CONTENTS Introduction Civil and Political Activism 4 Chapter 1 Representative Government 6 Chapter 2 Fair and Equal Treatment for All 14 Chapter 3 Workers Rights 22 Chapter 4 Speech and Information 32 What Can You Do 39 Source Notes 41 Glossary 44 Selected Bibliography 45 Further Information 46 Index 47
INTRODUCTION CIVIL AND POLITICAL ACTIVISM A young girl asks her state’s governor to talk about voter preregistration for teenagers Three friends turn an Internet hashtag into a worldwide call for the humane treatment of African Americans A young man leads a massive pro-democracy protest in the streets of Hong Kong A US government computer contractor risks his life to expose government spying Concerned citizens might take action to protest unfair practices of governments and companies All these people are civil or political activists Regardless of their age or background each one of them took a stand Some had powerful tools to help them such as the computer contractor with access to top-secret information Others had little more than their own voices But they all made a difference because each noticed a problem and took action Whether the problems were related to voting rights equality working conditions or free speech and information these people became activists because they wanted to make a change in their world 4
Civil activists rally for the Black Lives Matter movement The group urges law enforcement officials to treat African Americans fairly You don’t have to look hard to find injustice Some employers exploit workers Those who live in poor or minority neighborhoods might not have the same access to voting as other citizens do In countless ways every day people and society discriminate against minorities women and lesbian gay bisexual transgender or questioning LGBTQ individuals The products we buy especially electronics may have been produced by people working in unsafe conditions for long hours and for little pay It’s enough to make you want to shut down your web browser hide your smartphone and bury your head in the sand Or you can decide to do something about an issue you care about You don’t have to be a computer genius or great public speaker You don’t have to be old enough to vote or get a job In fact you don’t even have to be able to read to be an activist You just need the desire to make a change and the commitment to follow through on an action 5
