In a world plagued by systemic injustice, rampant inequality, and looming environmental catastrophe, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and powerless. The problems we face can seem insurmountable, leaving many of us paralyzed and unsure how to make a difference. But as civil rights activist Shaun King argues in his book "Make Change," creating a better world starts with individuals like you and me deciding to take action.
Drawing on his own experiences as an activist and organizer, King provides a roadmap for how ordinary people can become effective agents of social change. He offers practical advice, strategic insights, and inspiration for those who want to fight for justice but don't know where to begin. With passion and urgency, King makes the case that we all have a role to play in shaping a more equitable future - we just need the tools and motivation to get started.
Understanding Change Through History
One of King's most profound insights about social change came from an unexpected source - a college history class he initially didn't want to take. As an emerging leader in the Black Lives Matter movement, King was feeling discouraged by setbacks and lack of progress. He decided to deepen his knowledge by enrolling in a Master's program in African American Studies.
In a course on historiography, King learned about the work of 19th century German historian Leopold von Ranke, who had attempted to create a comprehensive timeline of world history. At first, King was skeptical that the theories of an old white man could offer any relevant insights for modern activism. But Ranke's historical project revealed a pattern that completely shifted King's worldview.
History as a Series of Peaks and Valleys
Up until that point, King had believed that human history was on a steady upward trajectory toward greater peace, justice and progress. But Ranke's timeline showed that history actually follows a pattern of peaks and valleys - periods of progress followed by conservative backlash and regression.
For example, the relative freedom enjoyed by Black Americans after the Civil War was soon followed by the oppressive Jim Crow laws of the South. The election of America's first Black president, Barack Obama, was followed by the rise of right-wing populism and the election of Donald Trump.
This cyclical view of history was eye-opening for King. It helped explain why movements for social justice often face such fierce opposition and backlash. But it also offered hope - even in dark times, the possibility for positive change remains. We may be in a "valley" now, but with sustained effort, we can work our way back to another peak.
Change Doesn't Happen Overnight
Another key insight King gained was that major historical changes don't happen suddenly or spontaneously. Even events that seem to erupt out of nowhere, like the election of Trump, actually have deep roots and long build-ups.
Trump's presidency was enabled by economic, social and political structures established long ago. It was allowed to take hold because people chose not to see or address systemic flaws over many years.
This means that creating positive change is a long-term project. We can't expect overnight transformations. But it also means that the groundwork we lay today can bear fruit years or decades down the line. Every small action we take to fight injustice and push for a better world matters, even if we don't see immediate results.
Finding Your Cause
With so many pressing issues facing the world, it can be hard to know where to focus your energy as an activist. King argues that the causes closest to our hearts are often determined by our personal experiences and backstories.
King's Origin Story as an Activist
For King, the pivotal moment that set him on the path of fighting racial injustice occurred in high school. As a biracial kid growing up in Kentucky, King hadn't given much thought to his racial identity. But when he entered high school, he suddenly found himself targeted by white classmates and caught in the middle of racial tensions.
Things came to a head one day when a mob of 15 white teenagers cornered King in the hallway and viciously beat him, leaving him hospitalized with severe injuries. This traumatic experience made King acutely aware of the pain and trauma caused by racial injustice. It fueled his commitment to dedicate his life to fighting racism and discrimination.
Connecting Your Story to a Cause
While not everyone has such a dramatic origin story, King believes we all have experiences that shape our values and priorities. To find your cause, he suggests reflecting on the issues that move you emotionally:
- What injustices make you cry or fill you with rage?
- What problems keep you up at night worrying?
- What changes would you most like to see in the world?
The issues that provoke the strongest emotional response are likely the ones you'll be most passionate and effective at fighting for. By connecting your personal story to a larger cause, you'll find deeper motivation and purpose in your activism.
Taking the First Steps
Once you've identified a cause you care about, the next step is to actually get involved and start taking action. This can feel daunting at first. Many people come up with excuses for why they can't get involved - they're too busy, too old, too young, not smart enough, etc.
King emphasizes that these are just excuses. Successful movements need people from all walks of life. Young people like Greta Thunberg and seasoned activists like Harry Belafonte show that age is no barrier. Even busy people like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who worked as a bartender while running for Congress, find ways to make time for activism.
Practical First Steps
To get started, King recommends:
- Research organizations working on your chosen cause
- Find a local chapter or group in your area
- Reach out and ask how you can volunteer
- Show up to public events and meetings
It's as simple as that to begin. The key is to stop making excuses and take that first step, even if it feels small.
