The acts of disobedience made a great impact on our future because it is what made society strong. People made a statement using disobedience and it was heard and applied. Just like Rosa Parks stood up for what she believed in and made huge impacts on other’s lives. As Wilde explained, disobedience is not necessarily a bad trait to have, but it is the power and the people behind the disobedience that creates progress.
Rosa Parks stood up for herself, the other of the African Americans in her time, and those in the future. She was disobedient to the policemen but not because she was the one doing wrong, but because the police were the ones who were wrong for even trying to put her in jail because she was in the seat first and she deserved her spot just as the whites. Rosa Parks wanted to make a statement that all humans deserve equal rights no matter the color of their skin. Even though she was arrested for her disobedience to sit in the colored section of the bus, she made a statement to not only the people in her time but people are still talking about her confidence in standing for herself and others to this day. As Wilde explained, ‘It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and rebellion. Rosa Parks helped change the laws about blacks and whites and made it so that all people no matter their race are equal. Without her rebellion and disobedience, who’s to say that our laws might not have changed today’.
Disobedience is a crucial element for change. Though it may be seen as a representative of rebellion, it has stood the test of time with many civil rights activists, social leaders, and government officials in fighting for change, justice and equality. In the Supreme Court case Brown V. Board of Education, children of color and their parents were defiant and disobedient to the laws that required them to attend a separate school. However, this persistent disobedience created a law that allowed children of color to be educated alongside their Caucasian counterparts.
The definition of disobedience according to Webster states that it means not following the rules. There is no mention of whether the rule is a justified rule or not. Sometimes, rules are in place to uphold discrimination or one person or group needs to have an unfair advantage over another person or group of people. In the case of Affirmative Action, former President John F. Kennedy issues a law in 1961 that gave every person an equal opportunity for employment despite any discriminating factors like race, age, sexual, and nationality.
Disobedience has been made to reflect a negative outlook because of its association with people and groups going against discrimination and inequality. Disobedience is no different than being a change agent, an innovator, or a trendsetter. All these types of people were disobedient to authorities in their arena who made attempts or laws that hindered their ideas, rights, or freedoms. However, because disobedience has been given a bad reputation in its meaning, the first thought about being disobedient is defiance and rebellion against what is right or good.
Now that disobedience has been established here as a positive word with a positive meaning and purpose, let’s look at how it has assisted society in the present time. Often times we overlook how disobedience has created a smooth even seamless transition for our daily lives. Public transportation was an ongoing fight that did not just happen overnight, but in today’s world, there is not a second thought or look as to who sits where based on color. No longer do rideshare services (cabs, Uber, Lyft) pass by waving passengers because they are not the right race. Disobedience has equalized the ability for transportation to eliminate racial boundaries and focus on the social need for people to get from one place to another.
Disobedience has leveled the playing field in many areas of life. Instead of always seeing it as a bad word or behavior, we should start seeing it as a synonym to change. Using disobedience interchangeably with change will help society view their ability to justly fight against injustices and inequalities that are thrown their way. There should be no more diminishment when using the word disobedience, but a positive elevation of its meaning towards creating better conditions because of going against the grain.
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