Saul Alinsky & Jane Addams - Similar Under the Surface

Jane Addams is recognized as a social and political pioneer for women in America. In her biography, which later revealed her experiences in Hull House, she demonstrates her altruistic personality, which nurtured the poor and pushed for social reforms. Although many of Addams ideas were considered radical for her time, she provided women with a socially acceptable way to participate in both political and social change. She defied the prototypical middle class women by integrating the line that separated private and political life. Within these walls of the settlement house, Addams redefined the idea of ?separate spheres,? and with relentless determination, she

“I am, was, and always be a catalyst for change” (Chisholm, 1970). Shirley Chisholm was a Visionary Leader and Ethical Leader by challenging the country to live up to ideals of equality and opportunity, while navigating the rough political landscape, contending with racial and gender discrimination. In this essay, I will review how Shirley Chisholm used her visionary leadership traits by becoming the first African American congresswoman to create diversity and how she used Idealized Influence to garner votes to run for U.S. presidency. Additionally, I will review how Chisholm displayed Ethical Leadership by challenging the seniority system in Congress and how she used her moral values to stand up for what she believed in. Finally, I will review how Shirley Chisholm’s visionary and ethical leadership behavior is personally relevant to me. First, let’s review how Chisholm used her visionary leadership traits.

By starting the tenement houses in Chicago through the Hull Houses, Jane Addams and Ellen Starr had already begun their journey into the public sphere. Through opening the tenement houses and allowing people to see them and come live in them helped the two women make a name for themselves, with the more well-known woman of the pair being recognized for much more, was Jane Addams herself. Addams saw rights and freedom for women as a “perfectly possible” thing to attain, as she was optimistic and very assertive on her way to work for women’s equality and rights. The optimism that Jane Addams had was not without a price to pay on her part, as there were many negatives that had to be dealt with along the way like setbacks in acting, legislation, supporters, etc.7

In the book, Gang Leader for a Day, a rogue sociologist passionately dives into the lives of one of Chicago’s toughest housing projects in an attempt to develop an insight as to how the urban impoverished lived. Throughout the text it becomes clear that a conflict paradigm is being reflected. A conflict society is based on social inequality, in which some individuals benefit and thrive more than others, which tends to lead to conflict and thus change. This is evident both in the housing projects where a gang known as the “Black Kings” take over and also in the surrounding neighborhoods where the more elite citizens, including persons from the authors university, shy away from associating with the nearby poor black nearby public, thus

Have you ever wondered how some people enact change? Mother Jones protested for child labor laws. Melba integrated a white high school in order to get rid of racism. Nelson Mandela joined South Africa’s congress to help racism. They all persevered to enact change, but they took different approaches for their problems.

“There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time”-Malcolm X. In every movement men and women have crossed paths with others that share their goals, but not everyone shares the same path to achieve it. The civil rights movement of the nineteen fifties and sixties were no different in this case, while many shared the common goal of equality for all, not everyone shared the same style or belief system to achieve it creating sources of conflict within various civil rights organizations as well as between organizations. Freedom activists, Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael sharing the same goal as other civil rights leaders John Lewis

One of the worlds best known advocates of non-violent social change strategies was Martin Luther King Jr. He synthesized ideals drawn from many different cultural traditions. The image of a social activist and leader was the result of extensive formal education, strong personal values and licit ethics. This excellence in leadership can be traced to his character, which is shaped by his moral values and

The Progressive Era began in the year 1890 through 1920; During this time many things in the country were evolving such as Social Justice, Government Efficiency, Suffrage Movements, Prohibition, and the list continues. Jane Adams being a fighter and standing up for what she believed in was described as being “bold as a lion” (20 yr) growing up and, through her adult years when initiating change in the way the government and society assist with the impoverished. Adams established the Hull House with Ellen Gates Star “on the 18th of September, 1889”(20 yr.). This started the movement that is know as the Settlement House Movement. “The purpose of the Hull House as stated in its character was “to provide a center for a higher civic and social life; to institute and maintain educational and philanthropic enterprises, and to investigate and improve the conditions in the industrial districts of Chicago”(Addams, 1910, p. 89)”(Jane addams and social reform a role model for the 1990s). Although Jane Adams was mainly known for her work in the Hull House and being the 'mother of social work ', she also caused many reforms that affected the entity of the way the United States went about reforming.

