an essay about a unsung hero

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Unsung Heroes: Encouraging Students to Appreciate Those Who Fought for Social Justice

Teaching Activity. Essay by Howard Zinn and lesson by Bill Bigelow. Rethinking Schools. 17 pages. Students research and share stories about unsung heroes in U.S. history.

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You can no more win a war, than you can win an earthquake.” —Jeannette Rankin

Schools help teach students who “we” are. And as Howard Zinn points out in his essay “Unsung Heroes,” too often the curricular “we” are the great slaveholders, plunderers, imperialists, and captains of industry of yesteryear.

Thus when we teach about the genocide Columbus launched against the Taínos, or Washington’s scorched-earth war on the Iroquois, or even Abraham Lincoln’s promise in his first inaugural address to support a constitutional amendment making slavery permanent in Southern states, some students may experience this new information as a personal loss. In part, as Zinn suggests, this is because they’ve been denied a more honorable past with which to identify — one that acknowledges racism and exploitation, but also highlights courageous initiatives for social equality and justice.

The roles included are:

From the opening of the “Unsung Heroes” essay by Howard Zinn

A high school student recently confronted me: “I read in your book A People’s History of the United States about the massacres of Indians, the long history of racism, the persistence of poverty in the richest country in the world, the senseless wars. How can I keep from being thoroughly alienated and depressed?”

It’s a question I’ve heard many times before. Another question often put to me by students is: Don’t we need our national idols? You are taking down all our national heroes — the Founding Fathers, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, John F. Kennedy. Granted, it is good to have historical figures we can admire and emulate. But why hold up as models the 55 rich white men who drafted the Constitution as a way of establishing a government that would protect the interests of their class — slaveholders, merchants, bondholders, land speculators?

Why not recall the humanitarianism of William Penn, an early colonist who made peace with the Delaware Indians instead of warring on them, as other colonial leaders were doing?”

▸ Continue reading this essay by Howard Zinn in the downloadable PDF .

Classroom Story

“ Unsung Heroes ” is a lesson I’ve used every year. It is always a hit with my students, who are engaged and ask important questions during this unit. When students embody those heroic figures I hope they emulate, it is also important identity work which is critical during the middle school years that my students find themselves in.

Students always say that they never knew there were so many people who had to struggle for equality in the U.S. It is edifying for me when students say, “She looks like me!” regarding one of the heroes, or otherwise find ways to relate their own lives to the lives of figures who helped in the struggle for equality.

This lesson was published by  Rethinking Schools  in Rethinking Our Classrooms, Volume 2: Teaching For Equity and Justice . For more lessons like “Unsung Heroes: Encouraging Students to Appreciate Those Who Fought for Social Justice,” order Rethinking Our Classrooms, Vol. 2 with a collection of from-the-classroom articles, curriculum ideas, lesson plans, poetry, and resources — all grounded in the realities of school life, edited by Bill Bigelow, Brenda Harvey, and Stan Karp.

A similar lesson is available from Teaching for Change called “ Resistance 101: A Lesson on Social Justice Activists and Strategies .”

Related Resources

Voices of a People’s History of the United States, 10th Anniversary Edition

Book — Non-fiction. Edited by Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove. 2014. 704 pages. Speeches, letters, poems, and songs for each chapter of A People’s History of the United States .

How to — and How Not to — Teach Role Plays

Considerations regarding the planning and use of role plays for teaching people’s history.

4 comments on “ Unsung Heroes: Encouraging Students to Appreciate Those Who Fought for Social Justice ”

When are you going to add in the story of Catholic institution building, anti-Catholic bias in the 19th and twentieth centuries, and add the names of Catholic women, especially nuns and sisters, who worked to overcome barriers erected by the majority culture during this time? None of this is in textbooks I have read over the course of my college education: from freshman through the doctoral levels.

Teachers, let’s make sure we use this plan and even expand on it when helping students choose a topic for their National History Day 2017 project. This year’s theme is “Taking a Stand in History”…its begging our students to research those who have stood for justice.

Thank you for adding truth to the study of our past… When humans hide the imperfections and demons among us, truth loses and the injustices and imperfections in our past keep their un-warranted power.

Thank you for you enlightening work.

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The Best of Humanity: Celebrating Positive Contributions by Unsung Heroes

Find below some sample stories celebrating unsung heroes working to effect positive change in their homes, community, or in the world. 

Mikaila Ulmer: The Young Bee Ambassador

Kiara Nirghin: Young and Innovative

Mae Jemison

Sonia Smith-Kang: Mixed Up Clothing

Dominique Dawes

Harry N. Frenchak

Jackie Robinson

Kitty Richardson

Demi Lovato

Elissa Montanti: Spreading Global Compassion

Middle school essays.

Paco, My Dyslexic Hero

Maria Tallchief

Gabby Douglas

Kobe Bryant

To find some writing and interviewing tips click here., to submit your essay click on the image below: .

Organizer created on 8/22/2023 9:15:28 AM by Abigail Richardson

Last edited 8/22/2023 1:53:10 PM by Abigail Richardson

5 Unsung Heroes Who Shaped Modern Life

By maria popova.

One of history’s greatest downfalls is its asymmetry of acclaim, catapulting some figures into legend status while leaving others, even those of great cultural contribution, behind as mere footnotes. Today, we turn to five such unsung heroes whose work and legacy shaped fundamental aspects of modern life.

1. HENRIETTA LACKS

In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks , the ever-brilliant Rebecca Skloot weaves a fascinating and tender detective story about HeLa’s legacy through the discovery of Henrietta’s youngest daughter, Deborah, who didn’t know her mother but who always knew she wanted to be a scientist. As Skloot and Deborah, infinitely different yet united by the shared quest for answers, unravel one of the most absorbing mysteries of modern science, we also get a rich and sensitive tale about family, community, and the dark side of society’s capacity for exploiting its poorest and most vulnerable members. The book, one of the decade’s most excellent and ambitious science-and-so-much-more reads, is currently being made into an HBO movie by Oprah Winfrey and Alan Ball.

Good science is all about following the data as it shows up and letting yourself be proven wrong, and letting everything change while you’re working on it — and I think writing is the same way.” ~ Rebecca Skloot

2. LINCOLN BEACHEY

Beachey was early to the mechanics game — he opened his own bicycle shop at the age of 13, graduated to repairing motorcycle by 15, and eventually made his way to the emerging and glamorous world of aviation as a dirigible pilot. When he was 17, he set out on a publicity stunt, building his own dirigible and flying it around the Washington Monument, eventually landing it on the White House. His remarkable flying stunts and clever personal branding soon catapulted both Beachey and aviation itself into mainstream, international fame — but his relentless ambition was also the demon of his demise. On March 14, 1915, Beachey set out to impress a crowd of nearly 250,000 at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition with a stunt he had never performed in public before — inverted flight. As he intently dove to make a loop and turn the plane onto its back, he failed to notice he was only 2,000 feet above San Francisco Bay. Startled, he pulled on the controls to flip the plane back, but strain ripped both wings off, causing the plane to plunge directly into the bay. By the time Navy officers recovered Beachy’s body 1 hour and 45 minutes later, Beachey was long dead — from drowning, not the crash, as an autopsy determined — but rescuers spent nearly 3 hours trying to revive the era’s beloved folk hero. He was 28.

Actually, Beachey is hardly unsung in the literal sense — his final flight became the subject of a popular rope-skipping rhyme from the 1920s, uncovered by the fine folks at Radiolab in their fantastic recent episode on loops . (The same episode that inspired last week’s beautiful and poetic animated short film about the afterlife of a whale and that, in fact, in part inspired this very article on unsung heroes.)

3. POGGIO BRACCIOLINI

One cold winter night in 1417, the clean-shaven, slender young man pulled a manuscript off a dusty library shelf and could barely believe his eyes. In his hands was a thousand-year-old text that changed the course of human thought — the last surviving manuscript of On the Nature of Things , a seminal poem by Roman philosopher Lucretius, full of radical ideas about a universe operating without gods and that matter made up of minuscule particles in perpetual motion, colliding and swerving in ever-changing directions. With Bracciolini’s discovery began the copying and translation of this powerful ancient text, which in turn fueled the Renaissance and inspired minds as diverse as Shakespeare, Galileo, Thomas Jefferson, Einstein, and Freud.

