Equality: Once and For All?
The appropriate role of a citizen is speaking up for and being the voice of those who are voiceless. According to John Bowe, author of Nobodies: Does Slavery Exist in America? social change comes from those who are privileged enough to have a voice in their society. Moreover, Nelson Mandela, the influential former president of South Africa and author of Long Road to Freedom, believes that this transformation can come from those ordinary, everyday citizens who are oppressed and who have faced their hardships firsthand. Yet both authors agree that in the end justice comes to both parties, the oppressed and the oppressor, albeit in different forms. John Bowe is a proponent that social change comes from those who speak …show more content…
In other words, Mandela desires those who’ve suffered, who’ve fought, and who’ve underwent extreme hardships to give themselves a voice; he deems this as the only way a change will come. Mandela points out that on top of the great heroes of South Africa, such as Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu, the ordinary citizens of his country were so courageous that they gave him hope that some sort of revolution will materialize (Mandela, 434). These citizens have endured unspeakable deprivations and faced revolting adversities, however, they never give up and they inspire officials in more accessible positions to herald in new policies, which was a major contributing factor to the fall of apartheid in South Africa (Mandela, 433-434). Mandela also speaks a great deal about obligations, and the dual obligations that men have to their family and to their country. He believed that he had an obligation to his people, his community, and to his country to be a voice for his people. As a result, Mandela joined the African National Congress in efforts to have his voice heard, and to speak up for others in the same circumstance as him. Mandela knew the hardships faced by his people firsthand – he faced them as well, as he spent close to three …show more content…
In both Bowe’s piece and Mandela’s piece we see people of a higher societal standing helping those of a lower class. Essentially, this shows that those without voices are limited to enacting change firsthand. Both works strive to signify the requirement of a more fortunate group in bringing about change in society. Furthermore, the two authors agree in the sentiment that justice should be served to the oppressors. In terms of Nobodies: Does Slavery Exist in America? the slavery practitioners were prosecuted and rightfully so, and in Long Walk to Freedom, Mandela believed that justice to the oppressors came in the form of liberating them of their hatred. Thus, we can see that although the two men write very contrasting and dissimilar pieces, there are commonalities between
The appropriate role of a citizen is speaking up for and being the voice of those who are voiceless. According to John Bowe, author of Nobodies: Does Slavery Exist in America? social change comes from those who are privileged enough to have a voice in their society. Moreover, Nelson Mandela, the influential former president of South Africa and author of Long Road to Freedom, believes that this transformation can come from those ordinary, everyday citizens who are oppressed and who have faced their hardships firsthand. Yet both authors agree that in the end justice comes to both parties, the oppressed and the oppressor, albeit in different forms. John Bowe is a proponent that social change comes from those who speak …show more content…
In other words, Mandela desires those who’ve suffered, who’ve fought, and who’ve underwent extreme hardships to give themselves a voice; he deems this as the only way a change will come. Mandela points out that on top of the great heroes of South Africa, such as Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu, the ordinary citizens of his country were so courageous that they gave him hope that some sort of revolution will materialize (Mandela, 434). These citizens have endured unspeakable deprivations and faced revolting adversities, however, they never give up and they inspire officials in more accessible positions to herald in new policies, which was a major contributing factor to the fall of apartheid in South Africa (Mandela, 433-434). Mandela also speaks a great deal about obligations, and the dual obligations that men have to their family and to their country. He believed that he had an obligation to his people, his community, and to his country to be a voice for his people. As a result, Mandela joined the African National Congress in efforts to have his voice heard, and to speak up for others in the same circumstance as him. Mandela knew the hardships faced by his people firsthand – he faced them as well, as he spent close to three …show more content…
In both Bowe’s piece and Mandela’s piece we see people of a higher societal standing helping those of a lower class. Essentially, this shows that those without voices are limited to enacting change firsthand. Both works strive to signify the requirement of a more fortunate group in bringing about change in society. Furthermore, the two authors agree in the sentiment that justice should be served to the oppressors. In terms of Nobodies: Does Slavery Exist in America? the slavery practitioners were prosecuted and rightfully so, and in Long Walk to Freedom, Mandela believed that justice to the oppressors came in the form of liberating them of their hatred. Thus, we can see that although the two men write very contrasting and dissimilar pieces, there are commonalities between