was the result of a lot of work behind the scenes, some people were not quite sure that it was truly as momentous an event as it was made out to be. One of the most important aspects of social movement is legislation change. However, social change is another part vital to the growth and longevity of the fight. If there isn't a large enough activist base, the movement will fizzle out before it can reach all of its goals.

The main point of class yesterday was the difference between radical and reform action. Radical action is usually the kind that makes it onto the news (and can be villanized by the group in power.) It involves a disruption to a convention that makes people pay attention! The best example I can think of is PETA throwing red paint on celebrities wearing real fur in order to send a strong message. Reform action takes place within the institutions in power and is usually a much longer process. The biggest example of this is legislation change to make something more accessible to a group of people (or to take away the presence of something actively harming them.) Both of these actions can work in conjunction to create a truly global movement.

The example that I talked about this week within my movement was the first ever Earth Day in 1970. 10% of Americans took to the streets in an act of radical change to get their voices heard. They showed the rest of the country just how big the issue was. They also made enough proverbial noise that the government listened! Two major pieces of legislation, the Clean Air Act and the National Environmental Education Act, were passed by the end of the year. The radical acts of many Americans truly transformed into reform.