Recalling Progressive Change Within the Past Forty Years

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I had a few queries this week in response to some optimism I expressed about the potential these days of exercising our political system in ways which will effect significant societal changes. The posters argued that the Progressive movement was 'dead'; evident, it would appear because of the lack of significant progressive changes in the past 40 years or so. One query wasn't satisfied that many of the initiatives achieved in the past had been improved, protected, or enhanced by legislative or executive action.

The nub of the question was, 'What significant progressive change has actually occurred in the past 40 years?

I can think of quite a bit of change which has occurred in the period which is essentially my lifetime (to within about a decade). But the one progress which stands out in my memory is the sudden, transformational change which occurred in the racial and gender make-up of Congress following the fight over the census in the early '80's and the Voting Rights Act Extension which was passed after 5 Bush vetoes. (I'm recalling this from memory, so don't hit me too hard if I get something wrong)

That Voting Rights Act extension allowed redistricting which enabled the drawing of several black and Hispanic majority districts, which, in turn, enabled the election of an unprecedented number of minority legislators to Congress. That effort was subsequently set back by court challenges, but, as we can see in Congress today, the die was cast and a barrier was permanently broken.

We can correctly attribute that change in representation to an emerging society determined to integrate, but I can vividly recall the one, lone black face in that congressional hall (pacing back and forth across the floor, as tall as a tree, almost every time I visited) of Rep. Ron Dellums, and not fully appreciating the politics which kept his fellow minority aspirants at bay. I remember Shirley Chisolm, as well. But the scarcity of minorities in Congress was a glaring reminder of change which hadn't materialized yet.

So, now it's taken for granted by many that we have a growing number of minorities and women who are being elected to Congress to represent particular needs and concerns of our communities which had gone unaddressed and unresolved for so long. And that progressive change occurred in the midst of a republican presidency and that party's very vocal opposition to the redrawing of those enabling districts. We are still realizing the potential and promise of those achievements; working to make their elections count and aspiring for more.

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1. so now, of course I'm thinking

. . .why did I make the effort to collect my thoughts and express them here? Sometimes this place just wastes my time . . . and I let it.

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2. .

[Cerridwen]

3. K & R

I was watching video and missed this when you first posted it.

Interestingly enough, I was watching video of Tim Wise talking about the creation of whiteness and another, also Tim Wise, a discussion of white privilege.

I'll leave the links below for those who may be interested.

This one is 10 minutes long The Creation of whiteness

This one is an hour long Discussing white privilege