Post Video Questions

What is Macro Practice?

    

      When I first answered this question, I gave the basic definition of macro practice and how it compares to micro practice.  While this answer still holds true, I have my own perception of what macro practice really is.  Because of my 432 class as well as my internship, I now have some firsthand experience in macro work and a new realization.  Macro work is EVERYWHERE! It can be as simple as reaching out to various collaterals on behalf of an individual or as intricate as creating community events to support a cause.  To me, macro work is all about networking and forming connections with various community professionals in efforts toward helping individuals and/or the larger community.  Our community events that we did this year are an example of macro work on a larger scale.  My internship in juvenile probation is also macro work but on a smaller scale.  As a probation officer, I have to be in contact with many other professionals regarding one child on a regular basis.  Consistent visits to the many different schools all my probationers are in as well as their homes, makes the job more macro than micro too.  After this year I feel as though most career paths within the social work field are a blend of both micro and macro.  I am finding it more and more difficult to be in a career where I would just focus on one form of practice.  With thus said, it is vital to be experienced with both micro and macro work in order to be better able to assist others in the community. 

What are your Leadership Qualities? 

           I still feel as though I have the same leadership qualities as I said I had before.  Some of these traits I was able to put into use during this semesters week of events, and others stayed on the back burner.  I feel as though one of the most pertinent qualities to have as a leader is the ability to follow through on your word.  Saying that I will do something and then actually doing it shows that I am dependable and can be relied upon.  It also sets the stage for the other people I would be working with.  Another important leadership quality that I have is just simply being able to talk with other people on a genuine level.  Conversation comes naturally to me and this is helpful when trying to facilitate a group or event, along with being able to network within the community because you never know when you’re going to need the help of someone else.  One last leadership quality that I have is organization.  I think in order to “lead” anything one has to be organized and methodical in their approach to the task at hand, and I think that describes me well.       

How are you an Activist for Social Justice?

     I want to keep the answer to this question very simply.  My reason for doing so is because my answer is something I can actually live up to throughout my day to day life.  I think one of the most crucial ways of being an activist for social justice is speaking up when I see or hear something that is ignorant or derogatory towards other people.  Correcting people’s ignorance can sometimes make a difference.  I feel it is even more important to never remain silent when there is an injustice done.  To me, keeping silent about the injustice is almost like condoning it!   

    

   

Assessment, Learning, and Advice!

     Our community events left me enlightened and speechless.  The only word I can really think of to describe the week is; POWERFUL.  It was hard to think in the beginning of the semester, our classes could pull off such amazing events.  Also thanks to greek life for making Take Back the Night so successful.  For me personally, I enjoyed Take Back the Night the most and felt it made the biggest impact on members of our community because it gets very deep and personal.  The students who spoke that night are admirable and brave to have shared their stories in front of so many people.  The fact that the President of BSU walked with us in the event is huge.  This gave me a new appreciation for BSU because it showed how student involved the school and its faculty members actually are.  
      The Clothesline Project I think also went well.  The locations where the project was set up came out great, however, I don't think it engaged the student body very well.  From what I gathered no one really wanted to make any T-Shirts which is completely fine, but it would've been nice to see students actively participating in the project.  I suppose however, this type of event is geared more towards a showing of other people's T-Shirts in order to make an impact.  

     The movie night did not have a very good turn out in my opinion.  I don't think this event was promoted very well and also I think there was a big lack of communication between classes.  Somehow I was not aware myself that there would be a panal of speakers at the closing of the movie until I showed up at the event and found that information out.  I originally thought it was only going to be a movie showing.  The Vagina Monologues was a huge success with a turnout of about 200 people.  Thanks to A New Day for all the performances and planning.