In The Swerve: How the World Became Modern , acclaimed Renaissance scholar Stephen Greenblatt tells the story of Bracciolini’s landmark discovery and its impact on centuries of human intellectual life, laying the foundations for nearly everything we take as a cultural given today.

This is a story [of] how the world swerved in a new direction. The agent of change was not a revolution, an implacable army at the gates, or landfall of an unknown continent. […] The epochal change with which this book is concerned — though it has affected all our lives — is not so easily associated with a dramatic image.”

4. FRED HARVEY

I spent the better portion of my college years sifting through countless rolls of 19th-century newspaper microfilm, calling small public libraries across the American Southwest, and scouring eBay for Harvey ephemera as I helped author Stephen Fried with his research for Appetite for America: Fred Harvey and the Business of Civilizing the Wild West, One Meal at a Time — a fascinating and lively more-than-biography of Harvey that traces his incredible journey of entrepreneurship, the little-known family drama that surrounded his quest, and his lasting legacy.

5. MARY ANNING

The Fossil Hunter: Dinosaurs, Evolution, and the Woman Whose Discoveries Changed the World tells Anning’s extraordinary story of curiosity, rigor, self-education, and passionate perseverance in the face of stifling social norms and circumstances. Anning is also the protagonist of a delightful children’s book, Stone Girl Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning .

Like Beachey, Anning too inspired a popular piece of folk poetry, the tongue-twister “She Sells Sea Shells by the Seashore.”

— Published October 24, 2011 — https://www.themarginalian.org/2011/10/24/unsung-heroes/ —

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20 Unsung Heroes from History

By zoë randolph | dec 20, 2021.

History may be written by the victors, but it’s high time some of history’s quieter contributors got the attention they deserve. From medical breakthroughs to fearless adventurers, this group of historical heavyweights all deserve to be household names.

1. Henrietta Lacks // Immortal Cells

Henrietta Lacks died in 1951, but parts of her live on to this day. Since the time they were taken from her (without her knowledge) during a medical examination at Johns Hopkins, cells collected from her cervix tissue have remained alive—and thriving.

Lacks was one of many Black people whose bodies contributed to nonconsensual medical experiments at Johns Hopkins  and beyond in the mid-20th century. Cells collected from others had died, but the ones lifted from Lacks’s tissue under the legitimizing sheen of medical treatment proved, shockingly, to divide again and again. The immortal "HeLa cells" have gone on to provide the foundation for two Nobel Prizes, nearly 20,000 patents, and countless medical advances. But it wasn’t until 20 years after Lacks’s death that anyone—including her family—knew they’d belonged to her.

2. Tenzing Norgay // A Climber Above

Before summiting Mount Everest was the pinnacle of every daredevil’s bucket list, a Nepali-Indian man by the name of Tenzing Norgay (born Namgyal Wangdi) became one of the first people to finish the daring trek.

For years, Norgay had served as a Sherpa, aiding in several unsuccessful attempts by British, Canadian, and Swiss mountaineering parties throughout the 1930s and ‘40s to reach Everest's elusive summit. Then, in 1953, he joined the expedition of John Hunt, a British Army officer, and ultimately accompanied fellow expedition member Edmund Hillary (whom Norgay had saved from a dangerous fall in a previous mission) to make the final ascent. Norgay went on to publish several books about his experiences.

3. Virginia Apgar // Better Health for Newborns

Despite graduating fourth in her class at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1933, Virginia Apgar faced a host of setbacks in the early decades of her career. She initially worked in surgery, though was discouraged from continuing by the chair. Later, when she returned to Columbia as director of anesthesia in 1938, she had to contend with lower pay and her colleagues’ lack of respect for the then-undervalued field.

By the mid-1940s, however, things began to look up. Anesthesia became better respected, helping propel Apgar to the position of professor at Columbia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons—the first woman to have the job. The work Apgar is best remembered for came in the 1950s when she developed a system for assessing the health of newborns. The Apgar Score is still used to this day.

4. Enheduanna // Tales for the Ages

The daughter of Sumerian royalty, Enheduanna had a busy schedule. In addition to serving as high priestess in one of the area’s most important temples, she also found the time to cement herself as the earliest identified author in the world. Among her writings are 42 hymns and a personal devotion to a goddess (which also features a recounting of her own exile from the ancient city of Ur).

Enheduanna lived in around 2300 BCE, but her return to relevance didn’t come until the 1950s, when the first academic papers drew on 1927 archaeological discoveries during the excavation of Ur to examine her work and legacy.

5. Maurice Hilleman // Vaccine Maven

Ever wondered why you haven’t come down with measles , mumps, or rubella recently? You can thank Maurice Hillerman , a Depression-era farm boy turned virologist who earned a microbiology and chemistry Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1944. For the next 60 years, Hillerman was tenacious in his battle against viruses and his quick work likely helped avert a pandemic in 1957.

In spite (or maybe because) of his brilliance, he wasn’t always one for convention. When his daughter came down with the mumps in 1963, he swabbed her throat and had a vaccine developed just four years later. By the end of his career, he’d developed more than 40 vaccines.

6. Rosalind Franklin // The Third Contributor to the Double Helix

When most people think of DNA, they think of two pairs—the double-helix and Watson and Crick. James Watson and James Crick revolutionized the scientific world when they published their model of DNA. And while the two were duly lauded, few knew that there had been a third (and unwitting) contributor: Rosalind Franklin .

Franklin, as it happened, had also been working to uncover the structure of DNA , and had a now-famous photograph among her research. When an estranged work partner showed Franklin’s unpublished research to Watson and Crick, they ultimately built their final model in part off of her findings. For years afterward, Franklin’s critical contributions were all but erased.

7. Ignaz Semmelweis // Hygiene Pioneer

Wash my hands ? Before performing surgery? Hard pass. That was the (paraphrased) reaction to Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis ’s 1846 suggestion that maybe, just maybe, his medical colleagues should disinfect their hands and tools between handling cadavers and helping to deliver newborns.

When he implemented this simple requirement in his Vienna hospital department, death rates among new moms plummeted. Germ theory hadn’t yet been established, which meant Semmelweis couldn’t explain why his practice worked, only that it clearly did. Despite the dramatic results, doctors didn’t take kindly to the implication that they were to blame for patients’ deaths, and Semmelweis ’s pugnacious attitude didn’t win him many allies. Eventually, he lost his job, and his former staff abandoned the practice.

8. Ibn Battuta // “One of the Greatest Travelers of All Time”

No one can say for sure exactly how many places Ibn Battuta visited, but all can agree on one thing: It was a very high number. Battuta got the travel bug in 1325, when he set off from his hometown of Tangier on a pilgrimage to Mecca. Along the way, Battuta made pit stops in Egypt and Syria and dropped by some of history’s most famous cities, including Alexandria and Jerusalem.

After his pilgrimage was over, he decided it wasn’t time yet to return home. He set out instead through the Middle East and India, and later sailed the Red Sea and saw the Horn of Africa. He may even have spent time in China (where he saw the Great Wall), as well as Spain and Mali, and even crossed the Sahara Desert. Home in Morocco after 30 years of adventure, he told his story to a poet, who turned it into the Rihla, which has become an invaluable historical text for modern scholars.

9. John Tradescant // Collector of Oddities

Over the course of his career gathering seeds and bulbs for his work as a gardener to English nobility, John Tradescant acquired a host of oddities ranging from exotic animals like salamanders and pelicans to mythological artifacts like the egg of a dragon .

In 1628, Tradescant opened his home to the public, charging them sixpence to enter and see his curiosities. It quickly became a must-see London attraction, and ultimately gave rise to the modern Ashmolean Museum in Oxford—the world's first public museum .

