Assignment: A Memoir of Social Change

Imagine that you are a 75-year-old resident of Chicago. The year is 1975, and you are recalling the major social events and developments that have unfolded on radio, television, other media outlets, and in the streets over the past 15 years. Some of these events took place in your own community, but their impact was felt across the nation. You are in a reflective mood and want to share the history that you remember with a younger generation.

In preparation:

Choose one of the following as the subject of your memoir:

• The civil rights movement (1960-1975)
• The anti-war movement (Vietnam War period)
• The women's rights movement (1960-1975)

The Task

Compose a 2-page memoir entry in which you reflect on the social change movement you selected and its impact on society. Infuse your memoir with the honest passion and insight of one who was a witness to history as well as (if relevant) a beneficiary of change or impacted by it in some way. Did the movement you selected influence your life and/or community? How? How did your prior life experiences influence your attitude toward this movement?