     My learning has increased dramatically from this week of events and all the effort put into it.  First I'd like to note that I have learned to trust most of my peers.  I despise working with large groups of people because quite frankly I just don't trust people to do the things they say they're going to do.  I'm aware that is not the best outlook to have but I'm honest and that is how I feel most of the time.  However, this semester I have a new found appreciation for my classmates and I've learned that I need to have faith in the people I work with.  Everyone did an amazing job.  When it comes to the pressing issue of violence against women, I have realized the amount of people it affects is ridiculous.  At Take Back the Night, the though entered my head; what if everyone in this crowd that is a survivor had a halo of light above them?  I almost feel as though survivors would weigh out the people who have never experienced woman directed violence.  It goes to show how important it is to raise awareness and to educate our community.

ADVICE FOR FUTURE CLASSES!

     1)  Take a deep breath!  This class in general is achieveable even though in the beginning it may seem EXTREMELY overwhelming!  Trust me! I wanted to quit as soon as I saw the syllabus!  ;)  

     2)  Utilize your professors knowledge, guidance, and support!  If you have Laura she is very understanding and easy to talk to but does have high expectations! 

     3)  Keep an open mind when working with your peers!  If someone your working with isn't doing what they're supposed to or is slacking in general or even oversteping boundaries, don't let it upset you too much.  Keep in mind what is important at all times....... The event, it's outcome, and your ability to raise awareness of the problem.   

     4)  I recommend changing the setup of the events in regards to what class does what.  Our three classes all worked on the same events.  However, one class became the event coordinators, one class became responsible for promotions, and the third class was responsible for fundraising.  I did not like this set up at all.  I would have preferred each class to take on a separate event because firstly it is easier to communicate between just your own classmates....instead of two whole other classes.  Secondly, our organization of the even week didn't really allow many people (especially those from the fundraising and promotion) classes to have much of a say in the events nor did we really get an opportunity to run any of the events because students from the event coordinating class did that. I think it would have been to nice for my class to pick one event and them split up amongst ourselves into coordinating/promotion/fundraising.  

     5)  Biggest thing this semester - TIME MANAGMENT! Stay focused and don't fall behind because it will be difficult to catch back up! 

     6)  Email was the best form of communication in my opinion. An idea may be to make sure the class meets as whole at least once a week and dedicate at least 45 minutes to the discussion of the events!

That is all the advice I can come up with at this moment.  Good luck to the next class! 

          






             

Aid-Based Vs. Community-Based Interventions

     After watching "Kony 2012" and "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" and reading all the acticles and critiques on the community interventions, I've gained a new outlook on aid-based and community based approaches to solving problems.  Aid-Based interventions are along the lines of charity work and basically giving things away to others because we think they need them and they are of no use to us.  Community-Based interventions are developed when members of a community come together in a quest for change for their own community and their own people.  Community-based interventions typically strive for long term change while aid-based is only short term help.  After watching the youtube video "A Day Without Dignity," I was shocked at how damaging charity based approaches can sometimes be.  For example U.S. food aid to developing countries in Africa can and does hurt the  local vendors and farmers in the community.  What the U.S. should do if they want to help is purchase food from the same community it is beign distributed to.  This way people who cannot afford to buy food can have something to eat as well as sustaining the local economy.  Another shocking scene was the abundance of shoes in these African communities.  We have grown up in a society that teaches us to give what we don't need or use anymore to people less fortunate, and so that's what most of us do.  We just give away our old shoes, clothes, and toys to charity and think nothing of it after that.  Well when everyone does that we have an over abundance of charity items in these developing countries like we saw in the African communities with the shoes.  So now vendors in these communities cannot sell their stock of shoes, clothes, and toys because all the members of the communtiy are getting them for free from charities, and while that is all good and holy it's not really helping these people work towards a long term solution towards economic independence.  So what should we do then? Well my answer to that is to first make sure that the communities you are trying to help actually wants your help.  Second, if these communities do want our help then we should teach not just give and give.  Lastly, if we are going to offer aid to these communities then we should probably get educated on the community and figure out what it is they really need.  While the charity based approaches provide short term solutions and can actually cause more harm to the community than good, community-based interventions seem to have a much better outcome.  Community based interventions work because its members of a community fighting towards what they KNOW they need.  