10. Bayard Rustin // Civil Rights Leader

Long before the Civil Rights movement began gaining steam in the late 1950s, Bayard Rustin had already gained the attention of federal authorities over his demands for equality. As early as the 1930s, he was protesting the racial segregation in the U.S. military and traveled the country making speeches. In 1963, Rustin and A. Philip Randolph teamed up with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  to plan the March on Washington.

Though many of his contemporaries became household names, Rustin often stayed behind the scenes, in part because he was a gay man. In the 1980s, however, Rustin began to speak openly about his sexuality and advocate for gay rights.

11. Alexander Fleming // Discovery of Penicillin

While serving in the Army Medical Corps during World War I , Scottish physician and scientist Alexander Fleming watched as soldiers died as a result of infected wounds. His observations led him to write an article on the topic that went unaccepted in the journals of the day.

In 1928, he inadvertently discovered a bacteria-killing mold after leaving a Petri dish uncovered near   an open   window. After determining it was part of the Penicillium genus, he published a 1929 paper about the discovery he’d since named penicillin. Initially largely ignored, penicillin caught the attention of two scientists in 1940, who began mass-producing it during the Second World War . “I did not invent penicillin. Nature did that,” Fleming later said. “I only discovered it by accident.”

12. Mildred and Richard Loving // Fighters for Interracial Love

Mildred and Richard Loving ’s 1958 marriage was entirely normal, except for the fact that it happened to be illegal in Virginia, their home state. The problem? Richard was white, and Mildred was Black and Native American, which violated the states’ so-called Racial Integrity Act. After being arrested just five weeks into their marriage, the couple was told they could either go to prison or stay out of the state for the next 25 years.

But the couple wanted to live at home, so after trying to create a new life in Washington, D.C., they contacted the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and sued the state. After multiple appeals, the case landed in the Supreme Court of the United States. In 1967, the justices announced a unanimous decision that made the Virginia law (and with it, laws on the books in 15 other states) unconstitutional.

13. Wendell Smith // Pioneering Black Sportswriter

Wendell Smith grew up wanting to play sports, not write about them. But despite attention from a scout from the Detroit Tigers, being a Black man in the 1930s meant a career as a major league ballplayer was out of the question.

Instead, Smith went to college and became a sportswriter for the Pittsburgh Courier , at which he made a splash after interviewing more than 50 white players and managers about baseball’s color line. Smith used his findings (75 percent said they’d welcome Black players) to pressure the MLB, and ultimately connected Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey with Jackie Robinson . Once Robinson was signed, Smith stayed with him to support his transition, all while continuing his writing career. Smith went on to become the first Black sportswriter at a white newspaper.

14. Alexander Mackenzie // The First European to Cross the North American Continent

More than a decade before Lewis and Clark’s famous cross-continent trek, another European explorer claimed the title of first to cross North America (north of Mexico). In 1788, Alexander Mackenzie replaced Peter Pond as head of operations for the fur-trading North West Company. Pond had theorized that Cook’s River ultimately emptied out into the Pacific, and Mackenzie decided to test this hypothesis in the hopes that it would open up new trade routes.

The river, it transpired, actually went north, and after a brief detour to the Arctic Ocean, Mackenzie came home and decided to try again. In 1793, he set out on a different route alongside a party that included both fellow members of the North West Company and First Nations advisors. Miraculously, the group made it to the Pacific Ocean in one piece and successfully returned home. While it was too treacherous for a trade route, his resulting maps vastly improved global understanding of North American geography.

15. Karl Schwarzschild // Physics from the Battlefield

When Albert Einstein published field equations of general relativity in 1915, he didn’t expect to live to see them solved. But apparently, even geniuses are wrong once in a while.

In the very same year, one Karl Schwarzchild , a Jewish-German army lieutenant who’d volunteered to fight in World War I (he was 40 at the time) somehow found the time to publish not one but three scientific papers. The two that covered general relativity included the first exact solutions to Einstein’s field equations. Sadly, what more Schwarzchild could have achieved remains a mystery: He died only a year later.

16. Lavinia Fontana // Europe’s First Professional Female Painter

Born in 1552 to a painter in Bologna, Lavina Fontana displayed artistic promise from an early age. Her father spotted her talent and even used her earning potential as a way to evade paying a dowry in her marriage to a wealthy merchant.

When she wasn’t busy birthing 11 children, Fontana established herself as Europe’s first professional female painter, becoming a coveted portrait artist for the noblewomen of the age. As her fame grew, so did her client list, which eventually included the Catholic Church and the king of Spain. In 1603, she was inducted into an all-male Academy of St. Luke.

17. Louis Braille // Making Reading Possible for the Blind

Just 12 years after accidentally blinding himself at the age of 3, Louis Braille developed a system of writing for the blind made up of raised dots. Five years later, he published a book on the subject (in Braille, of course).

Braille went on to have a successful career in education, teaching algebra, grammar, music, and geography at the New School for the Blind in Paris and becoming its first blind full professor.

18. Andrée Borrel // Fearless Resistance Fighter

Andrée Borrel began World War II as a nurse, but when her hospital closed in 1941, she and her coworker, Maurice Dufour, went into a more dangerous line of work. Near the border with Spain, Borrell and Dufour began operating Villa Rene-Therese, the last safe house in a network that helped people at risk escape Nazi-controlled France.

When the network was compromised, she escaped to England, where she joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in 1942. After training, she parachuted back into France (the first woman to do so) and worked there as a courier for resistance networks, as a saboteur, and more. In 1943, she was arrested by the Gestapo but refused to talk under interrogation. A year later, she was executed in Germany.

19. Private Henry Johnson // Forgotten War Hero

The American military had little use for the Harlem Hellfighters (otherwise known as the 369th Infantry Regiment). They were an all-Black division, which in World War I meant the Army paid little interest in them .  But France badly needed soldiers, so Private Henry Johnson and the rest of the regiment were shipped overseas, where they received French gear and served under French authority.

One night, when Johnson and another man were stationed on middle-of-the-night guard duty, a group of German forces attacked. When his fellow soldier went down, Johnson was left alone to fend off the growing group of enemies descending upon him. Once he used up his available grenades and ammunition, he resorted to a bolo knife, with which he somehow managed to kill four Germans and injure between 10 and 20 others, all while sporting bullet wounds in his head, side, hands, and arms.

For his bravery, Johnson was awarded the highest honor in the French military: the Croix du Guerre. Despite his French accolades, he received few honors at home and was unable to take advantage of veteran programs made available to white soldiers. He soon found himself unemployed and died young. Johnson finally received a posthumous Purple Heart in 1996 and the Medal of Honor in 2015

20. Sarah Breedlove (a.k.a. Madam C.J. Walker) // The First Black Woman Millionaire

Born to formerly enslaved parents, orphaned at the age of 6, married at 14, and widowed by 20, Sarah Breedlove had no obvious avenues to success. With her 2-year-old in tow, she worked as a laundress and took classes at night school.

Then, Breedlove developed the “Walker system” (named after her soon-to-be second husband, Charles J. Walker), an approach to Black hair care inspired by her own scalp disorder. What began as selling homemade products directly to other Black women soon grew into a massive business.

In 1908, she opened a beauty school and a factory for her products, and her success propelled her to become (likely) the first self-made woman millionaire . In New York, she hosted many members of the Harlem Renaissance in her home and directed much of her fortune back toward organizations including the NAACP, Tuskegee Institute, and various educational charities.

Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

Big Ideas Articles & More

What makes a hero, we all have an inner hero, argues philip zimbardo . here's how to find it..

This month, Greater Good features videos of a presentation by Philip Zimbardo, the world-renowned psychologist perhaps best known for his infamous Stanford Prison Experiment. In his talk, Zimbardo discusses the psychology of evil and of heroism, exploring why good people sometimes turn bad and how we can encourage more people to perform heroic acts. In this excerpt from his talk, he zeroes in on his research and educational program designed to foster the “heroic imagination.”

More on Heroism

Watch the video of Philip Zimbardo's Greater Good talk on heroism.

