Belinda Robnett explores how men were permitted “leadership roles in the Civil Rights movement,” but women were delegated more middle and lower positions (Cite). However, instead of being bitter, Robnett believes that these women excelled in their roles and played a crucial part in the success of the Civil Rights movement. Moreover, Dr. Robnett states that although not visible, women in these middle and lower positions were essentially leaders, who drew on their skills and experience to form community networks that spurred the movement forward. In essence, these women never received the recognition they deserved, due to their race and gender, but nevertheless, it doesn’t diminish their contributions to the movement. Dr. Robnett “believes that an effective social movement (requires) leadership at every level,” and that is exactly what the women provided for the Civil Right movement (Cite). Dr. Robnett’s philosophy begets the question, what is a leader? Is it simply
“to have power over people” essentially creating a leader and pack of followers?
Moreover, since “a movement is a collective activity of volunteers and everyone has the choice to participate,” is a leader the individual who “persuades others to be part of a movement?” (Cite). Maybe an effective social movement, is in fact as Dr. Robnett claims, a crusade with “a lot of moving parts and there is …show more content…
Freeman’s theory is also based on the assumptions that there are always outsiders of any movement, willing to lend support for the marginalized
And “translate (grievances) into action. Remove the outsider, or they’re outside fundamental sources, and movements will cease” (Freeman 8). However, the validity of this theory is questionable, given that the Montgomery boycott which demonstrated the collective power of the black community, and how it succeeded despite the lack of outside support from the white