     "Kony 2012" is seemingly more of an aid-based approach while "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" is a community based approach.  "Kony 2012" as we now know is a quick 30 minute film portraying the horrors done to the people of Northern Uganda by the leader of the LRA rebel group known as Joseph Kony.  Joseph Kony and his army of rebels steal children, make them kill their parents and turn the boys into soldiers and the girls into sex slaves.  The video focuses on Uganda and a boy named Jacob who was apart of this army at one point.  The video ends with asking the world to participate in ending Kony's reign by purchasing a kit and on April 20th pasting every city with Kony's face ultimately making him famous.  I guess if we make him famous in our cities then... he will be captured...?  Not quite sure I understand that portion of the video but with the help of the music it does do a good job of getting you amped and making a statement momentarily.  The creator of this concept is American and did actually pursuade the American government a few years ago to send 100 U.S. military advisors to Africa to help the government in Uganda catch Kony.  After watching the criticisms on the video I have a very different outlook on the mission on "Kony 2012".  First off, why is the video so focused on Uganda when the LRA hasn't even been terrorizing that area for years?  It also seems as though some people from Uganda do not trust the American intentions especially since no one asked for our help!  The American government even said that they would probably not make any attempts or efforts to help stop Joseph Kony because there is no political or economical gain to entice  America to do so.  So why then did the U.S. all of a sudden change their mind to try to help?  It would be nice to think that the U.S. is doing it without a hidden agenda, but many critiques think oil is the source of America's initiatives.  Critics also don't like the fact that the video has an underlying theme of a white american hero saving poor African children.  In the end though will this type of aid work? Probably not and even if it does it only gets rid of Joseph Kony.  It doesn't give a solution to war lords taking over African communities.  Who is to say once Kony is out of the way another warlord won't take his place?  The women of the "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" video had a much different approach and one that actually worked on a long term basis.      

     The people of Liberia were being terrorized much like the people of Uganda.  A man named Charles Taylor terrorized the people of Liberia into making him their President.  He has a private army known as the Anti-Terrorist Unit.  He takes young boys from their homes, kills their parents, and turns them into one of his soldiers.  His army and other warlords partake in senseless killing and war.  They terrorized families and women through rape, murder, and fear.  After many years of this violence the women of Liberia had enough and decided to do something about it since their men have done nothing but harm.  For the first time Muslim and Christian women banded together as one and created the Christian Women's Peace Initiative.  

"Can the bullet pick and choose? Does it know Christian from Muslim?"

     By 2003, war lords controlled much of the countryside causing people to escape to Morovia forming crowded camps.  The women of the Peace Initiative decided to protest dressed in white and sit at the fish market day after day for weeks on end.  Taylor drove by every day and ignored them but that did not deter the women.  Finally Taylor decided to meet with the women.  The peace initiative choose their leader, Leymeh, who delivered their message and demands to Taylor to end the violence.  After meeting with Taylor, the women went to Sierre Leone to talk with the rebels and get them to agree to go to the peace talks.  Taylor was soon indicted by the Sierre Leone War Crimes Tribunal and said he needed to remove himself from his position of President.  The rebels went into hysterics and said if Taylor was arressted they would kill everyone.  Yet again, the women of Liberia risked their lives and stood up to the rebels and continued their mission.  The women staged a sit in where the war lords were negotiating at a conference.  The war lords heard the women and exiled Taylor to Nigeria, sent peace keeping troops to Liberia, transitioned government to elect democratic leaders.  Even though the women reached their goal they made sure to stay involved and let their government know that they were watching them and if things went back to the way they were then the women would do what they did all over again.  The women would not back down.  In 2003, there was a mandated disarmant of rebel child soldiers.  Liberia also elected the very first women president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.  These women of the Liberian community created a way to make a statement and end the war, and most importantly they have paved a way to a permanent solution.  The women won't let this type of war crime happen again to their community because they KNOW how to stop it through perserverence, determination, and advocacy.  This is a perfect example of how and why community based intervention works better than aid based approaches.  In my opinion, these are women to be admired.  They advocated for change for their own community and succeeded probably beyond their expectations.  

