MSWPG 7214 - Analyzing Social Advocacy & Action: Black Rights

This essay provides a comparative analysis of theories and models of practice in advocacy and social change, focusing on the Black Rights Movement in America since the 1990s. It examines the relevance and significance of self-advocacy and legal advocacy as models of social advocacy, alongside rational and affective action as models of social action. The essay highlights key events such as the Million Man March, the Million Woman March, and the Millions More Movement, and analyzes the impact of legal instruments like the Civil Rights Act of 1991 and 2008. It argues that both social advocacy and social action, particularly rational social action through organized protests and legal advocacy through persistent legal efforts, played crucial roles in addressing racial injustice and promoting black rights in America.

Running head: SOCIAL ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL ACTION – A COMPARISON
Social Advocacy and Social Action – A Comparison
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Author Note

1SOCIAL ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL ACTION – A COMPARISON
Introduction
Social advocacy and social activism both form an integral part of the work that is
done by members of civil society for the betterment or progress of society. As argued by
Boudon (2016), social advocacy is carried out at both the individual as well as group levels,
as is social activism, with both forms of social behavior often being considered as major
agents for social change. Both social advocacy and social activism adopt a rights based
perspective for operations pertaining to social change, with lawyers, doctors, teachers and
NGO personnel often being the type of people who are involved in such operations. Brewer
(2016), states, that it is important to remember that social advocacy and social action have a
vital role to play when it comes to the upliftment of vulnerable sections of the society.
Rehabilitation of vulnerable people in society is something that is often achieved by
advocates of social change, and by those who initiate social action, such as the directions of
NGO’s and other civil society organizations, human rights lawyers, journalists, teachers and
academics. This paper attempts to understand the relevance and significance of two advocacy
models, namely self-advocacy and legal advocacy, and two models of social action, namely
rational and purposeful action and affective action, to understand the agitation for observing
and protecting black rights in America since the 1990’s.
1. Social Advocacy and the Black Rights Movement in America
1.1. Self-Advocacy and the Black Rights Movement in America since the
1990’s
It is mentioned by Carbado (2017), that what really set the precedent for the protection of
black rights in America was the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s, a
movement that saw black people coming out openly in public and asserting their rights for

2SOCIAL ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL ACTION – A COMPARISON
the first time in African American history. The black rights movements of the 1990’s
onwards were inspired of course by the civil rights movement with several initiatives being
taken by American civil society to highlight the injustices that were being carried out against
the black people, particularly the oppressive of the blacks in segregated parts of the country,
in America’s South. Dubois (2017), further states that huge forms of self-advocacy eventually
culminated in the famous Million Man March which took place in the month of October in
1995 in the capital city of Washington D.C, a march that was co-initiated by two prominent
individuals namely James Bevel and Louis Farrakhan. A Million Woman March was also
held in the month of October of the same year in the American state of Philadelphia. Some of
the important incidents of oppression against the black people that took place in the 1990’s to
instigate such self-advocacy on the part of the black people in America, included the beating
up of an African American man by white policeman, in March 1991. The black man, Rodney
King was brutally beaten up by four white skinned police officers, an event that was soon
followed by widespread riots in the city of Los Angeles in 1992. According to Garfinkel et al.
(2017), the Million Man March and the Million Women March both demonstrated the
unity of black and white people in America when it came to fighting the injustice that was
repeatedly being committed against black people over the years. The fact that such marches
took place reveals very clearly that self-advocacy on the part of the black people had a vital
role to play in ensuring that national attention was drawn to the issue of black people. Gilbert
(2016), writes that another prominent black rights movement based on self-advocacy that
took place in America since the 1990’s was the well-known Millions More Movement which
took place in 2005 to commemorate the death of Rosa Parks. Rosa Parks was a famous lady,
who was African American and who had inspired the civil rights movement of the black
people in America by refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white person, claiming that
she had paid for the ticket and had a right to sit and who had in turn faced punitive action

3SOCIAL ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL ACTION – A COMPARISON
upon such a refusal. In the view of Du Bois (2017), the Million More Movement also took
place in the capital city of Washington DC and it occurred alongside the coffin of Rosa Parks
which was kept in Capital Rotunda. The Million Man March, the Million Woman March and
the Million More Movement all of which occurred in the US post the 1990’s had a crucial
role to play in highlighting the importance of taking cognizance of black rights in America. It
is further argued by Du Bois (2017), that the abuse and the difficulties that black people have
suffered at the hands of white people in America is something that was repeatedly reiterated
as a part of these self-advocacy movements, leading to the common people of America being
reminded once more of why respecting black rights and the lives of black people was an
important thing that needed to be done if the country of America was to move in forward
direction. Thus as argued by Hoefer (2019), self-advocacy as a model of social change and
social action is something that can certainly be regarded to be important and relevant and
even significant as it helped black people in America post the 1990’s to draw attention to the
fact that black rights were continuing to be ignored and that the oppression of the black
people in America in the past is something that should never be forgotten (Brewer, 2016).
1.2. Legal Advocacy and Black Rights Movement in America since the
1990’s
According to Taylor (2019), when it comes to legal advocacy in America where the
protection of black rights is concerned, since the 1990’s, the Civil Rights Act of 1991 was
signed by the American President George Bush, after repeated requests and agitation on the
part of black rights lawyers in America. A proper and adequate instrument for the protection
and upholding of black rights in America thus formally came into existence in 1991, an
initiative that could not have occurred had black right lawyers not been persistent in their
efforts to draw the attention of the government to the misbehavior that was being meted out
to the black people in the country, especially the repeated abuse of black people by white