Read his essay on " The Banality of Heroism ," which further explores the conditions that can promote heroism vs. evil.

Read this Greater Good essay on the "psychology of the bystander."

Learn more about Zimbardo's Heroic Imagination Project.

What makes us good? What makes us evil?

Research has uncovered many answers to the second question: Evil can be fostered by dehumanization, diffusion of responsibility, obedience to authority, unjust systems, group pressure, moral disengagement, and anonymity, to name a few.

But when we ask why people become heroic, research doesn’t yet have an answer. It could be that heroes have more compassion or empathy; maybe there’s a hero gene; maybe it’s because of their levels of oxytocin—research by neuroeconomist Paul Zak has shown that this “love hormone” in the brain increases the likelihood you’ll demonstrate altruism. We don’t know for sure.

I believe that heroism is different than altruism and compassion. For the last five years, my colleagues and I have been exploring the nature and roots of heroism, studying exemplary cases of heroism and surveying thousands of people about their choices to act (or not act) heroically. In that time, we’ve come to define heroism as an activity with several parts.

First, it’s performed in service to others in need—whether that’s a person, group, or community—or in defense of certain ideals. Second, it’s engaged in voluntarily, even in military contexts, as heroism remains an act that goes beyond something required by military duty. Third, a heroic act is one performed with recognition of possible risks and costs, be they to one’s physical health or personal reputation, in which the actor is willing to accept anticipated sacrifice. Finally, it is performed without external gain anticipated at the time of the act.

Simply put, then, the key to heroism is a concern for other people in need—a concern to defend a moral cause, knowing there is a personal risk, done without expectation of reward.

By that definition, then, altruism is heroism light—it doesn’t always involve a serious risk. Compassion is a virtue that may lead to heroism, but we don’t know that it does. We’re just now starting to scientifically distinguish heroism from these other concepts and zero in on what makes a hero.

My work on heroism follows 35 years of research in which I studied the psychology of evil, including my work on the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment . The two lines of research aren’t as different as they might seem; they’re actually two sides of the same coin.

A key insight from research on heroism so far is that the very same situations that inflame the hostile imagination in some people, making them villains, can also instill the heroic imagination in other people, prompting them to perform heroic deeds.

Take the Holocaust. Christians who helped Jews were in the same situation as other civilians who helped imprison or kill Jews, or ignored their suffering. The situation provided the impetus to act heroically or malevolently. Why did some people choose one path or the other?

Another key insight from my research has been that there’s no clear line between good and evil. Instead, the line is permeable; people can cross back and forth between it.

This is an idea wonderfully represented in an illusion by M. C. Escher, at left. When you squint and focus on the white as the figures and the black as the background, you see a world full of angels and tutus dancing around happily. But now focus on the black as the figures and the white as the background: Now it’s a world full of demons.

What Escher’s telling us is that the world is filled with angels and devils, goodness and badness, and these dark and light aspects of human nature are our basic yin and yang. That is, we all are born with the capacity to be anything. Because of our incredible brains, anything that is imaginable becomes possible, anything that becomes possible can get transformed into action, for better or for worse. 

Some people argue humans are born good or born bad; I think that’s nonsense. We are all born with this tremendous capacity to be anything, and we get shaped by our circumstances—by the family or the culture or the time period in which we happen to grow up, which are accidents of birth; whether we grow up in a war zone versus peace; if we grow up in poverty rather than prosperity.

George Bernard Shaw captured this point in the preface to his great play “Major Barbara”: “Every reasonable man and woman is a potential scoundrel and a potential good citizen. What a man is depends upon his character what’s inside. What he does and what we think of what he does depends on upon his circumstances.”

So each of us may possess the capacity to do terrible things. But we also posses an inner hero; if stirred to action, that inner hero is capable of performing tremendous goodness for others.

Another conclusion from my research is that few people do evil and fewer act heroically. Between these extremes in the bell curve of humanity are the masses—the general population who do nothing, who I call the “reluctant heroes”—those who refuse the call to action and, by doing nothing, often implicitly support the perpetrators of evil.

So on this bell curve of humanity, villains and heroes are the outliers. The reluctant heroes are the rest. What we need to discover is how to give a call to service to this general population. How do we make them aware of the evil that exists? How do we prevent them from getting seduced to the dark side?

We don’t yet have a recipe for creating heroes, but we have some clues, based on the stories of some inspiring heroes.

I love the story of a wonderful nine-year-old Chinese boy, who I call a dutiful hero. In 2008, there was a massive earthquake in China’s Szechuan province. The ceiling fell down on a school, killing almost all the kids in it. This kid escaped, and as he was running away he noticed two other kids struggling to get out. He ran back and saved them. He was later asked, “Why did you do that?” He replied, “I was the hall monitor! It was my duty, it was my job to look after my classmates!”

This perfectly illustrates what I call the “heroic imagination,” a focus on one’s duty to help and protect others. For him, it was cultivated by being assigned this role of hall monitor.

Another story: Irena Sendler was a Polish hero, a Catholic woman who saved at least 2,500 Jewish kids who were holed up in the Warsaw ghetto that the Nazis had erected. She was able to convince the parents of these kids to allow her to smuggle them out of the ghetto to safety. To do this, she organized a network.

That is a key principle of heroism: Heroes are most effective not alone but in a network. It’s through forming a network that people have the resources to bring their heroic impulses to life.

What these stories suggest is that every one of us can be a hero. Through my work on heroism, I’ve become even more convinced that acts of heroism don’t just arrive from truly exceptional people but from people placed in the right circumstance, given the necessary tools to transform compassion into heroic action.

Building on these insights, I have helped to start a program designed to learn more of heroism and to create the heroes of tomorrow.

The Heroic Imagination Project (HIP) is amplifying the voice of the world’s quiet heroes, using research and education networks to promote a heroic imagination in everyone, and then empower ordinary people of all ages and nations to engage in extraordinary acts of heroism. We want to democratize the notion of heroism, to emphasize that most heroes are ordinary people; it’s the act that’s extraordinary.

There are already a lot of great heroes projects out there, such as the Giraffe Heroes Project . The HIP is unique in that it’s the only one encouraging research into heroism, because there’s very little.

Here are a few key insights from research we’ve done surveying 4,000 Americans from across the country. Each of these statements is valid after controlling for all demographic variables, such as education and socioeconomic status.

Heroes surround us. One in five—20 percent—qualify as heroes, based on the definition of heroism I provide above. Seventy-two percent report helping another person in a dangerous emergency. Sixteen percent report whistle blowing on an injustice. Six percent report sacrificing for a non-relative or stranger. Fifteen percent report defying an unjust authority. And not one of these people has been formally recognized as a hero.

Opportunity matters. Most acts of heroism occur in urban areas, where there are more people and more people in need. You’re not going to be a hero if you live in the suburbs. No shit happens in the suburbs!

Education matters. The more educated you are, the more likely you are to be a hero, I think because you are more aware of situations.

Volunteering matters. One third of all the sample who were heroes also had volunteered significantly, up to 59 hours a week.

Gender matters. Males reported performing acts of heroism more than females. I think this is because women tend not to regard a lot of their heroic actions as heroic. It’s just what they think they’re supposed to do for their family or a friend.

Race matters. Blacks were eight times more likely than whites to qualify as heroes. We think that’s in part due to the rate of opportunity. (In our next survey, we’re going to track responses by area code to see if in fact these heroes are coming from inner cities.

Personal history matters. Having survived a disaster or personal trauma makes you three times more likely to be a hero and a volunteer.

Based on these insights into heroism, we’ve put together a toolkit for potential heroes, especially young heroes in training, who already have opportunities to act heroically when they’re kids, such as by opposing bullying.

A first step is to take the “hero pledge,” a public declaration on our website that says you’re willing to be a hero in waiting. It’s a pledge “to act when confronted with a situation where I feel something is wrong,” “to develop my heroic abilities,” and “to believe in the heroic capacities within myself and others, so I can build and refine them.”