    These campaigns and different interventions towards community change have and will influence my own social work practice.  These concepts have raised my awareness to provide assisstance to others when it is wanted and that an activists do not know what's best for the community they are helping.  I have also learned to get educated and knowledgable about the population I would be providing aid and services too.  I feel as though these articles and videos I have read and watched are extremely powerful and I've learned alot from them.   

              












         

My Community Participation

I am a part of the community outreach team.  To date I have given my thoughts and opinions to the group about who to contact and how.  I've personally have gone to the Standard Times in New Bedford and introduced myself to the Marketing/Community Relations Coordinator, Kati Sorenson. She has provided me with information on what we need to do in order to have the newspaper donate a section to promoting our community projects.  I am currently awaiting a final final schedule of all our events.  Once I receive this information I will be drafting a letter to the Standard Times which will include all the information necessary to promote our projects as well as the mission of our community week.  After I draft up this letter I will be turning it into Kati Sorenson so she can have it approved by her supervisor and hopefully our project announcements will be given a donation slot.  I will then also attempt to put our community events on the events calendar on SouthCoast.org... I have yet to look into it.  I have also quickly helped Audrey attempt to hang her posters around campus, although that did not go so well.... apparently we could not hang those posters in the locations we originally thought we could.   

Dudley Street Initiative

  
       The Holding Ground Video documents the initiatives of the Dorchester and Roxbury communities and their attempts to regain power back within these communities in order to provide quality neighborhood living conditions as well as afordable housing.  The main issues within these communities were poverty and illegal dumping of trash in vacant lots.  This all started when people began to move out of the city and into the suburbs.  Due to racial inequality among Irish American politicians and bank representatives, only whites were being offered bank loans and housing programs in order to get out of the city.  The black community was left with no other option but to stay in the city.  Soon after that many houses were intentionally burned down to the ground.  This then left tons of vacant lots around the neighborhood. The slippery slope doesn't end there.  People outside of this community began using these vacant lots illegally for garbage transfer stations and illegal dumping.  Garbage piled the streets and the stench became so rancid people could not go outside without becoming nauseated.  It got to the point that something needed to be done.  Initially the government wanted to buy out the property within the community and basically knock down all the buildings and rebuild their own ideas of a "good" community.  This was known as the Urban Renewel Attempts.  The community was outraged at the idea that the government thought they knew what was best for them.  So after many community meetings a new idea emerged. This idea was Urban Planners.  These urban planners provided areas for growth and education.  It allowed for community ideas to be put into action. The community was able to renovate the parks and even get the police more involved in cutting down crime.  These attempts went on for many years and finally the community received a 4 million dollar grant.  This money allowed the community to clean of their neighborhoods and provide affordable housing for everyone.  

       I think this video showed the concept of macro practice very well.  I'm able to see how a community joinged together from the ground up and all work towards a common goal to better everyone apart of the Dudley Street area.  I was amazed at the outcome of their efforts.  It really makes me think that when people band together a difference can be achieved.  

       The Fraser and Kick article (2005) describes the Neighbordooh Maintenance Approach.  This approach focuses on communities actively protecting their own neighborhoods from perceived and actual threats.  The Dudley Street Initiative is a perfect example of this approach.  The Netting chapter describes the variabilities of what community is.  Netting states that communities can exist within communities.  The Dudley Street Initiative is another perfect example of this concept.  The Roxbury community as a whole was not exactly the target of the project.  Instead, the triangular area surrounding Dudley Street was the main area where people joined together to build a smaller community of people who were directly affected by the poverty and dumping issue.  I feel as though this Holding Ground video was a great example of macro practice.    

