Activism prompt online

Paper details:
Assignment: Some of the greatest reforms the world has ever known were sparked by the writings of passionate men and women. Martin Luther King Jr. penned the famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in an attempt to end racial segregation and the inhumane treatment of African Americans. Virginia Woolf wrote A Room of One’s Own to advocate women’s rights, especially their right to creative freedom and economic independence. The Declaration of Independence sparked the Revolutionary War that enabled America to gain its freedom from England. If you explore, then you will see that almost every major event in history has had its flame fueled by writing.

You will set your own fire. Pick something about the world that frustrates you and needs to change, and find a way to do it. Your essay will introduce the topic, give an overview of the problem, and then conceive of a solution. Essays should be at least 1250 written words (not counting the Works Cited page). Projects should be heavily researched and must include at least four sources.

If you want to convince someone that change needs to happen, then you need to be both educated and professional in your delivery. Also be sure to consider multiple sides of your argument. One-sided rants are just as ineffectual as complaining; it is imperative that you address your opposition. This is what it means to be persuasive; try to incorporate a balance of ethos, logos, and pathos. Each student will consider the role you want to take and the audience you want to address. Your problem may not have an obvious solution. You may just expose what is not working, what is working, and what questions we should be asking. And finally, you must write, speak, and think with conviction.