4SOCIAL ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL ACTION – A COMPARISON
policemen. As stated by Rickford (2016), the Los Angeles riots that took place in 1992
following the death of a black man at the hands of white police officers, instigated the work
of legal advocates in the country even more, prompting them to uphold the provisions of the
Civil Rights Act of 1991 as and when it was required to do so. In 2003, an affirmative action
decision was taken with regard to the policy followed by Michigan Law School concerning
the recruitment of students. Rickford (2016), further states that it was ruled that race ought to
be one of the many different factors that are taken into consideration by the college
recruitment body when selecting students for admission into the school largely due to the fact
that it furthers compelling interest in the obtainment of educational benefits, the sort of
benefits that are capable of flowing only from the most diverse of student bodies.
In the view of Ogbar (2019), legal advocacy efforts with regards to the black rights
movement in America led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 2008 as well. As per the
provisions of this act, employers were to be held accountable for discriminatory practices that
they carried out against their employees, especially with regard to discrimination that was
carried out based on age and race. The provisions of this act also advocated for more
accountability with regard to violation of worker’s rights and civil rights in general, thus
making it clear to law makers as well as those implementing the laws that discriminatory
behavior that was carried out against black people and abusive behavior towards black people
is something that could be punished very heavily by the law. Additionally, according to
Ogbar (2019), the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 2008 was therefore a major
achievement on the part of people who were engaging in legal advocacy for the protection of
black rights in America. It was only due to the persistent efforts of the law practitioners in the
country who chose to stand up for black rights and speak out legally, against the oppression
of the black people that led to the passage of this act, and its predecessor, the Civil Rights
Act of 1991. It can thus be stated with the greatest of certainty, that legal advocacy was a

5SOCIAL ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL ACTION – A COMPARISON
form of advocacy that proved to be quite effective when it came to safeguarding and
protecting the interests and the rights of black people living in America. It was only when the
civil agitations were backed by agitations in the legal context that legislators were compelled
to take cognizance of the fact that black rights in the country were bring brutally ignored and
that instruments needed to be brought into place to sanction rights for the African American
people at the earliest possible instance (Ogbar, 2018).
2. Social Action and the Black Rights Movement in America
2.1. Rational Social Action and the Black Rights Movement since the 1990’s
in America
According to Hoefer (2017), rational social action is purposeful and logical action that
is goal oriented in nature. Examples of the rational social action that was carried out in
America in the 1990’s are the civil protests and marches that took place such as the
Million Man and Million Women Marches which were concentrated in Washington DC
and in Philadelphia respectively. Marable (2015), states that the marches that took place
in the country were goal oriented in their focus in the sense they aimed at highlighting the
oppression that was taking place towards the black people in a peaceful manner, without
taking recourse to any violence. The action was rational in nature. It was focused and
strategic and entirely logical in the manner in which it was carried out. There were
emotions of course when the marches took place, but the emotions were not out of place.
There was no irrationality of any sort in the movement, as the movement essentially
comprised of crowds of people walking together to demonstrate the fact that they were
united against the oppression that was taking place towards the black people in the
country. Marable (2015), writes that hrough such social action, those who took part in the

6SOCIAL ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL ACTION – A COMPARISON
million marches were able to make it clear that the lives of black people are vital for the
future growth and development of America and that black people living in the country
need to be treated with the utmost respect. They did not have to shoot down or gun down
people in order to bring this to light. They did not take part in any violent behavior and
did not commit indecent acts that were punishable by law in order to draw attention to the
fact that black people in America have been suffering for several years because of having
been mistreated by white people and that the law and the people at large need to be aware
of this fact and protect their black American brothers and sisters from harm. According to
Pattillo (2015), the movements of course had rational outcomes in the sense that it led to
laws and policies being drafted for the protection of the African American people,
something that had not existed before. The Civil Rights Act of 1991 and the Civil Rights
Act of 2008 were both landmark instruments aimed at safeguarding the rights and
interests of the black people living in America. The passage of these instruments were
undoubtedly influenced by a number of important factors, but the rational actions taken
by members of civil society and of the black people and people sympathetic to the causes
of the black people in particular with regard to highlighting the issues faced by blacks
through the organization of protest actions is something that definitely went a long way in
making the law makers of the country realize that serious initiatives needed to be taken
for their protection. The rational social actions of protests played a crucial role in drawing
prominent attention to the plight of African American people to say the very least
(Pattillo, 2015).
2.2. Affective Action and the Black Rights Movement since the 1990’s in
America