3 Problems in Macro Practice

      Engaging in macro practice is a concrete way to promote change within a community or other large system. With this said, macro practice usually entails far more challenges and obstacles than micro practice does. I have been able to identify three common problems that one may come across as a macro practice social worker.  One issue that may arise is the lack of community participation. Another issue is the inability to provide enough funding in order to keep the newly established program up and running. Lastly, there may be a lack of communication and direction within the group which can hinder the functioning of the programs.

   When there is a lack of community participation within provided programs and organizations, one must question why. It would make sense that the lack of participation is related to the needs of the community. If a program is created that does not meet the needs of the comunity then it would seem obvious that the program will not be beneficial to anyone, therefore no one is going to partake in it's activities. The key here is to understand the needs of the people within the community in order to provide the best services. It may be difficult to determine these needs if for exampler there is a community that has many needs and one is not sure which need to tackle first. Some types of needs are physical, informational, personal, and root or causal needs. A good way to sort these needs out and decipher which needs attention first and formost is to receive feedback from the community. A macro practice leader should not just start attempting change within a community without first talking to the members of that community in order to see their perception of what the problems are. A leader could administer surveys and hold community meetings to get feedback from others.

   The issue of a program not being able to sustain itself is a terrifying one to any program coordinator or director. Usually programs along with everyone's hard work in building the program is jeopordized by funding cuts and low participation numbers. This goes back to community participation. If people are not utilizing a program then it's going to be seen as a waste of money by goverment funders along with other various donors, who will most likely choose to stop providing money to the program. Some strategies for sustaining financial provisions are marketing the organization or program, sharing positions and resources, and incorporating other programs that share a similar mission. Marketing is not only about acquiring funds, but it includes image-building, friend-raising, membership development, community relations, political activities, and education. All of these concepts are important in getting the image of the program or organization out to the public. Another key strategy to help gain financial stability is to collaborate with other well established organizations and programs who share a similar mission. These collaborations could help open up various doors for the new program and pave the way towards a successful community organization.

   The last identified issue among macro practice is the unfortunate circumstance of putting together a poor group. If members of a group all do not have specific roles and share the same drive towards the mission of the group then the group will not work together efficiently which can be detrimental to the outcome of the intended program. It is important to establish organizational structure within a group very early on. Organizational structure can give members clear guidelines in how to proceed in their activities and it also binds members together. Structure within an organization is also inevitable. After a period of time people will naturally fall into a role within the group, so it's just better to get this accomplished at the start of the creation of the group so everything can run smoothly from the beginning. If members of a group cannot establish some sort of organization then the program itself can fail because the group cannot work together cohesively. 

  Macro practice can be a tough area for social workers to make a difference in, but when done correctly, it can bring great changes to a vast amount of people. Many issues can arise throughout macro practice, but there are various strategies that one can develop to avoid those problems. It is important for a social worker to be aware of these issues as well as the possible solutions in order to be a good leader.  

References:

http://ctb.ku.edu/en/solveproblem/index.aspx

Change Agent Paper

Change Agents!

          There are many great change agents within the social work profession in a historical as well as in a contemporary context.  Stemming from the ideas and fundamental works of Jane Addams arose many social workers striving for equality among the nation.  In particular, racial inequality has been a social issue that many civil rights activists have fought for and still continue to do so today.  In the early 1950’s Whitney Moore Young Jr., became actively involved in the civil rights movement.  Currently, Tim Wise continues Young’s, as well as other civil rights activists’ efforts towards reaching racial equality for all.