You can also take our four-week “Hero Challenge” mini-course online to help you develop your heroic muscles. The challenge may not require you to do anything heroic, but it’s training you to be heroic. And we offer more rigorous, research-based education and training programs for middle and high schools, corporations, and the millitary that make people aware of the social factors that produce passivity, inspire them to take positive civic action, and encourage the skills needed to consistently translate heroic impulses into action.

We’re also in the process of creating an Encyclopedia of Heroes, a collection of hero stories from all over the world. Not just all the classic ones and fictional ones, but ones that people from around the world are going to send in, so they can nominate ordinary heroes with a picture and a story. It will be searchable, so you can find heroes by age, gender, city and country. These are the unsung, quiet heroes—they do their own thing, put themselves in danger, defend a moral cause, help someone in need. And we want to highlight them. We want them to be inspirational to other people just like them.

Essentially, we’re trying to build the social habits of heroes, to build a focus on the other, shifting away from the “me” and toward the “we.” As the poet John Donne wrote: “No man [or woman] is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; … any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”

So every person is part of humanity. Each person’s pulse is part of humanity’s heartbeat. Heroes circulate the life force of goodness in our veins. And what the world needs now is more heroes—you. It’s time to take action against evil.

About the Author

Philip Zimbardo

Philip Zimbardo, Ph.D. , is a professor emeritus of psychology at Stanford University, a professor at Palo Alto University, a two-time past president of the Western Psychological Association, and a past president of the American Psychological Association. He is also the author of the best-selling book The Lucifer Effect and the president of the Heroic Imagination Project .

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Very nice information. In this world this is the very difficult question that what makes people good or evil. This post has helped a lot to understand the difference. Actually in my point of it depends upon the individual that what he/she thinks. If he/she thinks negative all the time them they became evil and thinking vice versa makes them good.

Andrew | 2:31 am, January 19, 2011 | Link

I really like reading this article because there are many individuals in the world that are heroes but are not recognized.  Heroes that have help humanity progress and prosper have fought with the greatest weapons which are love, respect, sincerity, and peace.  The governments that have had the greatest fear of seeing people free have always use war for colonization, genocide, and false treaties.  However, love is much stronger than war, and thanks to the modern forms of communication and exchange of information, more people are united for peace and do not support or participate in colonization or human genocide.  Since the start of humanity most people have use peace to progress, few have participated in war and few are participating. May peace prevail on earth!

Victor | 7:48 pm, January 29, 2011 | Link

A son raising up against an evil father. A brother standing up to a bully attacking his sibling. A stranger rallying to the side of a woman being assaulted in the street.

My sons are my strength. My reason to help others, that they may find the help they need in their lives.

pops | 9:39 am, February 3, 2011 | Link

Of course religion and eduction has a big impact on a child. But once a child is trying to live a good life (earning good karma or call it whatever you want) good things will happen to that child and he or she will recognize this.

So I think you can definitely change from evil to good.. maybe you _can be changed_ from good to evil.

Massud Hosseini | 7:28 am, September 17, 2011 | Link

Actually in my point of it depends upon the individual that what he/she thinks

asalah | 9:41 pm, September 24, 2011 | Link

“Research has uncovered many answers to the second question: Evil can be fostered by dehumanization, diffusion of responsibility, obedience to authority, unjust systems, group pressure, moral disengagement, and anonymity, to name a few.”  <—What I find amazing about this statement is that anything is being branded “evil” at all.  Well, maybe not.  Relativism seems to be something that’s employed when convenient, disregarded when it’s not.

Kukri | 6:58 pm, November 6, 2011 | Link

This is a very comprehensive discussion on heroism. Victor makes a great point in his comment about how most heroes go unnoticed by the vast majority of people. I think that lack of notoriety is part of what it means to be a hero: doing that which is unexpected without the need for a pat on the back. quotes for facebook status

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When a sniper’s bullet hits one soldier and misses the person next to him, that alone does not make the wounded soldier more heroic.

brokesteves | 6:10 am, April 24, 2012 | Link

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Unsung Heroes: Overlooked Figures in Black History

Discover the stories of lesser-known but impactful black individuals whose contributions to history and society deserve recognition during Black History Month.

Black History Month is a time to celebrate and honor the achievements and contributions of African Americans throughout history. While well-known figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Malcolm X are rightfully recognized for their significant impact, there are countless other individuals whose remarkable stories have been overlooked. In this article, we will delve into the lives of some of these unsung heroes—lesser-known but equally impactful black figures whose contributions to history and society deserve recognition during Black History Month. Let’s explore the stories of these remarkable individuals and shed light on their often-forgotten legacies.

1. Bessie Coleman: Pioneering Aviator

Bessie Coleman, born in 1892, was a trailblazer in aviation during a time when racial and gender discrimination was rampant. Growing up in segregated Texas, Coleman faced numerous challenges due to her African American and Native American heritage. Despite these obstacles, she was determined to become a pilot.

Denied admission to flight schools in the United States because of her race and gender, Coleman took matters into her own hands. She traveled to France and became the first African American woman to earn an international pilot’s license. Bessie Coleman’s courage and determination paved the way for future generations of black aviators and inspired positive change in the aviation industry.

2. Garrett Morgan: Inventor and Lifesaver

Garrett Morgan, born in 1877, was an inventor and entrepreneur who made significant contributions to public safety. His most well-known invention is the modern traffic signal, which he patented in 1923. Morgan’s traffic signal greatly improved road safety by organizing the flow of vehicles and pedestrians at intersections.

In addition to his work on traffic signals, Morgan also developed the first gas mask, a device that became crucial during World War I. His invention saved countless lives by providing protection against toxic gases. Despite facing racial discrimination, Morgan’s ingenuity and perseverance left an indelible mark on public safety, and his inventions continue to impact our daily lives.

3. Dr. Charles Drew: Pioneer of Blood Banking

Dr. Charles Drew, born in 1904, was a renowned physician, surgeon, and medical researcher who revolutionized the field of blood transfusion. His groundbreaking work laid the foundation for modern blood banking and transfusion medicine. During World War II, Drew played a crucial role in developing techniques for the long-term preservation of blood plasma, allowing it to be stored and transported for medical use.

Despite his significant contributions, Dr. Drew faced racial discrimination, especially during a time when segregation was prevalent. His legacy, however, continues to thrive, as his advancements in blood banking have saved countless lives and remain integral to medical practices around the world.

4. Shirley Chisholm: Political Trailblazer

Shirley Chisholm, born in 1924, made history as the first African American woman elected to the United States Congress. She represented New York’s 12th congressional district from 1969 to 1983 and was a fierce advocate for civil rights, gender equality, and social justice.

In 1972, Chisholm made a groundbreaking run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, becoming the first black woman to seek a major party’s nomination for the presidency. Despite facing numerous challenges and prejudices, Chisholm’s historic campaigns paved the way for future generations of diverse political leaders and inspired a new era of representation in American politics.

5. Matthew Henson: Arctic Explorer

Matthew Henson, born in 1866, was an African American explorer who played a vital role in the first successful expedition to the North Pole. Despite facing racial discrimination, Henson joined Robert E. Peary on numerous Arctic expeditions, demonstrating incredible resilience and determination.

In 1909, Henson and Peary reached the North Pole, marking a historic achievement in exploration. However, Henson’s contributions were often overshadowed, and it wasn’t until later years that he received the recognition he deserved. Matthew Henson’s remarkable achievements as an Arctic explorer have solidified his place as a key figure in the history of polar exploration.

6. Claudette Colvin: Precursor to the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Long before Rosa Parks became a symbol of the Civil Rights Movement, Claudette Colvin, born in 1939, made history by refusing to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. At the age of 15, Colvin was arrested for her act of civil disobedience, challenging racial segregation on public transportation.

Colvin’s bravery and defiance laid the groundwork for the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a pivotal event in the Civil Rights Movement. While Parks is often celebrated for her role, it’s essential to recognize Claudette Colvin’s early contribution to the fight against racial injustice and segregation.

