For a sovereign state, nation, or community to exist, citizenship is crucial. Without citizens, a state or a nation becomes a land mass with no meaning. Being a citizen of a certain state or nation comes with rights and privileges that one enjoys as well as duties and obligations as per the state’s policies. ‘Good’ citizenship goes beyond philanthropy. ‘God’ citizenship consists of things that are obligatory or just out of goodwill such as paying taxes on time or providing a good working environment for employees (Rubenstein, 2004). A ‘good’ citizen is, therefore, one that emphasizes the wellbeing of other citizens and advocates for equal rights regardless of sexual orientation, color, or any other factor that results in the segregation of certain persons in the community.
Citizenship comes with legal rights and privileges that have undergone transitions in American history. For instance, during the 1800s, women had few legal rights and denied the right to vote. During this time, it was a crime to vote if one is a woman. Susan B Anthony, an activist campaigning for the rights of women to vote found herself on the wrong side of the law after participating in presidential elections. Anthony (1873) during her speech demanded to know if women were citizens and denounced every law that aimed at discriminating women and Negroes. Anthony further said that “for the people of the United States to form a perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for common defense, promote general welfare and secure the blessing of liberty, it is important to ordain and establish a national constitution.” As a ‘good’ citizen, Susan B Anthony helped the future generations of American women to have the right to vote. This came five decades after her death in august 1920 during the 19 th amendment of the United States constitution.
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Increased police brutality on blacks made Bobby Seale and Huey Newton form ‘The Black Panther Party’ in Oakland, California, in the year 1966. The Black Panther Party put an end to police cruelty and mass killings of blacks. Despite intense repression that the activists faced in 1960s, The Black Panther Party thrived and became a major step towards a revolution. The black community was segregated in terms of securing a stable job, having standard living houses, adequate supply of food and the process followed by the judicial system. The Black Panther Party in a program named “what we want now! What we believe!” came up with a list of the things it wanted to be done for the black community. Among the things demanded by this movement included education for blacks, employment decent housing, an end to robbery by white people, freedom to determine the future of the black community, and end to police cruelty on black men.
Movements such as “Black Lives Matter” further pushed for the liberation of the black community from the oppressive racial segregation ruling system. Each generation of the black community forms a way of expressing their feeling about black oppression from organizing public rallies to hip-hop music. No matter the method used, the message remains the same “black lives matter.” With hopes that one day they will be where they have always dreamt of, the black community continues to express their concerns on the system.
Civic education is vital if a state intends to have ‘good’ citizens. Citizens are aware of their rights, privileges, and obligations to the state. With civic education, citizens become assertive and can make decisions based on their analysis and evaluation. Civil education is important as it eliminates the chances of citizens’ indoctrinations, which limits critical and creative thinking. Warren points out that today, education is the most important function of state and local governments (1954). Therefore, civic education is paramount if a nation wants to achieve good citizenship. Moreover, civil education has not entirely disappeared in the American education system. Social sciences are still incorporated into the education system ensuring learners are aware of all the struggles for democracy in the past. With the knowledge of the struggles women such as Susan B Anthony went through to attain fundamental human rights enjoyed by every American woman today, citizens can know the value of democracy.
In 1954 after the abolishment of segregated schools, chief justice Earl Warren echoed the importance of public education in good citizenship. Warren viewed compulsory school attendance and great financial investment in education as an acknowledgment of the important function of education by the government. However, critics started growing on the role of American education in developing good citizenship. Many argued that the education system focused on core proficiency in skills and not on how the system works. Many feared that focusing on proficiency at the expense of how American democracy works will lead to a generation of citizens who are unaware of political systems functions. According to Hamilton (2009), America needs a stronger national legislative body and more involved citizens to ensure responsive and more efficient governance. Retired Supreme Court Chief Justice Sandra O’Connor argues that the majority of the American population has no understanding of how the system works (O’Connor, 2007).
A good citizen is not only concerned with the wellbeing of the current generation but also the future generation. B Anthony showed great courage by delivering her speech despite knowing it will land her into trouble with the system that was present during her time. She hoped that someday, women would be given an equal opportunity as men. A good citizen should ensure a better future for the coming generation. To know what is best for the coming generation, a good citizen needs to understand the way the system work, both the past and the current. This way, analyzing the flaws of the system will be possible to come up with valid recommendations with a positive impact on the future generation. Being informed will also help citizens to know when their rights are violated and when their freedom interferes with other citizens’ personal spaces. Knowing each other’s rights and boundaries ensure peaceful coexistence in society. Also, persistence and consistency are significant in attaining lasting solutions to problems brought about by flaws in the system. For instance, constant push for freedom to vote by Susan B Anthony and black communities led to the inclusion of women and blacks in the voting system (Dwyer, 1998). When fighting for the wellbeing of the community, it is important to maintain consistency even if it takes a lifetime.
In conclusion, a good citizen is also able to differentiate intuitions from facts by having general knowledge on what is right, then comparing it to the workings of the system. Well-informed citizens will result in a society that understands and is more responsive to democracy. Furthermore, democracy ensures everyone’s voice is heard, opinions respected, and eligible citizens are given a chance to vote for their leader of choice without any discrimination. As said earlier, a nation cannot exist without citizens. Hence, good citizens are the backbone of a prosperous nation where everyone matters and are treated equally.
References
Alkebulan, P. (2007). Survival pending revolution: The history of the Black Panther Party. University of Alabama Press.
Bloom, J., Martin Jr, W. E., & Martin, W. E. (2016). Black against Empire: The history and politics of the Black Panther Party. Univ of California Press.
Dwyer, P. (1998). Conditional citizens? Welfare rights and responsibilities in the late 1990s. Critical Social Policy, 18(57), 493–517.
Hamilton, L. H. (2009). Strengthening Congress. Indiana University Press.
Jones, C. E. (1998). The black panther party (reconsidered). Black Classic Press.
O'Connor, S. D. (2007). The majesty of the law: Reflections of a Supreme Court justice . Random House.
