How does political and social protest bring about change? What strategies and techniques do social movements and protests use to take on entrenched and established powers in the nation’s capital? Achieving real change is difficult. Yet, there are several examples of successful social movements in American history and politics that came to Washington and effectively changed the course of the nation's politics and history. This class will explore the dynamics of mass mobilization and advocacy on the national stage. By discussing protests and other advocacy events and interacting with guest speakers, students will learn about the successes—and failures—of social groups’ efforts to make change in American politics and society.
About the Instructor: Professor Dale Crowell serves as the Congressional Liaison for the Organization of American States headquartered in Washington, DC; the premier political multilateral organization for the Western Hemisphere. In that capacity, he advises the Organization's top leadership on strategies to engage and communicate with the U.S. Congress and works to ensure that their priorities are better understood by decision makers on Capitol Hill. Prior to his work at the OAS, he managed press and media relations for the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, directed public relations for Bethesda-based Honest Tea, and served as the communications director for a member of Congress from New York during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He also has extensive experience managing USAID and State Department-funded international development projects for various non-profit organizations promoting social, political, and economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean. He is currently a PhD candidate in American Politics at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC where he received an APSA Minority Fellowship. He received his BA from the University of Maryland at College Park as a McNair Scholar and volunteered in Baltimore for President Bill Clinton's Americorps pilot project, the Summer of Service in 1993.