Blog Post No. 7: Diffusion of Citizenship

Rogers' diffusion of innovations is an extremely beneficial concept when academics are theorizing about particular topics but I find its application to ideas most interesting. For a controversial or stigmatized idea to become socially acceptable it must follow the diffusion of innovations chart. For example, take the idea of African Americans being United States citizens. In modern-day society, it is repulsive and bigoted to view black people as less than human but this ideal has not always been true throughout history. It took almost 400 years from colonial America to the 14th amendment before slavery became abolished. Early abolitionists, Olaudah Equiano, Anthony Benezet, and Mum Bett, aka Elizabeth Freeman,  faced ridicule. Even after the 14th Amendment passed with the Citizenship Clause which redefined citizenship it took two more amendments to increase equality between black and white Americans.