Learning the Ropes
As a new activist, be prepared to do a lot of listening and learning at first. Follow the onboarding process for new volunteers. Do the unglamorous tasks like data entry or passing out flyers with pride - they're vital to the cause and will help you learn the ropes.
Keep educating yourself about the issues through reading and research. But don't get stuck in analysis paralysis - at some point you need to put down the books and get to work.
Finding Your Role
Over time, look for ways to contribute your unique skills and talents to the movement. Whether you're a great writer, public speaker, organizer, or have other valuable abilities, there's a role for you to play. King used his background as a pastor to become an effective public speaker on racial justice issues.
Reflect on your strengths and how you can put them to use for your cause. By aligning your skills with the needs of the movement, you'll be able to make your biggest impact.
The Three Pillars of Successful Movements
While passion and good intentions are important, King emphasizes that they aren't enough on their own to create real change. Based on his experience, he identifies three key elements that every successful social movement needs:
- Energized people
- Good organization
- A solid plan
The Power of Numbers
Social movements have one key advantage over entrenched power structures - numbers. When thousands or millions of motivated people unite behind a cause, they can shift the narrative and put pressure on decision-makers.
The Black Lives Matter movement demonstrated this power. By uniting huge numbers of people around a hashtag and message, BLM forced the media and politicians to treat police violence as a national emergency.
The Need for Coordination
However, King notes that BLM also showed the limitations of a decentralized movement. Despite raising awareness, many of the families of police violence victims still didn't get justice. The initial surge of energy wasn't effectively channeled toward concrete goals.
This is why good organization is crucial. Movements need to:
- Get to know their volunteers and supporters
- Harness people's skills and stories effectively
- Set up efficient communication and coordination structures
- Connect and collaborate with other aligned groups
The civil rights movement of the 1960s succeeded in large part due to its rich network of activists, religious leaders, and academics from different organizations working in concert.
Having a Solid Strategy
The final pillar is having a clear, sophisticated plan to achieve your goals. The problem you're tackling is likely complex, so your strategy needs to match that complexity.
King gives the example of his organization Raise the Age, which successfully campaigned to raise the minimum age for adult incarceration to 18 in New York. They created a detailed plan involving social media campaigns, volunteer recruitment, coordinated calls/emails to officials, and more. This comprehensive approach allowed them to win over key political figures and ultimately pass their legislation.
Embracing Failure and Bouncing Back
One of the hardest realities of activism is dealing with failure and setbacks. When you're fighting against powerful, entrenched systems, you will face many more losses than wins. This can be deeply discouraging.
King emphasizes the importance of reframing how we think about activist "failures." Rather than seeing them as final defeats, we should view them as learning opportunities that make us stronger and smarter for the next round.
Learning from Losses
He gives the example of his organization Real Justice, which works to elect progressive district attorneys. After an initial big win in Philadelphia, they suffered crushing defeats in San Diego and Sacramento. But instead of giving up, they studied what went wrong and adjusted their strategy.
They realized they needed to tailor their messaging more to local concerns and highlight public safety alongside criminal justice reform. These lessons helped them win a crucial race in San Antonio soon after.
The Power of Resilience
King points out that many successful activists faced repeated failures before achieving their goals. Bernie Sanders lost five Senate races before finally winning. But he kept at it, and his later presidential runs inspired a whole new progressive movement.
The key is developing the resilience to bounce back from losses. Some strategies King recommends:
- Learn to say no and set boundaries to avoid burnout
- Schedule regular breaks and self-care time
- Connect with supportive friends and family
- Remember that caring for yourself is a form of "political warfare" (in the words of Audre Lorde)
By taking care of ourselves and cultivating resilience, we can stay in the fight for the long haul. And ultimately, one big win outweighs a dozen losses.
Making Change Happen
One of King's core messages is that change doesn't just happen on its own - it requires sustained effort by real people. History books may present social progress as a highlight reel of big moments and dramatic victories. But the reality is that change comes from thousands of small actions taken by ordinary people day after day.
Systems Don't Change Themselves
King pushes back on the idea that our systems of government and economics are simply "broken." In many cases, he argues, they're working exactly as designed - to benefit a privileged few at the expense of the many.
Those who benefit from the status quo have little incentive to change things. They have money and power to resist reforms. This means the impetus for positive change has to come from the bottom up, from people like us who care about justice and equality.
The Impact of Individual Action
While the odds may seem daunting, King emphasizes that individual actions can and do make a difference. He shares the story of how his activism literally saved a man's life in 2019.