7. Ida B. Wells: Fearless Journalist and Anti-Lynching Activist

Ida B. Wells, born in 1862, was a pioneering journalist, suffragist, and civil rights activist. She gained prominence for her investigative reporting on the horrors of lynching in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Wells tirelessly documented and exposed the brutal realities of racial violence, challenging the prevailing narrative that justified these atrocities.

Wells co-owned and wrote for the Memphis Free Speech and Headlight newspaper, fearlessly using her platform to advocate for racial equality and justice. Her work laid the foundation for the anti-lynching movement and fueled the fight against racial violence. Ida B. Wells’ unwavering commitment to truth and justice makes her an essential figure in the ongoing struggle for civil rights.

8. Bayard Rustin: Architect of the March on Washington

Bayard Rustin, born in 1912, was a key strategist and organizer of the Civil Rights Movement, yet his contributions have often been overlooked due to his sexual orientation. Rustin played a pivotal role in the organization of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.

Despite facing discrimination for being an openly gay man, Rustin continued his advocacy for civil rights, nonviolence, and economic justice. His impact extended beyond the Civil Rights Movement, influencing subsequent movements for LGBTQ+ rights. Recognizing Bayard Rustin’s instrumental role in shaping the strategies of the Civil Rights Movement is essential to understanding the collaborative efforts that drove this transformative period in American history.

9. Mary Seacole: Nurse and War Heroine

Mary Seacole, born in 1805, was a Jamaican-Scottish nurse who defied societal norms and racism to provide medical care during the Crimean War. Despite her remarkable contributions, Seacole’s story was often overshadowed by that of her contemporary, Florence Nightingale.

Seacole set up the “British Hotel” near the battlefront, offering care to wounded soldiers. Her herbal remedies and compassionate nursing greatly contributed to the well-being of those she served. Mary Seacole’s courage and determination broke down barriers in the medical field and paved the way for future generations of black healthcare professionals.

10. Robert Church Sr.: Entrepreneur and Philanthropist

Robert Church Sr., born in 1839, was a prominent entrepreneur and philanthropist during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Despite facing immense racial prejudice, Church became one of the wealthiest African American men in the South through savvy investments in real estate, saloons, and theaters.

Church used his wealth to support black-owned businesses, schools, and charities, contributing significantly to the economic and cultural development of Memphis, Tennessee. His legacy extends beyond his financial success, serving as a testament to the resilience and economic empowerment of black communities in the face of adversity.

Conclusion: Celebrating Diversity in Black History

These ten unsung heroes represent a mere fraction of the countless black individuals whose stories have been overlooked in traditional historical narratives. As we celebrate Black History Month, it is essential to recognize and appreciate the diversity of experiences, achievements, and contributions that have shaped our world.

By shedding light on these often forgotten figures, we enrich our understanding of black history and amplify the voices of those who have played pivotal roles in the ongoing struggle for equality and justice. In commemorating these unsung heroes, we honor their legacies and inspire a more inclusive and accurate portrayal of history for future generations.

Black History Month is not only a time to reflect on the past but also an opportunity to embrace the present and shape the future. Through education, awareness, and celebration, we can ensure that the stories of these remarkable individuals remain integral to the collective consciousness, fostering a more inclusive and equitable society for generations to come.

You may also enjoy:

Black entrepreneurs who transformed industries: visionaries defying odds …, 15 books you need to read for black history …, my favorite books celebrating african american children, why we celebrate juneteenth & a few ways you ….

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My Unsung Hero: An unexpected act of kindness

In this week's "My Unsung Hero" installment, a woman recounts an unexpected act of kindness from a 7th grade bully.

JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

Time now for "My Unsung Hero," our series from the team at Hidden Brain. It tells the stories of people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone else.

Today's story comes from a woman named Jennifer (ph). We're only using her first name to protect your privacy. As a kid, Jennifer felt like she never quite fit in. Her classmates made fun of her for being socially awkward and wearing unfashionable clothes. Going to school felt like torture. But the bullying escalated to a whole new level in seventh grade, when a group of three girls began singling her out almost every day after class.

JENNIFER: I had no defense against any of this. Whatever insult they said to me, I just said right back to them. So they would say, you're stupid. And I'd say, no, you're stupid. And they'd say, you're ugly. And I'd say, no, you're ugly.

The school year was terrible. I was miserable. My grades were terrible. I cried most days on the way home from school trying to get myself together so my mother wouldn't know what was going on.

In the summer between seventh and eighth grade, the ringleader of this gang of girls was tragically killed in a car accident. Although I had never wished anything like that on any of them - I really just had wanted them to stop picking on me - I did hold out some hope that this might mean that eighth grade could be different. And that hope lasted about two days into the new school year, when I discovered that the gang of girls was still together. They had a new ringleader. And whenever they could get free, they would come find me as always and torment me as always.

And I was miserable again until about six weeks into the school year - when I was changing after gym class, I'd waited till all the other kids were gone so that I could change in private - when I hear a voice. And I look up, and there was the new ringleader standing there looking angry. She said, I want to talk to you. And I was terrified. I had never spoken to her before. And she said, my girls tell me that you've been insulting them. And I was just so surprised at the injustice of it. And I just began to cry. And she said, what are you crying about? And that just made it worse.

And when it got that bad, the whole story just tumbled out of me on how these girls had tormented me all the way through seventh grade and how no insult I had ever thrown at them was anything they hadn't said to me 10 seconds before. And then I hear her say, I'm sorry. I didn't know that. I'll tell them to stop. And when I looked up, she was gone. And those girls never spoke to me again.

I approach the world very differently than I would have had this not happened. I take the risk of trusting other people more often than I would have. And I've had people tell me how much my gestures meant to them - all things that I did because my unsung hero gave me a view of humanity I had never had before. And if I could tell her about that today, I would tell her that she didn't just change my life, though she did. She changed the whole world.

SUMMERS: Jennifer now lives and works in Maryland.

You can find more stories from "My Unsung Hero" wherever you get your podcasts. And to share the story of your unsung hero, record a voice memo on your phone and email it to [email protected].

Copyright © 2022 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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Unsung Heroes

Assessment model print, okay definition.

This essay defines the term hero .

Title: Unsung Heroes

Level: Grade 9, Grade 10

Mode: Explanatory Writing

Form: Definition

Completed Rubric: Unsung Heroes Rubric

Blank Rubric: Explanatory Assessment Rubric

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Student Model

What is a hero? Is it an astronaut who gets a big parade when they come home? Is it a firefighter who risks their life to save a child from a burning building? Is it a social worker who helps people put their lives together? All three could be considered heroes because they do difficult things, often in dangerous situations. The dictionary says that a hero is a person who is admired because they did something great. Heroes are people who show strength, courage, and grace under fire.

My younger brother thinks that movie stars are heroes because he admires them. But movie stars do not show strength the way real heroes do. When I asked some of my friends to name real heroes they gave examples of people who show strength. Heroes are firefighters who battle fierce fires or emergency workers who go out in bad weather to rescue people or fix broken power lines. These people use physical strength every day to make the world safer for others.

Heroes are not only strong, but they show courage. I saw a story on the television news about firefighters who ran into a burning building to rescue a baby. Even though they might be frightened, they go into a burning building or face a bully or face getting turned down for a job they really need. They keep after it, though. That’s what makes them heroes. They keep trying to get the job done.

Showing grace under fire means that heroes do not get angry or show that they are scared. Even in desparate situations, heroes stay calm and keep there cool. They get the job done. Of course, that is the most important quality in heroes because most people would be afraid in a fire or disaster and would run away. Heroes stay and deal with things.

A hero is a person who gets a job done right and uses strength and courage to get it done. He or she faces the odds without showing that they are afriad. Being a hero is not an easy thing but there are more heroes out there than you might think. People who are heroes do not always get recognized. Some of them don’t even think of themselves as heroes. True heroes are more than action figures, they are ordinary people who are brave, calm, and kind.

