Ayden Justice

Jensen

ETHS 2400

5/21/2022

Tactics for Change

Racism is defined as the belief that different races possess distinct characteristics,

abilities, or qualities, that label them as inferior or superior to one another. Now, that being said,

there are two separate ideas within that broad definition, and people typically tend to believe

racism as one or the other, but usually not both. These two ideas are hate racism and systemic

racism. Hate racism is a more individual thing. It is the ideas instilled within people that they act

upon. Systemic racism is racism that is ingrained in our laws, constitution, and systems. There

are a number of ways including social media, the court systems, celebrities, violence, and non-

violence that changes can be brought, and right now, more than ever, we must make sure they are

used.

The first tactic that I think could bring about change is the use of social media. When

using social media to bring awareness to racial issues in the world, it can be great but it can also

be very bad. A positive that using social media may have is that it has a very large audience.

More than half of the world’s population uses some form of social media whether it be facebook,

snapchat, instagram or any other social platform. This means that you can put an idea or a

message out there with certainty that someone will see it. It can also be positive because it offers

people the opportunity to expose themselves to different ideas. For the most part, users have the

option to look at anything they desire. Although the ability to see many opinions on things is a

positive, this also can be a negative thing. Typically people tend to stick to seeing people who
have the same views as them. Social media platforms also have a thing called an algorithm that

shows you things you show interest in. So if you like a post with a hashtag about Roe v. Wade,

it’s likely you’ll see posts like it again. Another negative thing that using social media can bring

about is fake information. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat do not fact check the

things people post, so it is easy to make people believe what you have to say. A good example of

an account that proves that social media can be a positive tactic for change is an account named

Impact on instagram. This account posts about the things we have going on in the world as

they're happening. Everytime this account posts, they cite every source that they use so you can

prove that the things you’re reading are true. Although a liberal account, they tend to stray away

from bashing on conservatives and focus more on the facts of things. I think that this tactic for

change addresses both types of racism, but has a better chance of making change to hate racism,

rather than systemic racism. Social media is a very individual based thing and can change one

person’s mind, one post at a time.

Another tactic for change that has potential to be effective is using the courts. Going to

court to make change is basically just turning things into laws. Whether it is on the supreme

court level or a state level, it makes it so that something is a law and breaking it can bring

punishment. A positive of going to the courts to bring about change is that it cannot be fought

once it becomes a law. For instance, the amendments that made voting a right for African

Americans and women. Once this was put into place, no one could deny these oppressed groups

their constitutional rights. Another positive that it can have is that many people form their beliefs

based on what the law says, so if a law says that someone has right or doesn’t, they will believe

that to be the right thing. A huge negative to using the courts is that it takes a very long time.

Some court cases have taken years to come to a conclusion. For instance, the 14th amendment
took 3 years to be ratified. Also, usually if the attempt to bring a new law fails, it has the exact

opposite effect and can be really bad. This tactic for change addresses systemic racism. It

changes how things have to be done on a huge level, not just an individual level.

The next tactic is celebrities and the use of their platforms to bring about change. This is

when well known people use their fame to educate and bring awareness to a racial issue. The

biggest positive that celebrities using their platforms has is that it is guaranteed to reach their

audience. Most celebrities have thousands, if not millions of fans who watch and listen to

everything they say. This can also be negative though because that means anything fake

information or fake awareness that they bring will be heard and believed no matter if it's true.

For instance, Donald Trump and what he said about storming the capital. He encouraged people

to do it, and many people did it because of what he said. They blindly followed him because he

had fame. Another negative is that people may not take celebrities who really do mean well

seriously. Because of their fame, many people may just assume they are protesting or doing

service or volunteer work for the clout that comes with it. This tactic can address systemic and

hate racism. Celebrities have the ability to reach important people that can bring about lawful

change, but more times than not, it usually just reaches individuals and can change their views.

One of the biggest tactics we see today is the use of non-violence to bring change. This is

when people peacefully find ways to bring awareness to a situation and fight to enact change.

Now, many people question whether or not this tactic can actually be useful, and I think that it

can be if enough people participate. For instance, the black lives matter movement. This is a non-

violent group that fights to educate on racism and move towards change. The positives to this

tactic is that it shows that people do not want to start a problem, but fix it. It keeps things

peaceful but shows that change is wanted. A negative is that there is power in numbers, and
oftentimes non-violence does not have the numbers to make a real impact. This tactic can

address both types of racism depending on how it is brought about. I think the results of this can

be positive because they weren’t brought with violence, but often it is hard to get a point without

proving how serious you are.

The final tactic worth addressing is violence. As sad as it is to say, I think that this is the

best option when it comes to changing the way things are done. When someone is violent,

whether it be physically, mentally, or emotionally, it has an impact. It is more likely to be seen. I

think that this is a positive. You are more likely to be seen and addressed when you prove your

point through violence. A negative impact this has is that people get hurt. WHen violent, there is

always someone who ends up hurt, even if it is the movement itself. For example, in 2020 when

the protests happened for George Floyd, it started peacefully but turned violent very quickly. The

people being violent were not doing it for the right reasons but the Black Lives Matter movement

got a bad rap for it. Although peaceful for upwards of 9 years, the protests made it seem like it

was a violent movement. I do think separation can be defined as a violent act, but not on the

oppressor. I think it is more violent for the oppressed because they are not bringing change for

themselves but accepting the force that is pushing them down. I do think a positive of using

violence is that it can bring peace eventually. It might take a long time, and seem like it is getting

a movement nowhere but violence can’t last forever and I think peace is possible when violence

is the tactic used for change. Like non-violence, violence can address both types of racism.

I think that the answer to the question of which tactic for change is the best is a loaded

question because the answer in my opinion is that there isn't one. I think the best tactic is a

mixture of all of them, especially the five I talked about above. I think that there are so many

ways to make people aware of a problem that we need to exert all of them to be successful in
getting rid of racism and changing the world for the better. If I were to say that one would be the

best for educating the oppressor, I would say that it would likely be through the courts. This is a

change that, for the most part, most people hear about and can’t go against, no matter their

personal beliefs. Change is necessary and the way that our world is progressing shows that it is

coming, but we need to make sure we don’t move backwards.