            Whitney Young Jr. was born into a time in the United States where social issues of racism and segregation were still prevalent.  Fortunately, Young was the son of a respectable African American family whom upheld some prestige within their community.  In Lincoln Ridge, Kentucky during 1921, Whitney Young Jr. was born to Mr. Whitney Young and his wife Laura.  Both parents maintained influential educated backgrounds.  Young’s father was the president of Lincoln Institute which was a black boarding school in the south and his wife was a teacher there.  Being the son of such well rounded parents, Young was expected to become a reputable member for the black community.  (Blair, 2003)

            Whitney Young immersed himself in education with dreams of becoming a doctor.  After graduating valedictorian at the Lincoln Institute, he continued on to Kentucky State Industrial College.  Within a year he took a break from college in order to join the army which is where he found his calling for social work.  This occurred while Young was stationed in an all black regiment with a white captain in charge.  This dynamic caused many racial issues to arise. Young found himself constantly mediating between the captain and the rest of the troop members.  This is where Young realized he had the skills needed to make a difference in the field of race relations.  After the war, Whitney Young set forth on a mission to obtain a graduate degree in social work at the University of Minnesota which he succeeded in.  (Foundation, 2004)

Whitney Young Jr. actually began to leave his mark in the world of social work in the 1950’s.  During this time the civil rights movement began to go into effect.  People started to seek massive changes for the United States when it came to striving towards discarding racial segregation and discrimination.  Among these people was Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and of course Whitney Young Jr.  Every civil rights activist was just as important as the next.  Each sought for change and felt that it could happen and that the people of the United States could indeed become one equal nation. 

            Young made many important contributions to society and to the social work profession.  After he received his master’s degree in social work, in the early 1950’s, Young was elected as the director of the National Urban League.  This organization played a crucial role in advocating for civil rights.  It gave minority groups an opportunity to receive college scholarships as well as job training to increase homeownerships and entrepreneurship.  During 1954, at age 33, Whitney Young Jr. was named Dean of the School of Social Work at Atlanta University.  Young became extremely active in the Atlanta National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).  In 1960, Young was then elected president of the Georgia NAACP.  In 1965, Young was also named president of the National Conference of Social Welfare. (Okocha, 2007)

            Although Whitney Young was involved in many organizations, he had the greatest impact on the National Urban League after he was promoted to President of the organization in 1961.  He was the one who transformed it into a major national civil rights organization.  He created a program known as the “Domestic Marshall Plan” which was aimed at ridding poverty and deprivation among African Americans and the poor.  Not only did he institute that program but he also developed the Urban League’s “Street Academy”.  This was an education program that Young introduced to society, designed for high school dropouts who wanted to prepare for college.  Whitney Young’s programs focused on integrating African Americans back into a society where there was still discrimination.  Along with creating new programs for the NUL, Young also increased the organizations budget which formed thousands of new jobs for African American’s.  Under his great leadership the organization received many governmental grants as well as funding from private sources.  This added money allowed for even more projects which funded job training, open housing, and minority executive recruitment.  Whitney Young believed that if enough programs and opportunities for African Americans and the poor were established then that could make a positive difference when it came to assimilating into society.  It gave the people a chance to survive in a racially divided country and at the same time it provided hope for change and for civil rights amongst all people. (Okocha, 2007)

            Tim Wise was born in Nashville, Tennessee on October 4, 1968.  From a very young age he sought for change.  Wise attended college at Tulane University in New Orleans while striving for a Political Science degree.  During this time in college, Wise became a natural leader in an anti-apartheid movement.  Apartheid is racial segregation that is systematically enforced by the government in Africa.  Wise was successful in his attempts to stop Tulane in doing business with companies that supported the African government.  This was just the start to Wise becoming a change agent.  (Cooper, 2011)

