Why does our voice matter? That is the real question. What are our voices capable of? And can they really make a difference?
The answer is yes. Yes, our voice is capable of making a difference. It may seem unbelievable; I mean, what can a lone voice do in a sea of millions? But the outspokenness of a single individual sparks the outspokenness of many. Your voice is the power no one can ever take away from you. It is the tool of expression and the vehicle of communication with which you express your innermost thoughts and desires. With your voice, you possess the potential to communicate your emotions, ideologies, philosophies, and opinions. Your voice is not just limited to your voice box; no, in fact it is the ability with which you give your souls the freedom of expression.
Our voice can be used to bring a positive change into this world, to build a greater tomorrow, and to stand up for what we believe is right. Our voice represents freedom of speech and all the rights, responsibilities, and privileges that come with it. When we use our voices to express ourselves, we are bringing fresh perspectives and original ideas into the world. When someone uses their voice to speak up and speak out against oppression, censorship, or any other vice, they are providing others with hope; hope for a better future, a better world.
What happens if our voices are oppressed, banned, or silenced? What if they are forced right back down our throats? This excellent question is explored in Ray Bradbury’s book, “Fahrenheit 451”. The book was written in 1953, at the peak of the Cold War1. This was an era in which paranoia and fear were widespread throughout the United States, which was intensified through the concealment of information and the ruthless governmental crackdown on intellectuals who were suspected of favoring Communism. Bradbury was shocked by this repression of ideas as he believed it could set an example for further censorship of material.
The main character of this book is a fireman named Montag, who lives in a society where books are banned from all areas of life, and people who are found to be in possession of books, let alone to be discovered reading them, face severe consequences. Montag’s job as a fireman is to weed out people who own books and then proceeding to burn the books, as well as persecuting the owner(s) of the books. The objective of this organized book-burning was to erase all evidence of independent thought, originality, and creativity, to turn people into mindless zombies who had no choice but to greedily swallow all forms of propaganda presented to them. In doing so, people lost the ability to see themselves as unique individuals, becoming rather like a colony of sluggish ants. In this way, Bradbury describes the effects of keeping ideas and knowledge from people: it eliminates individuality from their personalities, therefore robbing them of their voice.
Throughout history, there are scores of people who have used their voices to do their best to eradicate the evils of this world; oppression, slavery, racism, and the like. One of these inspiring personalities is Ida B. Wells, the unsung hero of civil rights.
Ida B. Wells was an investigative journalist, civic leader, and civil rights advocate, and is best known for her crusade against racial inequality. She began her career as an investigative journalist in Memphis, Tennessee by writing under the pen name Iola, establishing herself as a clear voice against racial injustice. Wells’ career took off when she launched an investigation into lynching2. She used newspaper reports and police records to analyze certain cases, as well as interviewing people who had lost friends and family to lynch mobs. Wells proved that the murders were in fact performed out of pure spite in order to ‘punish’, or ‘control’ African-Americans who competed with the whites. She published her work in a pamphlet titled Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in all its Phases, later building upon it in a second pamphlet titled The Red Record. Wells’ careful documentation on the atrocities of lynching and impactful speeches drew attention overseas3. Through her courage and unwavering resilience, Ida B. Wells shows us the outcome of standing up for what we think is right.
Our voices are what make us unique and capable; they are a part of who we are and what we stand for. They matter, because our voice as a united force can change the world.
1. The Cold War was the rivalry between the USA and the Soviet Union.
2.Lynching is the act of executing a presumed offender without a proper trial, under the pretext of delivering justice.
3.Ida B. Wells went to England and rallied European support against lynching in the South, who were angered by the violence blacks had to face in the South.