Changemaker Reflection_Aiva Deus #2

 I was very excited about our second presentation. Our second assignment was to talk about major changemakers from a certain period of time. Each group had its own era, and my group, Group 1, had chosen the 1900s. I wanted to talk about someone in the music industry who brought change, and in the 1900s, there were a lot of these figures. It was fun to put together my presentation.

Again, for this assignment, my group did amazing. I not only learned a lot from their information on their changemakers, but also, the PowerPoint was overall very creative. Everyone did great in presenting their parts. My change maker for this assignment was Kennedy "Duke" Ellington. I have known about Duke and his achievements in jazz class in high school, but I've never gone in-depth into his story. It was interesting to research his background, his involvement in Civil Rights, Social Activism, and his way of making music his way of speech. He, as a Jazz Ambassador, and The Ellington Orchestra help win hearts and minds through jazz and promote American and interracial harmony through the U.S. Department of State Tour. I learned about Susan B Anthony, who was a leader in women's rights. She believed that men and women should have equal legal and political rights. I remember in history class that her influence had led to the 19th Amendment in 1920, which granted women the right to vote. Next was Paul McCartney of the Beatles. I don't listen to the Beatles, but I have heard about them, and it was interesting to learn about how the band was formed and their influence on the music industry. Another was Martin Luther King Jr., who was a civil rights activist and the influence of his famous speech that we still use and study today, "I Have a Dream." Rosa Parks a civil rights activist, impact on society leads to what is seen today, voting rights and more diversity are some of her influences. I learned about Rachel Carson and how she impacted the environment as we know it now through her scientific research and her decision to bring it to federal regulation. Lastly, Frank Church, who influenced what we have now of privacy and government surveillance.

The next group of changemakers was from the 1800s. I think that era was interesting because most of the inventions we have today were invented by geniuses in the 1800s. I learned something new from everyone's presentation on these famous figures. John D Rockefeller seized control of the oil industry through his business, Standard Oil. I remember that from U.S. History. I learned about the two great inventors, Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, who developed most of the modern technology that we have now, such as the light bulb, motion pictures, and electricity. They also expanded economic growth and opportunity through innovation. I also learned about Harriet Jacobs and Harriet Tubman, who, though they lived in different years during the 1800s, fought for the same cause: freedom from slavery. They were both great women who contributed to growing pressure to end slavery and influenced the abolition movement. I learned of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, who led the nation during the Civil War and encouraged national unity and democratic values. Jane Adams was one of the most important social reformers in the 1800s.

The 1700s changemakers were those of the United States Constitution. I think Group 4 did amazing in PowerPoint. The visuals were nice, and unlike the other groups that had modern pictures, they had paintings. I learned about George Washington, the first president of the United States, who is also known as the "Father of the Nation." Benjamin Franklin I learned promoted compromise and unity. He was also a diplomat and an inventor. I remember it was a fun class in middle school learning about Benjamin Franklin and the lightning rod and getting electrocuted. After this presentation, I noticed that Alexander Hamilton was on the U. S. dollar bills. I also learned that he was a major leader in shaping the federal government, and his ideas laid the foundation for modern American finance. I learned that James Madison was known as the "Father of the Constitution." In the end, all those major people were the Founding Fathers of the United States and helped shape the federal government we have now.

Group 3's presentation was of the modern changemakers from the 21st century. I learned about the people who started and founded most of the technology we are currently using. Two of them were Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg. Both are important figures who shape our modern technology and media. Jobs, who cofounded Apple Inc., and Zuckerberg, who founded Facebook. They helped create the modern digital economy and impacted social media participation, global information sharing, and digital communication. Dr. Anthony Fauci was someone new I learned who was a physician-scientist. As a top medical advisor to the U.S., He was a major change maker, especially in the recent pandemic, COVID-19. I further learned of Michelle Obama, who was an American lawyer, author, and former First Lady of the United States. She launched major initiatives that focused on the people that we still have today. Edward Snowden was someone I didn't know who was a former U.S. intelligence contractor. His impacts include the worldwide debates of privacy, security, and government transparency that we have to this day. An education change maker was Betsy Devos who pushed for major shifts in education funding and challenged traditional public school systems. Lastly, George W. Bush, 43rd president of the United States, had major impacts on U.S. laws, policies, and the economy.

Overall, I think all the groups did amazing in putting together and presenting their changemakers and their impacts on society. Just as there are individuals I knew about from studying history, there were some I didn't know, and I learned new information from these presentations. I think the group leaders paid attention to the members' parts and gave credit where it was due. I believe we are all satisfied with our efforts, the leader's help, and appreciation.