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6 Unsung Heroes of the American Revolution

By: Christopher Klein

Updated: June 23, 2023 | Original: January 23, 2015

1. Henry Knox

From Henry Knox’s days as a teenage street brawler in Boston, fighting was in his blood. Although the co-founder of the Boston Grenadier Corps lacked a military education, he knew where to find it—on the shelves of his shop, the London Book Store. The plump, 24-year-old bookseller quickly impressed George Washington when he arrived in 1775 to take command of the Continental Army during the siege of Boston. “Knox was really responsible for the patriots’ first victory when they forced the British out of Boston,” according to Jack Kelly, author of the book Band of Giants: The Amateur Soldiers Who Won America’s Independence . Tasked with transporting cannons from the recently captured Fort Ticonderoga, Knox managed to move the heavy artillery over 300 miles of winter terrain using enormous ox-drawn sleds until they pointed at the British from Dorchester Heights and forced their evacuation. Washington, who Kelly says had “an extraordinary knack for reading men and sensing ability,” chose Knox over more experienced veterans as his chief artillery officer. Knox managed the logistics for Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River and ran the siege at Yorktown that forced the British to surrender. Washington’s trusted advisor also served as the first secretary of war for the new United States.

2. Nathanael Greene

Nathanael Greene was the unlikeliest of military heroes. Born a Quaker, raised a pacifist and afflicted with asthma, the Rhode Island native was even denied election as an officer in the Kentish Guard militia he helped to form in 1774 because of his pronounced limp. Greene, however, taught himself to be a great soldier by reading books on military tactics, leadership and fortifications that he purchased from Knox on trips to Boston and caught Washington’s eye. “He had never been in a battle in his life, yet Washington saw his talent,” Kelly says. Greene was appointed the youngest brigadier general in the Continental Army in 1775 and was promoted to major general under Washington the following year. After successes at the Battles of Trenton and Germantown , Greene served ably as a quartermaster after Valley Forge and as commander-in-chief of the Southern Army in a campaign that forced British commander Charles Lord Cornwallis out of the Carolinas as a prelude to Yorktown. “He was thought of so highly that it was traditionally thought that Washington would have chosen Greene to be commander in chief of the Continental Army had anything happened to him,” Kelly says.

3. John Stark

When news of the shots fired at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, reached John Stark in New Hampshire the following day, the 46-year-old farmer and sawmill operator immediately recruited 400 men and marched to Boston. The French and Indian War veteran led his regiment into the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775, and posted them in a noticeable gap in the patriots’ defense from which they prevented the British from getting around the American line. “If the British had gotten into the rear, the patriots would have been routed,” Kelly says, “so Stark saved the day at Bunker Hill.” While the patriots ultimately lost the battle, thanks to Stark they inflicted severe casualties on the British. Two years later, Stark’s militia stopped the momentum of the British advance from Canada at the Battle of Bennington. When the elderly Stark sent his regrets for his inability to attend an 1809 reunion of veterans from that battle, he closed with the exhortation “Live free or die,” which was adopted as the New Hampshire state motto in 1945.

4. Daniel Morgan

“Daniel Morgan was a natural fighter,” Kelly says. “He grew up on the frontier and for fun fought in no-holds-barred brawls.” In the summer of 1775, the rowdy Virginian answered the call for volunteers and commanded the first troops specifically recruited for a national army by the Continental Congress. Morgan’s group of backwoods Virginia riflemen participated in the siege of Boston and answered Washington’s call for recruits in the failed invasion of Canada. Nicknamed “Old Wagoner” for his work driving supplies during the French and Indian War, Morgan spent a year as a prisoner of war after being captured in Quebec in December 1775. Receiving the rank of colonel after his release, Morgan fought at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777. Three years later, he was promoted to brigadier general and given command of light infantry corps during the Southern Campaign. His most memorable victory came on January 17, 1781, with a stunning triumph at the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina.

5. Anthony Wayne

“Anthony Wayne’s schoolmaster said he would never become a scholar,” Kelly says, “but he thought perhaps he could become a soldier because of how he organized all the schoolboys in mock battles and attacks.” The schoolmaster proved prescient. Wayne raised a militia unit at the start of the Revolution, and his Pennsylvania regiment participated in the failed invasion of Canada. In 1777, he led his men against the British at Brandywine and Germantown near his boyhood home before spending the winter at Valley Forge. In 1779, Washington ordered Wayne to storm the seemingly impregnable cliffside fortifications held by the British at Stony Point, New York. The daring nighttime assault in which his men employed only bayonets as weapons lasted a mere 30 minutes and earned the brigadier general the moniker of “Mad” Anthony Wayne.

6. Benedict Arnold

Although Benedict Arnold is certainly one of the most familiar names from the American Revolution, his heroics in support of the patriot cause have been overshadowed by his notorious duplicity. “He’s not unsung in terms of his reputation, but as a hero, he has little regard because of his treason,” Kelly says. “Before he became one of the country’s worst traitors, he was one of its most successful leaders.” Just days after the battles at Lexington and Concord in 1775, the Connecticut merchant embarked on an expedition to seize Fort Ticonderoga, which he accomplished with the aid of Ethan Allen’s Green Mountain Boys. Arnold led an unsuccessful assault on Quebec City later in the year.

Although his forces were defeated at the Battle of Valcour Island on Lake Champlain in 1776, Arnold delayed the British long enough to save the American cause. He also played a pivotal role in the 1777 Battle of Saratoga , which Kelly calls “the biggest victory of the war.” While Arnold was considered a hero up to that point in the war, he didn’t feel adequately compensated for it. In 1780 he agreed to surrender the strategic fort at West Point to the enemy for a bribe of £20,000 and a British Army command. When the plot was discovered, Arnold fled to Britain to be forever branded a traitor in his homeland.

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“ Let’s salute the unsung heroes who give us beautiful today.”

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Introduction:

The freedom of a country depends on its citizens. Every country has a few brave hearts who willingly give up their lives for their countrymen.

Freedom fighters play a very important role in making any country independent. India is a land of endless freedom fighters.

Many are known and many are unsung. All of them have their way to fight for freedom like some have chosen the path of Non-violence. While some show their bravery with pistols in their hands and swords.

Our Independence was hard fought the British ruled over our leads for a long time. But then, there are heroes, aren’t there? There are always heroes.

The ones who stand up and fight. some get the spotlight while the same stay in the dark and contribute just as much as others.

The bodies are true for India’s freedom fighters as well. For those who fought equally hard but never got any share of the limelight, because they simply never cared.

There are so many freedom fighters of India who contributed to the Independence movement but their names faded into the darkness.

Our country, India was colonized by the British. Our freedom fighters fought against the British for our independence.

Some Important freedom fighters of India are Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Jawaharlal Nehru, and many more.

But there are many freedom fighters who we probably haven’t heard. Most of them sacrificed their lives in getting independence for India. we call them the “Unsung Heroes of India”.

Their only focus was seeing an independent India. But as citizens of this country, we should know about some of them.

Here are some freedom fighters you probably haven’t heard of. These unsung heroes are also the reason we live in a free country.

We must honor their sacrifices and aim to live together in harmony and peace ensuring social justice. In the freedom struggle, India has many unsung heroes, who devoted his life.

Unsung Heroes Of Freedom Struggle Postcard Writing In English

My Vision For India In 2047 Postcard Writing In English

Essay On Unsung Heroes Of Freedom Struggle In Hindi

They were Matangini Hazra, Hazrat Mahal, Senapati Bapat, Aruna Asaf Ali, Bhikaji Cama, Tara rani, Peer Ali Khan, Kamala Devi, Garimella, Tiruppur Kumaran, Birsa Munda, Durgabai etc.

Let’s read in detail about Unsung Heroes of Freedom Struggle .

Matangini Hazra : Hazra was part of the Quit India movement and Non-co-operation movement during one procession, she continued to advance With the Indian flag even after even being short trice. she kept shouting “Vande Mataram”.

Peer Ali Khan : He was one of the initial rebels of India. he was part of the 1857 freedom struggle and among the 14 people who were given capital punishment due to their role in the freedom movement . Even still, his work inspired many who followed but generations later, his name just faded away.

