Where would we be today without human rights?
In most parts of the world if you were a woman born 100 years ago, your political voice would
go unheard; you would not have the right to vote or own property in many cases.
If you were a child, you'd most likely have a job in difficult conditions like fitting
in spaces that are too small for adults.
The world is not currently perfect, there are still child labourers – slaves even
– unequal rights between men and women, racial disparity and so on.
That being said, we believe humanity is changing for the better, so we've decided come up with
a list of ten social activists to commemorate their achievements and share the good they've
spread throughout the world.
The United States' Congress called Rosa Parks the 'first lady of civil rights'.
Rosa Parks famously refused to give up her seat at the front of the bus in a time when
Black Americans were made to sit in the back.
While she was not the first to disobey the bus seating “rule”, in violating these
segregation laws, and fighting the charges in court,she set a precedent for the growing
civil rights movement in the United States, and became a symbol to all those in hope of
greater equality throughout the country.
An estimated 50,000 people payed their respects when she passed at the age of 93.
Would you spend 27 years in prison for the freedom of your people?
Nelson Mandela did just that in taking down the apartheid system of South Africa where
Black South Africans had inferior rights to White South Africans.
After his vicious battle and imprisonment, Nelson Mandela emerged as a leader of Africa,
and of civil rights all across the world.
Despite the aggression he was subject to in his life, he said “Education is the most
powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”.
While Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison, our next member of the list only lived to
be 27.
Not all forms of protest involve being arrested or shaking up the establishment, sometimes
it's through artistic analyses and statements.
Jean-Michel Basquiat was a prodigious painter who eventually made friends with the likes
of Andy Warhol.
His artwork is characterized by a complex, symbolic narrative of social issues such as
race and class inequality.
Sadly, he lost the inner battle and overdosed on heroin.
Harriet Tubman was born into slavery, escaped, and would go on to be part of one of the largest
operations to dismantle and undermine the institution of slavery in the American south.
Nicknamed “Moses” because she “never lost a passenger”, Harriet Tubman successfully
lead many Black American slaves to their freedom on secret tracks of the Underground Railroad,
a network of safehouses by people who wished to abolish slavery.
In her later years, Tubman was also a women's suffrage activist, further cementing her as
one of the great humanitarians.
Considered by some to be the Godfather of hip-hop, Gil Scott-Heron's lyrics would conjure
social issues in his cool, jazzy spoken-word poetry.
His sophisticated lyrics and speech-like delivery over instrumentals would have a big impact
on the music industry, influencing the style and messages of hip-hop.
At a time when a lot of rebel music was angry, his lyrics were relaxed and satirical.
And while many artists have cited him as an influence for rap, he preferred to call himself
a “bluesologist”.
Joan Baez started her music career with the likes of Bob Dylan, singing protest songs
about the state of the country.
She has been performing for 55 years in the name of the environment, LGBT rights, racial
rights, peace etc...
you name it, she has stood up for it and sung about it.
Can you imagine being arrested for trying to vote?
Susan B. Anthony played a pivotal role in the history of women's rights.
After being arrested for casting a vote, and after refusing to pay the fine, she took the
issue of women's suffrage across the country, to convince people that it was time for women's
voices to be heard.
It was not easy, her early years were fraught with ridicule, and it was only later that
she began to receive her deserved accolades.
She is a shining example of doing the right thing in the face of adversity
Though politics and gay activism were not initially on his mind, as the times changed
in the 60s, Harvey Milk began to understand the importance in fighting for the respect
of the LGBT community.
Being the first openly gay politician was no-doubt an influential move in and of itself,
and he would use his influence to pass laws allowing more rights for gay people, setting
the precedent for people's right of sexuality today.
There is no more controversial figure on this list than Malcolm X.
One of the most prominent civil rights activists of all time, Malcolm Little, his birth name,
had a directionless start.
He was gambling, pimping, prostituting himself, and generally leading an empty life until
a stint in prison opened his eyes to the power of words.
He became a voracious reader, converted to Islam and began to preach and protest against
the racism of white America.
His aggressive, even violent stances towards progress have made him a figure of contention,
seemingly being a love-him or hate-him type character.
Regardless, he was compelling speaker and his defiance cost him his life as he was shot
to death.
Considered the alternative to Malcolm X, and perhaps the most famous activist on our list,
or at least the most quoted, everybody knows Martin Luther King Jr's dream speech.
He had a rough childhood due to the racial tensions in the Southern United States, and
due to the intensity of his father, whose torch he would later bear.
When Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on the bus, King rose
to her defence and gained national prominence in helping eliminate bus segregation laws.
He would go on to march on Washington and peacefully protest the treatment of Black
folks in America.
He was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
These great men and women's legacies live on through the daily comforts and freedoms
we're afforded.
We should take care and importance in not squandering what these people stood for, by
learning to appreciate each other, and hold each other up in times of need instead of
submitting to fear and ignorance.
If you think about it, no matter what happens, we're all in this together.