7SOCIAL ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL ACTION – A COMPARISON
According to Pasek et al. (2017), affective action refers to actions that are driven by
impulse and emotion rather than by rational. The riots that took place in the city of Los
Angeles, are an example of affective action being taken on the part of the American people
and the African American people in particular regarding the oppression of the blacks in the
country. According to Du Bois (2017), people were so outraged by the incident of a black
man being beaten up and dying in police custody, that they were ready to take to the streets of
Los Angeles to protest against this wrongdoing, a move that took a violent turn with several
people losing their lives in the process. No doubt, the affective action that took place in this
respect was something that went a long way in getting the attention of the common people to
the wrongdoings that were committed against the black people in America. The dangerous
and unfortunate situation that the black people were in, in the country was brought to light by
something as extreme as the violent protests that took place in the city of Los Angeles in
1992. As argued by Carbado (2017), people were immediately alerted to the fact that blacks
were outraged and that they were ready to take recourse to violence in order to demand the
justice that they rightfully deserved. Apart from the fact that the event was one that was
widely covered by the media in the USA, NGO’s and civil society activists also took
cognizance of the fact that the black people in the country were angry and seething with rage
and that something had to be done to pacify them at the earliest. Legal practitioners began to
invoke the provisions of Civil Rights Act of 1991, in order to draw the attention of the
government and the courts to the important need of protecting black rights. The unfair and
unethical role that was being played by the white policemen in the country was brought to
light. In the view of Taylor (2019), that immediate changes needed to be made to the
approach that was adopted by white policemen to black criminals or criminals of color for
that matter, was something that now became known and rampant changes were brought about
in police administration to make sure that the incident that had occurred of four white

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policemen beating up a white man to death was something that would never transpire again.
The riots in Los Angeles in the year of 1992 resulted in a lot of violence. According to Vitalis
(2015), the purpose of this violence was to protest against the wrong doings against the black
people of America, and thus the affective action of the Los Angeles riots of 1992 definitely
proved to be effective in instigating social change. For Wronka (2016), the affective action
made the common people of America, and the members of civil society in particular
emotional and angry enough to clamor for immediate measures that could be taken in order to
safeguard the interests of the black people in the country and prevent atrocities from being
committed against them in the near future.
3. Comparison of the Advocacy Models and Social Action Models with
reference to Black Rights in America since 1990’s
It is seen from the analysis that has been carried out above that the two advocacy
models of self-advocacy and legal advocacy and rational action and affective action overlap
in a number of ways, the primary one being that all of them are effective and capable of
instigating social change. Social action like rational action and affective action are seen to
induce advocacy measures such as self-advocacy and legal advocacy as is evident with regard
to the issue of protection of black rights in America (Carbado, 2017). The protest movements
that took place across America concerning the issue of black rights can be ranked as
advocacy measures as well as social action measures along the lines of rational action. The
protest movements in the form of long marches and the affective action of riots were both
seen to be hugely effective in instigating legal measures to be taken for the protection of the
black people (Du Bois, 2017). It can thus be stated that all the social action methods and
advocacy methods discussed were equally effective with regard to protection of black rights
in America and that affective action is the only method that appears to be least desirable in
terms of implementation as it induces violence and claims lives.

9SOCIAL ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL ACTION – A COMPARISON
Conclusion
Advocacy methods and social action methods are known to be hugely effective and
useful when it comes to bringing about change in society, and the methods of self-advocacy,
legal advocacy, rational social action and affective social action as discussed in this
assignment appear to be no exception. It has been found upon comparing the two models of
advocacy and the two models of social action with regard to black rights in America that both
appear to be equally affective when it comes to drawing the attention of the masses and the
legislators in particular, to the issue of black rights in the country. Social issues can definitely
be resolved to a considerable extent when advocacy measures and social action initiatives are
put in place. However, it needs to be pointed out in this respect that social action like
affective action or affective behavior is something that needs to be avoided as much as
possible, largely because it is based entirely on emotion, causing people to take recourse to
behavior or actions that they are likely to regret much later on. Self-advocacy, legal advocacy
and rational social action are desirable and lead to positive changes within the society. Such
advocacy methods and social action methods should always be in place in order for changes
in society to be effectively initiated, especially when it comes to changes like introducing
legislation or laws that are needed for the protection of vulnerable sections of the population.
The case of black rights in America is something that was effectively brought to light and
made important because of the advocacy and social action methods that have been discussed
in this report.

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