Rodney Reed, a Black man in Texas, was on death row for a murder conviction with shaky evidence. After learning about the case, King launched a massive social media campaign to stop the execution. Through relentless organizing, he got millions to sign a petition and coordinated thousands of calls to officials.
Against the odds, the conservative Texas parole board halted the execution just days before it was scheduled. Reed is alive today because King believed in the cause and took action.
This story illustrates how seemingly small efforts can snowball into major impact. We may not always see immediate results, but our actions matter. Change starts with individuals deciding to get involved and do the work, day after day.
Putting It All Together: A Roadmap for Change
Drawing on all the lessons and insights covered, we can map out a step-by-step process for becoming an effective agent of change:
Reflect on your personal experiences and the issues that move you emotionally. Identify the cause you care about most deeply.
Research organizations working on that cause and find ways to get involved, even in small ways at first.
Learn everything you can about the issue, but don't get stuck in analysis paralysis. Start taking action, even if it's just volunteering a few hours a week.
Look for ways to contribute your unique skills and talents to the movement. Align your strengths with the needs of the cause.
Build connections with other activists and organizations. A strong network is crucial for creating large-scale change.
Develop a sophisticated, multi-pronged strategy to achieve your goals. Match the complexity of your plan to the complexity of the problem.
Prepare yourself mentally for setbacks and failures. View them as learning opportunities rather than permanent defeats.
Take care of yourself to avoid burnout. Set boundaries, practice self-care, and cultivate resilience.
Remember that change happens through sustained effort over time. Keep showing up and doing the work, even when progress seems slow.
Celebrate your victories, no matter how small. Each win builds momentum for bigger changes down the line.
Conclusion: The Power of Individual Action
"Make Change" is ultimately a call to action and a source of hope. In a world facing so many daunting challenges, it's easy to feel powerless and overwhelmed. But King reminds us that all successful movements for social progress start with individuals deciding to get involved.
We may not see the results of our efforts immediately. Change is a long game, with many setbacks along the way. But by committing ourselves to a cause, taking consistent action, and working together, we can bend the arc of history toward justice.
King's own journey shows how one person's dedication can create ripple effects that change lives and shape society. From a high school kid brutalized by racism to a leading voice for civil rights, his story is a testament to the power of sustained activism.
The problems we face as a society are undoubtedly complex and deeply rooted. But they are not insurmountable. By understanding the cyclical nature of social progress, finding our personal connection to a cause, and following a strategic approach to creating change, we can all play a role in building a more just and equitable world.
The key is to stop making excuses and start taking action, no matter how small. As King puts it, "It's on us." Change won't happen until we make it happen. So what cause will you fight for? What's your first step? The future is in our hands - it's time to get to work.
Key Takeaways
History follows a pattern of progressive advances followed by conservative backlash. Understanding this cycle can help activists persevere through difficult times.
Find your cause by reflecting on the issues that move you emotionally and connect to your personal experiences.
Getting involved is as simple as reaching out to local organizations and showing up. Don't let excuses hold you back.
Successful movements need energized people, good organization, and a solid strategic plan.
Learn from failures and setbacks rather than being discouraged by them. Resilience is crucial for long-term success.
Change happens through thousands of small actions by ordinary people, not just dramatic moments. Your efforts matter, even if you don't see immediate results.
Take care of yourself to avoid burnout. Setting boundaries and practicing self-care are vital for sustained activism.
Align your unique skills and talents with the needs of your chosen cause to maximize your impact.
Be prepared for a long-term commitment. Real change takes time and sustained effort.
Remember that the power to shape the future is in our hands. It's up to us to create the change we want to see in the world.
Final Thoughts
"Make Change" is an empowering and practical guide for anyone who wants to make a positive difference in the world but isn't sure how to start. Shaun King's personal stories and hard-won insights provide both inspiration and concrete strategies for effective activism.
While the book acknowledges the significant challenges we face, its overall message is one of hope and possibility. King shows us that ordinary people have far more power than we often realize. By coming together, staying committed, and working strategically, we can overcome even the most entrenched injustices.
The path of an activist isn't easy. There will be setbacks, failures, and moments of doubt along the way. But as King's experiences demonstrate, the potential impact is immense. Even small actions can snowball into major changes that transform lives and shape society.
For those who feel called to fight for a better world, this book offers a roadmap to get started and stay motivated for the long haul. It's a reminder that the future is not predetermined - it's up to us to create it through our choices and actions each day.
In a time of great challenges and division, "Make Change" is a rallying cry for engaged citizenship and grassroots organizing. It empowers readers to move beyond outrage or despair and take concrete steps to build the world they want to see. By following King's advice and insights, we can all become more effective agents of positive social change.