            After graduating, Tim Wise began his work as an anti-racist activist which he still currently is involved in.  In the 1980’s, Wise became a director and coordinator for various organizations whose primary mission was to defeat political candidate David Duke who ran for governer of Louisiana and is associated with the Ku Klux Klan.  Through vaious other organization of successful programs Tim Wise has reached a notoriety within the public’s eye as a prominent anti-rascist writer, educator, and activist.  During the early 90’s, Wise was the Youth Coordinator and Associate Director of the Louisiana Coalition against Racism and Nazism and during 1999-2003, Wise was an advisor to the Fisk University Race Relations Institute in Nashville.  All these programs had the same goal which is to raise awareness of racial inequalities and change them institutionally.  Wise has been actively providing anti-racism training to teachers, physicians, and other professionals for a number of reasons.  Wise seeks to contest racial inequalities within our nation’s healthcare system.  He also implements training to larger institutions such as military officials, law enforcement, and other various government parties in order to end racism within their field of work.  Tim Wise, through 5 books, hundreds of published essays, radio broadcasts, campus speaking, and media exposure, has been able to fight this mission on a worldly level.  He strives to educate the world on white privilege and the disempowering results of structural racism.  His mission, Wise says, is “to express to those of us who are white the damage that racism does to not just people of color but the rest of us” (Cooper, 2011).  Tim Wise, like Whitney Moore Young Jr., is a powerful change agent and is making great strides in changing the world.  (Speak Out Now , 2012)

            I admire both of these great advocates for their efforts towards eliminating racism and educating individuals on racial bias.  My own personal leadership qualities are nowhere near the level of these two great activists, however, I’d like to think that if I really put my mind to it that I to could make significant changes for my community.  I possess the ability to take charge when I deem it necessary to do so.  I like to think that when I am in charge of a task or project I look at thinks from different viewpoints in order to make the best decision.  I treat people fairly and equally and I try to always remember to stay in positive spirits.  Another important quality which I possess, that I believe is pertinent to being a leader, is following through in the goals of the group and to always put forth my best effort in meeting expectations. 

            I live in an inner city with a very diverse population that sees a lot of high crime rates and gang violence.  Like in any gang, kids are groomed for membership at a young age.  Gang members tend to turn to gang life for a variety of reasons such as wanting to fit in, wanting to have the feeling of a protective family, and money.  I feel that by getting at risk children off the streets after school and into creative, structured activities could decrease gang involvement for these kids as well as violence.  I’m imagining a step program in which children at an elementary age become involved in after school every day and continue throughout their entire educational career.  This after school program could be geared towards various educational, athletic, and creative standards.  Anything is better for these kids then just going home after school and doing nothing.  I think a program like this could be extremely beneficial to my community.  Therefore I would have to say that my lasting contributions as a change agent would be to create programs for young kids to get them excited about education and to develop a drive for success within themselves.  If I’ve learned anything from Whitney Moore Young Jr. and Tim Wise, it would be that perseverance and hard work can bring success and many changes.  These two advocates have shown me it’s possible to make a difference in my community even though the changes that I would like to see happen may seem out of reach at this given point in time.  Whitney Young was able to take a public stand against racism during a time when the civil rights movement was only beginning.  I hope one day I am able to leave even the slightest mark on the social work profession as a change agent and hopefully make a difference within the community.    

Works Cited

Blair, T. (2003). Notable American Unitarians. Retrieved February 14, 2012, from Harvard Square Library: http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/unitarians/young.html

Cooper, K. J. (2011). Tim Wise: White Crusader Against Racism in America. Retrieved February 14, 2012, from America's Wire : http://americaswire.org/drupal7/?q=content/tim-wise-white-crusader-against-racism-america

Foundation, N. (2004). NASW Foundation National Programs. Retrieved February 10, 2012, from NASW Foundation: http://www.naswfoundation.org/pioneers/y/WYoung.htm

Okocha, V. (2007). Young, Whitney M., Jr. Retrieved February 10, 2012, from Black Past: http://www.blackpast.org/?q=aah/young-jr-whitney-m-1921-1971

Speak Out Now . (2012). Tim Wise: Biography and Bookings. Retrieved February 14, 2012, from Speak Out Now: http://www.speakoutnow.org/index.php