Taking it to the streets: Grassroots activism in the United States By Gale, Cengage Learning, adapted by Newsela staff on 11.10.17 Word Count 1,082 Level 1060L
On September 20, 2015, around 100 protesters blocked the light rail line in St. Paul, Minnesota, to protest the treatment of Marcus Abrams by St. Paul police. Abrams, who was 17 and had autism, was violently arrested by Metro Transit Police on August 31, 2015. During his arrest, he suffered a split lip and multiple seizures. The Black Lives Matter movement is an example of grassroots activism today. Photo: Fibonacci Blue/Flickr
Grassroots activism is when a group of citizens work together for a common cause. Anyone can be an activist. All that is needed is a commitment to change, whatever that change might be.
Grassroots activism can be as basic as handing out flyers to raise awareness of an issue such as unsafe drinking water. Activists might also take more extreme steps to bring attention to a cause, such as chaining themselves to a building scheduled to be demolished or blocking traffic on a road.
One of the most famous and effective uses of grassroots activism in the United States was the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Protesters used civil disobedience tactics, like sitting at whites-only lunch counters and organizing boycotts.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. In 1955, black residents in Montgomery, Alabama, boycotted public buses after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man. At the time, blacks had to sit at the back of city buses or stand if all of the bus seats were taken by white passengers. The black community refused to ride the city's buses, which cost the bus company $250,000. After 381 days, the city gave in. The boycott's success was undeniable. The Supreme Court ruled that segregation of public transportation was illegal. It was a major step on the journey toward equality, and it began with grassroots activism.
Teaching A Lesson
Sometimes grassroots activism leads to the passing of major legislation, At other times, its value lies not in achieving a particular goal, but rather in the lesson it teaches. Such was the case of the antiwar movement during the 1960s and 1970s.
By 1961, many Americans wanted the United States to get involved in the Vietnam War. South Vietnam was fighting communist North Vietnam. Many people believed that if the United States did not help South Vietnam, other communist countries would feel free to act aggressively.
As the war dragged on, Americans grew tired of it. Casualties increased, as did the cost of paying for the war. An antiwar movement formed at colleges across the country. At first, their activism was mainly on campus.
In 1965, the United States began heavily bombing North Vietnam. By 1966, nearly 200,000 U.S. troops had been sent to Vietnam. That number would grow to 550,000 within three years. Tens of thousands of American soldiers were dying, as were innocent Vietnamese civilians, people not involved in the fighting at all. Activists began questioning why their country was fighting a war that had nothing to do anyone on American soil.
As the U.S. government sent more and more troops overseas, the antiwar movement increased. Protests, marches and demonstrations spilled over into the streets across the country. Their cause was aided by television, which brought the violence of war into the living rooms of Americans in a way that had never happened before. Now, the average TV viewer could see first-hand the horrors of the war.
Four Dead In Ohio
Suddenly, the peaceful protests of an antiwar movement became emotional, sometimes violent. In 1970, the National Guard fired on peaceful protesters at Ohio's Kent State University, killing four
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. students and wounding nine. Students across the nation went on strike and some college campuses had to stay closed.
The war finally ended in 1975. The antiwar movement did not end the war all by itself. However, it certainly made the U.S. government hear its citizens and understand that it could not win a long, drawn-out war without the support of its people.
Occupy Wall Street
On September 17, 2011, Adbusters, a Canadian organization, began a peaceful protest movement in New York City's Zuccotti Park. The park was located in the Wall Street financial district. The movement became known as Occupy Wall Street and protested the influence of big companies on the government as well as the increasing gap between rich and poor. The movement's motto was "We are the 99 percent." It was based on research showing that most of the wealth in the United States is owned by just 1 percent of its population. Everyone else is the 99 percent.
As the crowd grew to thousands, many of the protesters set up tents and created a makeshift neighborhood that included a hospital, kitchen, library and even a department of sanitation. The protesters hosted drumming circles, displayed signs and banners, gave speeches and marched in the streets. Major newspapers, websites and magazines all ran stories of Occupy Wall Street's activities.
The police raided the park several times. On November 14, 2011, they gave protesters 45 minutes to clear the area and threw away anything left behind.
Occupy Wall Street spread to more than 70 cities in the United States. Although it had little effect on politics and government, it did help to start a discussion between political leaders and the public. In a 2012 article in Wired magazine, writer Quinn Norton said that the media focused on the idea of economic justice, the "official" reason for the protests. Yet, those who participated in the movement did not feel defeated. They needed to feel like they mattered, not only to the government but also to each other.
Grassroots Activism Today
Today, many grassroots activists are working to bring important issues to the attention of lawmakers and the public. Black Lives Matter, for instance, is a movement working to bring attention to the ways racism persists. It has focused attention on the ways African-Americans are often mistreated by police officers.
Another grassroots movement began after the 2016 election. On January 21, 2017, an estimated 5 million people around the world participated in Women's March events. The main purpose was to draw attention to issues of women's rights. Organizers and protesters also advocated for other issues, including immigration reform, health care reform and racial equality.
Despite the impressive crowds that showed up to the Women's March events, organizers were criticized for a lack of a clear vision and for not including enough women of color.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Quiz
1 Which section of the article highlights the idea that sometimes grassroots movements might not be very successful?
(A) "The Civil Rights Movement"
(B) "Teaching A Lesson"
(C) "Four Dead In Ohio"
(D) "Occupy Wall Street"
2 The sentence below from the section "Grassroots Activism Today" helps prove the claim that today’s grassroot movements highlight issues of inequality.
Organizers and protesters also advocated for other issues, including immigration reform, health care reform and racial equality.
Which sentence from the section provides further support for the claim?
(A) Today, many grassroots activists are working to bring important issues to the attention of lawmakers and the public.
(B) It has focused attention on the ways African-Americans are often mistreated by police officers.
(C) Another grassroots movement began after the 2016 election.
(D) Despite the impressive crowds that showed up to the Women's March events, organizers were criticized for a lack of a clear vision and for not including enough women of color.
3 Read the selection from the section “The Civil Rights Movement.”
In 1955, black residents in Montgomery, Alabama, boycotted public buses after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man. At the time, blacks had to sit at the back of city buses or stand if all of the bus seats were taken by white passengers. The black community refused to ride the city's buses, which cost the bus company $250,000. After 381 days, the city gave in. The boycott's success was undeniable.
Which of the following words from the article provides context clues to the meaning of the word “boycotted”?
(A) arrested
(B) stand
(C) refused
(D) success
4 Read the sentence from the section "Teaching A Lesson."
Now, the average TV viewer could see first-hand the horrors of the war.
How does using the word "horrors" affect the tone of the sentence above?
(A) It attempts to persuade the reader to join antiwar movements in their state.
(B) It shows the reader why the United States continued fighting in the war.
(C) It emphasizes to the reader just how terrible it was to see images of the war.
(D) It teaches the reader to be proud of the sacrifices made by troops overseas.
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