Barack Obama
President Obama's actions start before his presidency in 2008. Getting a law degree from Harvard in '91, he stated that he 'saw a degree in law as a vehicle to facilitate better community organization and activism: "The idea was not only to get people to learn how to hope and dream about different possibilities, but to know how the tax structure affects what kind of housing gets built where."' While spending time in Chicago, IL he received a position as a director of community projects, growing the city -- including helping set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization. His actions in leadership revolutionized south-side for the better, and the U.S. when he later became a two-term president.
Think Global, Act Local
Change begins at home. Making a difference locally can develop cascading effects in bringing forth progress. Barack Obama started early and within communities he thought could benefit the most from his actions. From there his platform granted access to a much bigger pool of resources to help communities.
Bill Clinton
While President Bill Clinton has a notorious presidency for several reasons, without a doubt his actions were made with great faith and love for humanity and what it stood for. Act's like the omnibus reconciliation act of 1993 - intended on taxing the wealthiest 1.2% while reducing taxation on lower-wealth citizens. In addition, controversial acts like NAFTA have deemed overall positive, growing GDP and quality of life across not only U.S. but Mexico and Canada, providing supplies and goods while revitalizing many dying and declining industries.
Jimmy Carter
President Jimmy Carter is a life-time fighter for human rights and justice for all. Carter was motivated to oppose the political climate of racial segregation and support the growing civil rights movement. He became an activist within the Democratic party. From 1963 to 1967, Carter served in the Georgia State Senate, and in 1970, he was elected as Governor of Georgia, defeating former Governor Carl Sanders in the Democratic primary on an anti-segregation platform advocating affirmative action for ethnic minorities.
In 1982, Carter established the Carter Center to promote and expand human rights. He has traveled extensively to conduct peace negotiations, monitor elections, and advance disease prevention and eradication in developing nations. Carter is considered a key figure in the Habitat for Humanity charity. Eventually in 2002 being awarded a Nobel Peace prize, among numerous other awards and honors through the years
Even today, at his old age of 95 he still volunteers at Habitat for Humanity to construct houses for the poor. If humanity could absorb just a modicum of President Carters value's, then progress of our own humanity can prosper towards unity.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg 1933 - 2020
Ruth Bader Ginsburg has done immense work to mold modern society into what it is from her position in the supreme court. Without many of her actions, civil liberties and the progress she stood for may not be present today. Much of her work consists of gender equality and women's rights, but is not exclusive to only that; she also fought for worker's rights and civil liberties for all types of American citizens -- fighting for equality from the system. Many acts of RBG's life are considered the first of their kind and paved the way for a new era of right's for many.
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan 1888 - 1975
Former President of India, Radhakrishnan was awarded several high awards during his life, including a knighthood in 1931, the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India, in 1954, and honorary membership of the British Royal Order of Merit in 1963.
DJ Patil
Dhanurjay "DJ" Patil is an American mathematician and computer scientist who served as the Chief Data Scientist of the United States Office of Science and Technology Policy from 2015 to 2017. Dr. DJ Patil is an entrepreneur, investor, scientist, and leader in public policy.
Lancelot Hogben 1895 - 1975
British socialist professor Lancelot Hogben was a professor of social biology at the London School of Economics in 1930.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1850 - 1919
To sin by silence
When we should protest
Makes cowards out of men
- "Protest" by Ella Wheeler Wilcox