In this posting, I will discuss what an ideal figurehead or icon might look like in an Environmental activism movement. Thereafter, I will discuss some of the benefits and potential pitfalls of having such an icon. Finally, I will discuss some of the ways the Civil Rights movement might have developed differently if Claudette Colvin had been chosen to spearhead the Montgomery Bus Boycott instead of Rosa Parks.
The Environmental activism movement I have chosen to create an icon for is, not surprisingly, Global Warming. The dictionary defines an icon as “an object of uncritical devotion: idol”. Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary retrieved
Although Al Gore has certainly been a very successful icon for the Global Warming movement, if I were to construct the ideal figurehead moving forward, she would be very different than him in many respects. First, as I just noted, it would be a woman. Women have a different way of expressing themselves than men, and are more successful than men when it comes to expressing ideals that involve emotional concepts. The Global Warming movement’s success is based on changing our behaviors, lifestyle, and emotions. Everyday it makes an emotional appeal to work comprehensively to save our planet for future generations: “It’s not just an environmental issue. It affects our public health and national security. It’s an urgent matter of survival for everyone on the planet — the most urgent threat facing humanity today. It’s going to take action from you and all of us working together.” Retrieved
As framed above, the movement seeks to be all inclusive and includes “everyone”. Accordingly, my ideal “everywoman” would be a mix of all races. But since that is not possible, she would be a minority, possibly African American,
Next, my icon would be middle-aged: someone that could be seen as a mother, aunt, sister, or daughter. She would be young and spirited enough to appeal to the younger activists, but also mature and wise so that she would connect with older folks. She would be somewhat religious, but in her own personal way, tolerant of all religions and certainly not a religious zealot. This way, she could connect to diverse religious groups, groups that have thankfully become more engaged in the movement, but would also be tolerant of different religions so as not to offend or alienate anyone.
Furthermore, my icon would be apolitical. Although Al Gore has done a fine job advancing the Global Warming movement, his political background has prevented his message from reaching everyone. Accordingly, someone without direct past involvement in politics and not aligned with a particular political party would have a better chance of connecting with folks of all political persuasions. At the very least, no one could accuse her of being politically motivated. (Well, they could, and probably would, but such an accusation would ultimately fail.)
Finally, my icon is also a scientist - a scientist that is not only an expert at climate change, but also a person who can explain Global Warming in plain English. This would accomplish several things. First, it would allow her to testify as an expert before Congress and other necessary governmental bodies about the dangers of climate change and the ways in which we must act to make significant changes. Also, as a scientist, she could refute the untenable position of other scientists, politicians, and critics who stubbornly refuse to accept the fact that climate change is real, by utilizing facts based on scientific research and empirical data. (Al Gore was criticized for being misleading in “An Inconvenient Truth” by using images of hurricanes without explaining that their relationship to Global Warming was conjectural. Weart, S. (2008) The Discovery of Global Warming,
As I think about my ideal icon for the Global Warming movement, it occurs to me that in many respects, she already existed in Rachel Carson. In 1962, Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring” alerted the world to the terrible impacts that pollution was having on our planet. In her book, she explains in plain English what is meant by the “balance of nature” and how careful we must be not to disturb this balance. Arguably, she started the modern environmental movement and became an icon in the process. Rachel Carson: scientist, sentimentalist, icon,
Rachel Carson was a writer, scientist, and ecologist. She wrote pamphlets on conservation and natural resources and edited scientific articles. Disturbed by the use of synthetic chemical pesticides,
Accordingly, what the Global Warming movement (and the world) needs now is another Rachel Carson.
As I explained above, there are many benefits to having my ideal Global Warming movement icon be a middle-aged, minority female scientist, who is somewhat religious, yet apolitical. As a woman, I believe she would reach more people on an emotional level, which is what the movement strives for. The movement also seeks to connect with all ages, something a mature woman could accomplish. Being a minority, she would connect with other minorities, helping explain why the movement needs people of all races in order to be successful. As one who is not overly religious and tolerant of all religions, her message would resonate with both religious and non-religious folks alike. Because she is apolitical and not tied to any one political group, she should not get embroiled with partisan politics, which has hampered movements in the past. Finally, as a plain speaking scientist, she has the necessary credentials and is well-equipped to hold her own and advance the movement’s agenda, while scientifically and factually rebutting others’ opinions when needed. But she also has the personality, empathy, and communicative skills to strike a chord and reach regular citizens, because she is one herself.
This is not to say that there are not any potential pitfalls to my ideal icon; unfortunately, there are. As a woman, she might be subjected to sexism, particularly within the political world which is still somewhat dominated by “The Old Boys’ Club”. Being a minority, she would most likely be subjected to racism, as, unfortunately, some people do not respond well to people that are “different” than them. But for a movement such as Global Warming, I can see my icon taking these potential pitfalls, and using them to her advantage, as she advocates her message that in order to save all our future generations from the devastating effects of climate change, it will take all of us, whether we are men, women, children, minorities, religious, or otherwise. And that she embodies them all; she is “everyperson”.
Regarding the Montgomery Bus Boycott, it is hard to say how the Civil Rights movement might have developed differently if Claudette Colvin had been chosen to spearhead the boycott instead of Rosa Parks, but one can speculate. I like to think that regardless of who was chosen, the end result would have been the same. Certainly, the time was more than overdue to end this appalling discrimination. While Rosa Parks has been described as “a perfect and righteous symbol for igniting not just a year-long boycott but an entire movement”, Claudette Colvin “was a highly emotional 15-year-old 11th–grader about whom there were unsavory stories”. Hendrickson, P., The Ladies Before
Accordingly, had Colvin been chosen instead of Parks, there would certainly have been an effort by the opposition to discredit her unfairly based on her position in society. In addition, because of her young age, she would likely have been characterized as merely a pawn of the movement, and not a leader. Furthermore, we can imagine that someone of such a young age and lack of life experience might not be able to “stomach” the offending critics and stand up for her rights in the face of criticism and violence. Most likely, these would have only been temporary setbacks, but based on the insurmountable odds the Civil Rights leaders faced, they could ill afford to choose anyone but the most “perfect and righteous symbol” on their road to freedom.
No comments:
Post a Comment