Jeronimo Castano Blog Post #2

    During these couple of weeks, our class completed a series of presentations about important changemakers throughout our history. Each group focused had to choose different individuals from a certain time period and explain how that individual influenced society, politics, science, or equality. Listening to all the presentations helped me learn about so many people who I had little or no prior knowledge before. Also, I found it very interesting to see and compare how every group approached research differently and how different students had their own way of presenting information. This could be tied back to our first presentations as some people spoke very confidently, which made their presentation seem more successful, while others seemed a little nervous and struggled a bit more to get their information out, however, they still explained their topics well. Overall, each project was able to teach us more about history while also putting to use our public speaking skills. 

    Firstly, we have the first group. They focused on the founders of the United States, and the people who contributed to creating the early government. These individuals were responsible for shaping the Constitution and establishing the American society.  One of the most important figures discussed in this presentation was James Madison. Madison was a major role in writing the Constitution and strongly believed that government power has to be divided evenly so that no branch is more powerful than another. His ideas helped create the system of Checks and Balances that still exist until this day. Furthermore, Benjamin Franklin, who was known for helping the delegates reach compromise during the Constitutional convention. He had great leadership skills and experience, leading the discussions that eventually created the Constitution. 

    Next was group 2, which I was apart of. Our presentation consisted of Changemakers from the 1800s. During this time period, we had many important developments for the country, such as the fight against slavery, healthcare improvements, and major economic growth during the industrial Revolution. All of the individuals that we presented helped push the country into better change in different ways. For example, one of the main figures which we discussed was Frederick Douglass. He was a former enslaved person who turnt into a powerful speaker and writer against slavery. I had presented John Brown, who was another abolitionist who believed slavery needed to end immediately. He is best known for his raid at Harpers Ferry in an attempt to start a slave rebellion. Even though this raid ultimately failed, it helped to increase tension between the south and the north and helped push the country closer to the civil war. 

    Other figures included Florence Nightingale who was presented as an important figure in the healthcare field because she helped to improve hospital conditions and nursing practices. She ultimately changed how hospital worked and reduced death rates. Another important figure in this field is Clara Barton. she founded the American Red Cross and provided aid during wars and disasters. In other fields we have Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller. They were business leaders who helped grow American Society with their extremely successful companies. They later donated large amounts of their wealth to charities, education, and public programs. 

    Furthermore, we have the third group. There main focus was more directed towards Changemakers during the 2000s to present day. These individuals showed how leaders today continue to influence the country through politics, law, and public health. One of the most important people discussed was Barack Obama, who became the first Black president of the United States.  During his time as president, he worked on improving healthcare and helping the country recover from economic recession. Another modern leader. from group 3 was Vivek Murthy, a U.S surgeon General. His work has focused heavily on public health issues,  especially mental health and the importance of community support. This group also discussed Ketanji Brown Jackson, who was the first Black woman to serve on the supreme court. Her appointment represented progress in making the government more diverse. Other figures included George W. Bush, who led the country during the difficult period after the 9/11 attacks, and stacey Abrams, who worked to protect voting rights and increase voter participation. This group helped to show that even in modern times, people continue to work toward improving the country and addressing new challenges. 

    The last group, group 4, focused on changemakers from the 1900s. Many of the individuals during this time worked to expand civil rights, equality, and scientific progress. One of the most well known figures that was discussed is Martin Luther King Jr., who was a leader of the civil rights movement. He used peaceful protests and powerful speeches to fight for racial equality and helped influence many major laws that protected civil rights. Another important figure was Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was a woman who spent most of her career working to achieve gender equality. Before she became a supreme court justice, she worked as a lawyer challenging laws that treated women unfairly. In this group, they also discussed Alice Paul and Betty Friedman who were important activist and both started movements towards women's suffrage. Betty Friedman specifically helped start the modern feminist movement with her book "The feminine Mystique". Additionally, this group also discussed Jonas Salk, a scientist who developed the polio vaccine. This vaccine alone saved millions of lives and greatly improved public health. One of the their last figures discussed was Nelson Mandela. He was a global symbol of the fights against racial injustice in South Africa. All these figures showed how the 20th century included major progress in human rights, science, and equality. 

    At the end of every presentation, the class managers, Cassandra and Hailey, summarized the main points from each group and used their speech and presentation skills to connect the different time periods together. Their conclusions helped to show how people from different eras all contributed to shaping society in different ways. Even though all the presentations had different topics, many of the changemakers shared the same goal as each other. 

    Overall, this project was a valuable experience for me because it helped me learn about important figures in history while also being able to practice my presentation skills. Watching other students present also allowed me to see different speaking styles and presentation methods. I also feel like this assignment encouraged students to step out of their comfort zones and speak in front of the class. All in All, this presentation was a great source of information for me, and helped me better understand our country's history and how past leader's actions continue to influence our world today.