The first three chapters of Voices of Revolution by Rodger Streitmatter focus on ways in which advocates transformed society by using unconventional media publications. The chapters specifically focus on American Labor, the Abolitionist movement, and women’s rights. What’s interesting about these movements is that they tried to reverse a way of life that was so hard wired into society. For example, the belief that a woman’s sole purpose was to marry and then birth children was a widely accepted concepts. People grew up with strict gender binaries and expectations, and it’s not that they were horrible people to have accepted it, it’s just what they always knew. I think now, living in a more free society, it’s easy for us to think: How could women accept such horrible conditions? Or… If I lived in that time I would have done something sooner. The problem is that for the most part, we are the product of our times. I don’t mean that we are completely delusional by the current state of things, but I do think that many people naturally tend to agree with the majority. Growing up in the East Village, in New York City, I was always urged to be curious and question my surroundings. The East Village by nature has a rebellious character and most of its inhabitants like to question those in power. Maybe this is why the East Village has a reputation for being a place for bohemian, free thinkers. My high school molded me to be a highly analytical person, even encouraging us to question our professors and the overall world we lived in. New York has a lot to do with who I am. We embrace things that are out of the ordinary and unconventional. But I don’t know if I would still be who I am today if I lived in a small town in the Dominican Republic where my mother grew up where she was taught to be more reserved and to not question her authorities.

I think it takes a true advocate to live in a society that is so hard wired towards a certain belief and then to passionately go against it without fear. William Lloyd Garrison lived in a culture where slavery was widely accepted. He recognized it was an unjust practice and worked hard to abolish it. He published his own publication called The Liberator, publishing articles that went against the harmful practice. While he published his own ideas, Garrison still needed help from mainstream media. This was the only way his articles would have gained a large audience. He circulated his articles to mainstream media editors. Although these editors criticized him, denouncing his arguments as outrageous, Garrison gained the attention he wanted. The editors published their criticisms in their mainstream publications that were read by most of literate America. Therefore, although independent media strays away from mainstream outlets, mainstream media is still necessary to circulate information and gain a large audience.