Three Most Influential Forces That Have Impacted the 21st Century
The advancements of media, the cultural evolution of African American civil rights, and the increasing importance of education are the three most influential forces that have impacted the 21st century for Americans.
Throughout history the media has been an evolutionary field that has led to the increase in communication and information channels. Media which began centuries ago in the form of the written word has evolved through technology to now be one of the most culturally impacting forces of the 21st century with the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web has become a force that is intertwined into not only the American culture but a global culture of information sharing. From type to picture, the World Wide Web has adapted continually since its invention to meet the ongoing demands from the populace.
Domestically the impact that media has had is immeasurable by any scale. Media is invaluable as one of the pillars, free speech and freedom of the press, our country stands on. While these freedoms are absolute, for a great deal of history they were not which contributed to isolation of cultures and races domestically and a lack of communication globally. However, since the penning of the Constitution of the United States, the advancements of media have led to the recording of some of the most captivating moments in history that have defined generations and changed our history. Figure 1: Evolution of Media (below) illustrates the evolution of media during the 20th century.
Figure 1: Evolution of Media |
1900 - 1920 |
First feature film is shown · The first feature film being shown opened the minds of millions and offered an escape from the war. Censorship is placed on newspapers by the government · Censorship, placed on news print during World War I, was ordered to try and protect citizens from the harsh realities of war due to the notion that censorship could protect family, church, and state. Censorship was also promoted at the time for national security purposes but left many demanding more information due to the interest of loved ones away fighting. First Commercial Radio Station Airs · The American people are able to more easily gain access to news coverage especially outside of major cities where newsprint is less available. The more available news stream caused the public to make more informed conclusions about happenings especially surrounding the war. First Radio Advertising · This is the first example of mass media advertising that is non-print based. This laid the foundation for increased business for those using radio advertisements thus leading to an increase in the demand of non-generic goods due to brand recognition. |
1930 – 1950 |
Cinema · Due to the success of the cinema industry, the U.S. uses the cinema to promote the war effort Transistor Radio · Invention helps to increase reliability and quality of radio. Radio became the number one way to receive news as it was the most cost effective and up to date coverage. Television · Luxury product gaining popularity. The classification of the television began to morph during this time to a household product when D-Day was televised 23 hours after the invasion. American demand for the television rose. During the 1950’s over 3 million television sets were sold in the United States |
1960 – 1980 |
Television · Becomes the number one medium for news delivery due to the picture and audio quality. Advertisements increase in popularity and make television a cash cow. Television begin to cover headline stories globally. · Television brings to light the Vietnam and desegregation stories. Television is also the first to report the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. · Television broadcasts globally to report the Watergate Scandal. · Parent Groups push for educational programming and receive the Public Broadcasting System which produced Sesame Street · Advertising booms due to the cigarette companies purchasing multi-year contracts Newspapers · Gain popularity as they cover stories in-depth and are cost effective. |
1990 |
Television · 98% of American households have a television set. Television is the number one way that Americans receive their news. Internet · Invention of the internet begins to take over the number one spot of television. Internet begins to change the expectations of media. · Offers immediate delivery in either audio/video coverage or written. |
Though the evolution of media has influenced generations, today the media has reached a new level of sophistication by providing real time news and numerous social communication aplications. The evolution of African American culture and rights is a driving force in the shaping of our nation’s history from the arrival of the first slaves in the English colony at Jamestown in 1619 to the documents of our founding fathers, to the “I Have a Dream” speech delivered by Dr. King. The initial defining moment s in the evolution of African Americans’ quest for civil rights began with the “Declaration of Independence” in 1776 which stated that “all men are created equal”. While those words did not guarantee a change in the culture of our nation overnight, those words inspired hope for minorities and disenfranchised peoples including African Americans.
The evolution of change was slow for African Americans after 1776 but gained much momentum during the post-Civil War period in the 19th century with the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, the 1896 Supreme Court ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson, and in 20th century when African American leaders such as Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and William Du Bois questioned the status quo and laid the foundation for equality and a more tolerant society.
William Du Bois was a prominent African American who proposed the theory of double consciousness which discusses the idea of one person being torn in two directions; one, the person they believe themselves to be, and one, the person society believes them to be. Du Bois based most of his academic work on expanding this principle to try to help society understand that African Americans wanted to embrace both their roots and ethnic culture but also the fabric of America.. Even with this principle, change would take time. Du Bois could be considered one of the first individuals to embrace the concept of Black Pride which was restated by Black militants of the 1960’s. The militant position felt that Dr. King’s philosophy of passive resistance might not be enough to attain the goal of ending defacto and de jure segregation and gain equal rights.