For one, African American leaders in the ‘90s to the ‘20s attempted to end the disenfranchisement of African Americans, done through poll taxes and literacy tests, by advocating their cause in the more sympathetic North. Later, in the fifties and the sixties, these same goals, enlign poll taxes and literacy tests, were once again fought for by African American leaders, through advocacy and agitation. This shows a major similarity as they wanted to achieve the same things. Furthermore, during the nineties to the twenties, leaders of African Americans sought to end segregation in the South, as caused by Plessy v. Ferguson. Similarly, African American leaders from the fifties to the sixties also fought for the end of segregation, in cases such as Brown v. Board of Education. This shows a significant similarity in that both time periods’ leaders attempted to achieve the goal of ending

Across cultures and throughout history, women have experienced ongoing systemic oppression; and they have responded with progressive movements of protest and creative alternatives. Harriet Tubman in the fight against slavery: Fannie Lou Hamer for voting rights: Ella Baker and Mary White Ovington in the civil rights movement: Rosa Luxemburg in the German socialist movement: Winnie Mandela in the anti-apartheid movement: Puerto Rican independence leader and poet Lolita Lebron: and American Indian movement activists Anna Mae Aquash, Ingrid Washinawatok, and Winona LaDuke (Mink and Navarro). Women have pioneered in movements for labor rights, prison reform, reproductive rights and health, education, affordable housing, affirmative action and equal rights, human rights, and environmental safety. These women’s leadership styles span a range from soft to harsh, from wielding individual, hierarchical power to possessing a commitment to collectivism, and from identifying as “woman as caretaker of life” to woman as requiring and utilizing equal power to man. There is no one characteristic that applies to all women as social change leaders (Hurtado).

There wasn’t a large group for the first meeting, but John learned about the Montgomery bus boycott, war resistance, and Gandhi. John Lewis was curious about Jim Lawson because he explained the importance of reinforcing their philosophy, discipline, and understanding of non-violence to everyone including John. After his meeting with Jim Lawson, he said “His words liberated me. I thought, this is it… This is the way out.” (Lewis et al 78) John Lewis was a different man after the workshop because he thought of it as a way out to gain back freedom and dignity that he and others have not had before until now. John Lewis felt now that he could do something more to help people and

In a world where, “survival of the fittest” seems to be the underlying theme, social reformers throughout history, such as Anne Martin, aid in bringing about civilized society. Anne Martin was born in Empire, Nevada in 1875. Martin was educated at Stanford University and used her education to make a difference during the Progressive Era in Nevada. She joined the women’s suffrage cause and shortly became the leader of the Nevada Equal Franchise Society. The cause advocated amending Nevada’s Constitution to give women the right to vote in political elections. She traveled throughout Nevada to mining and railroad towns and ranches to inform and educate Nevada citizens on the women’s suffrage cause.

The Settlement House Movement was a response to the Charity Organization Society who had made little efforts to improve living and working conditions of the poor. Where C.O.S had “friendly visitors” Settlement House workers considered themselves social reformers rather than charity workers (Trattner, 1999). Their approach was to prevent ails that the poor suffered from such as urban living and working conditions. They also attempted to bridge the gaps between classes and races. These workers were not interested in just giving out financial or verbal relief they were trying to reform society and the way the poor were viewed.

If one man never steps forward to show all the others that change is possible, nothing will ever change. When you look back at history of the American civil rights movement, Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are still often two of the first names even someone of today’s society may think of. They were, and still are, some of the most influential men to ever live. As young African-American men living during a time of harsh global, but most importantly, national racism and prejudice; teaching effective techniques to achieve peace and equality to others was extremely difficult for Dr. King and Malcolm X.

Alinsky’s purpose for the Rules for Radicals was to make a guide for prospective community electives to use in bringing low-income communities, the "Have and Not’s", by bring the low-income communities closer to social, political, legal and economic gain in order to give equality and justify the present establishment that promoted one’s inequality. Within it, Alinsky meth’s, that he had learned throughout life experiences from community organization. Alinsky lessons,” is the oldest and largest community organizing network in the United States” (Harris, Maloney, & Rother.2004. p269).