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Yining Zhang
Mr. Hakim
English 9
14 November 2014

To Kill a Mockingbird: Journal Response #2

A social justice leader needs to be brave and be confident to himself. He needs
to be brave to stand up for the right thing and fight against those wrong with the
confidence of the affirmation of himself against the restricting social institutions. The
premise of these, the ability of making judgment is indispensable, in which, can
determine what they should do. Most importantly, the trait of social justice leaders are
showing by their unweaving faith never give up on the justice they fight for.
In the novel, To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee, the narrator of the book,
Scout, her father Atticus is a social justice leader in Maycomb county. As a lawyer,
Atticus tries to defend a black man named Tom Robinson in Maycomb this racism
environment, simply because as far as he know this man can be innocent, even though
he knows he will fail, he states: Its when you know youre licked before you begin but
you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what (Lee 128). This is what he
teaches Scout, and it is the sentence he live by. Instead of accepting the norms of the
society or the racism that have been naturally accepted by people around him, he put
himself on the road of providing justice and fighting for human rights against

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Maycombs traditional conception. He has the determination, courage and confidence
what a social justice need has.
From the history, Abraham Lincoln is one of the most well-known social justice
leader. Although he didnt do much to change peoples mind of black people to
eliminate prejudice, but he has been built up the necessary foundation for successors
who can eventually get rid of racism. One thing he was known for is the abolishment of
slavery. By the time, half of the country resisted his idea of Emancipation, which was
definitely a heavy pressure. However, Abraham insisted and continued until the signed
of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Currently, Ned Norton, one of the CNN hero is providing social justice. He made
Warriors on The Wheels to help the disableds life, to help strength their ability to live
for already 25 years without payment. He is a leader who change peoples mind about
themselves and other, about what they can do for this society by using his action of
doing this for 25 years. A social justice leader is not need to be influential, but knowing
their duty, and contribute their power uninterruptedly.
What I admire about them is the spirt of persevere and courage. Not everyone
can know what is right, do what is right, and hang on to the right thing when most
others have opposite opinion.