Society continually saw slow progression in the equality and desegregation of African Americans. One of the most important defining moments in the modern civil rights movement in America was December 1, 1955, when Rosa Parks refused to move from her seat on a Birmingham bus. The arrest was one persons attempt to have the 1954 Supreme Court ruling of Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka ‘s all due speed clause enforce to help end ,segregation. Rosa Parks’ decision to not vacate her seat and demonstrate civil disobedience of unjust laws marked a change in American history and culture.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a momentous speech in 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial would change the course of civil rights history by inspiring change through a dream. This speech, broadcast on television, brought the message of equality to millions of people. The impact of the “I Have a Dream” speech is considered by many to be the second phase of the modern civil rights movement following Rosa Park’s important self protest. The impact of these events to the course of history is immeasurable.
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’” - Martin Luther King Jr.
Society in America has greatly changed due to the civil rights movement and the fight for equality and desegregation during the 1950’s and 1960’s was a main theme of the struggle. The change caused a shift in the acceptance and tolerance of Americans which has impacted modern day American society. However, within the last decade, another minority has felt the evils of prejudice after the devastating events of 9/11. Muslims have felt discrimination in America with the attacks on their culture and religious beliefs. Even though many have been able to reject reverse prejudice, others have not been able to due to the anger accompanying stereotypes that all Muslims are terrorists and the Muslin religion is somehow suspect. A leader in trying to end this oppression and break the stereotyping of Muslim’s is the television network TLC with their new program “All American Muslim” which portrays Muslin Americans as patriotic, law abiding citizens who need to be respected. Once again, the media has an opportunity to influence social consciousness and be involved in shaping societal beliefs.
Education has been called the great equalizer. Today in an ever changing, complicated, and demanding world, it may be more accurate than ever. A high school diploma is presently considered to be a stepping stone to open the doors of post-secondary learning either at the university level or in a multitude of trade and specialty schools. The greatest changes in education have occurred in the past few decades as studies, government policies, and federal and state laws have changed how education is viewed. Prior to this change, education was obtainable for few of the population as money and circumstance drove the decision to seek education. In our country’s history, education was a luxury for minorities and those of poor economic standing. As a result, American education began to falter in comparison with other industrialized nations during the past decades. Many began to worry that if this continued it would allow other nations to challenge the American standard of living.
Regardless, education in the past has played a significant role in the American success story and will continue to do so in the 21st century. For leaders such as William Du Bois, Martin Luther King Jr., and even the Founding Fathers education played a role in the humanitarians they became. For William Du Bois education became his outlet for his life’s work of ending oppression for his culture. Martin Luther King Jr. used his education to further his lives mission by obtaining the skills necessary for public speaking and speech writing. For the Founding Fathers without the ability to put a pen to paper our country might not have ever enjoyed the freedoms we enjoy today. Education in this sense has served as a gateway to change for leaders throughout our countries history.
As you have seen in this blog, the role of the media, the civil rights movement, and education have been three of the most important events that have impacted and will continue to impact America as well as peoples and nations throughout the world. As we speak, the media is informing people almost instantaneously of global happenings, influencing our buying habits, and through the internet affecting education and leaning. The modern civil rights movement has also helped establish a more tolerant society where “All men are created equal” and helped influence the America character. In order for America to be a global leader in the 21st century, education must be in the forefront and educate a population to be competitive on a global level. However, education has a responsibility to teach about tolerance and cultural diversity on a national and international level as well as technical skills. The communication revolution related to the media revolution of the 2Oth century has largely been inspired by well educated individuals, and as the 21st century begins, nations with educated populations will be at the forefront of influencing change and securing a high standard of living for their citizens.
Works Cited- Images
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Rosa Parks Remembrance. Photograph. Http://www.google.com/imgres?q=rosa+parks&hl=en&gbv=2&biw=1024&bih=649&tbs=ic:gray,itp:photo&tbm=isch&tbnid=_TNVwdnx4VSRVM:&imgrefurl=http://womenslawforum.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/177/&docid=20KNMWZsg2uydM&imgurl=http://womenslawforum.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/rosa_parks1.jpg&w=346&h=352&ei=5q_ATrnWI6e62gXf3_C7BQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=478&sig=112670926592581752722&page=1&tbnh=120&tbnw=119&start=0&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0&tx=73&ty=62. 02 Aug. 2010. Web. 13 Nov. 2011.
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