Garimella Satyanarayana : He was an inspiration for the people of Andhra, As a writer, he used his skill to write influential poems and songs to motivate the people of Andhra to join the movement against the British.

Begum Hazrat Mahal : She was a vital part of the 1857 Indian Rebellion. After her husband was exiled, she took charge of Awadh and even seized control of Lucknow during the rebellion. Later, Begam Hazrat had to retreat to Nepal, where she died.

Conclusion:

This August 15, India will celebrate 74 years of Independence from the British Raj and also remember the 200- year old struggle for freedom of our countrymen.

The most famous freedom fighters are undoubtedly Mahatma Gandhi , Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, Mangal Pandey, and so on, but there are also others who contributed to the independence movement but their names faded into the darkness.

There were many freedom fighters who looked into the eye of the tyrannical British rulers and dared to raise the slogan of an independent India.

Some are celebrated all across the world among the Indian community while there is, remain anonymous to the masses today.

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Unsung Hero: Meaning, Origin & Correct Usage

Are you curious about the meaning of the term “unsung hero”? This phrase describes people who don’t get credit for saving the day; let’s learn how to use it correctly.

You might have heard the term “ unsung hero ” and wondered about its meaning. After all, aren’t heroes generally praised for their good deeds? This phrase is an idiom used to describe someone who has done something heroic but didn’t receive any recognition for it.

This meaning was captured perfectly by Dwayne Johnson when he said: “ I’ve always seen first responders as unsung heroes and very special people because, when everyone else is running away from danger, they run into it .”

Let’s learn more about the origin of this phrase and how to use it. While you’re here, you might also be interested in the hero’s journey , and how you can use it in your fictional writing.

What Is An Unsung Hero?

How to use the term “unsung hero” correctly, unsung hero origin, unsung hero synonyms, what is the unsung hero award, is unsung hero one word or two.

This phrase is a combination of two words: “hero” means someone who is admired for their good deeds, courage, or character, and “unsung” means someone who is unpraised for their hard work. In other words: an unsung hero is someone who doesn’t get appreciation, thanks, or credit for their good character and achievements, according to Wikipedia’s Wiktionary and other English dictionaries.

The term “unsung hero” is generally used to describe people, but this isn’t a hard rule. You can describe an animal, place, or thing are an unsung hero in certain circumstances. For example, if a fire alarm disrupted an exam you weren’t prepared for, you might jokingly call it an unsung hero.

Although it wouldn’t be grammatically incorrect to refer to yourself as an unsung hero, people rarely say it about themselves. Instead, it’s considered a compliment to say it about someone else. If you wanted to vent about feeling unappreciated, you could say you feel overlooked or taken for granted.

Here are some example sentences:

• The receptionists are the unsung heroes at the vet, they take the brunt of customer’s frustrations.
• Nurses are unsung heroes ; the care they deliver to patients is invaluable.
• My partner is really the unsung hero , I couldn’t have gotten my Ph.D. without their support.
• My dog is the unsung hero , he first alerted me that something was wrong; I just pulled the fire alarm.
• My sister is the unsung hero here, I would have failed my Spanish exam without her help.
• My German is weak, my translation app was the unsung hero of the trip.

The term “unsung hero” has been part of English speakers’ vocabularies for almost 200 years. The first recorded use of this term came in 1860 when it was used in an article in Merry’s Museum & Parley’s Magazine .

The individual words have a much longer history.

Unsung (ʌnˈsʌŋ) means unpraised, but it originally meant a song that was not sung and can still be used in this context. Sing came from the Old English word “singan,” which became “singen” in Middle English. It didn’t come to mean something or someone that was not praised or celebrated until the 1600s.

Hero comes from the Greek word “hērōs” and was believed to be used to describe “protectors” and God-like figures, such as Heracles, also known as Hercules. The word was borrowed from Greek by Latin, then by Old French, before eventually becoming the English word we know today. It came to be a word to describe humans who were exceptionally brave, rather than mythical characters and demi-gods, in the 1600s.

As mentioned earlier, the phrase “unsung hero” is an idiom. Idioms are words or phrases with a figurative definition that does not always make sense when we look at the phrase literally.

It is also considered a collocation. These are words that are often used together. Other examples of collocations are “fast food,” “save time,” and “pay attention.”

You might also be interested in our guide on basic English grammar rules .

There are a few synonyms for the phrase “unsung hero” in a thesaurus. Below is a word list to add to your English learner’s dictionary to increase your vocabulary:

• Secret Weapon
• Silent hero
• Nameless hero
• Unappreciated

If you want to learn some more new words, check out our list of essay words .

Unsung Hero Meaning: FAQs

There are several unsung hero awards, including the UK’s Unsung Hero Awards (AHA) to celebrate non-clinical and non-medical volunteers and staff in the NHS, BBC Sports’ Unsung Hero Award, and Thank a Teacher’s Unsung Heroes Award. The purpose of awards like these is to give people the recognition they deserve.

“Unsung hero” is two separate words, but it is referred to as an open compound word. That is two words that function together to create meaning but remain separated by a space. If you were attempting to use this word in a game like Scrabble, you would have to find a synonym or use “unsung” and “hero” separately.

Aisling is an Irish journalist and content creator with a BA in Journalism & New Media. She has bylines in OK! Magazine, Metro, The Inquistr, and the Irish Examiner. She loves to read horror and YA. Find Aisling on LinkedIn .

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Home — Application Essay — Engineering Schools — An Unsung Hero: College Admission Essay Sample

An Unsung Hero: College Admission Essay Sample

• University: Georgia Institute of Technology

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Words: 536 |

Published: Jul 18, 2018

Words: 536 | Pages: 1 | 3 min read

I remember the smile on his face. My father had been stressed for eight years, and I didn't think I'd ever see that smile again. It was an exuberant smile-one that showed a man who was at peace. Even with my father's reassuring smile, I was terribly tense-I hated needles. But if I wanted to be protected, I'd have to withstand those few seconds of pain. My dad had already tested the vaccine on himself, but now it was time to try it on his own family. Ever since he had begun studying the poliomyelitis virus, he had been unable to sleep. That virus had become the bane of every family-people feared sending their children to school because they might contract the disease. Sometimes polio was lethal, but because it attacked the central nervous system, even those who recovered were often paralyzed. It was a grim choice - death or paralysis - but my father said he could stop it.

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I remember him looking at us one evening during dinner and asking, "What would you say if I told you that I think I know how to stop polio?" We all looked back at him blankly. Finally, mother replied, "Mr. Jonas Salk! Never say things like that unless you mean it. Do you mean it?" He nodded. We knew he was serious, and my mother whispered something about him becoming a hero. But really, my father isn't one to care about being called a hero. He simply cares about people, and wants to help them whether he receives recognition or not.

The needle hurt as it dug into my skin, but within moments it was all over. It seemed unreal that such a brief surge of pain would prevent me from profound suffering, and perhaps death. I never once doubted my father. He had gone against the traditional way of thinking: that a body can only become immune to a virus once a mild form of the live virus infects it. The most important discoveries come from going against the traditional way of thinking, and that is exactly what my dad did. He killed the virus, but kept it intact enough so that the body would be able to recognize it and build an immunity against it.

He became a hero on April 12, 1955, the day that the polio vaccine was declared safe and effective. Soon everyone at school was getting vaccinated. Whether he wanted it or not, he was a savior. Polio had met its match. All my father's research paid off, and he became an icon in the field of science. I hope that one day I will be like him: he not only saved hundreds of thousands of lives, but did so with a caring heart.

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It is 1992. Last year, there was only one case of polio reported in the entire United States. Families all over the country love my father for having come to their aid and for saving their beloved children from the nefarious disease. My father could have made a fortune from patenting the vaccine, but as he famously stated, "Who owns my polio vaccine? The people! Could you patent the sun?"

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• Paragraph On Unsung Heroes Of Freedom Struggle

Paragraph on Unsung Heroes of Freedom Struggle - Check Samples

India’s independence is all about a lot of sacrifices and struggles. The Independence movement of India would not have been possible without the contribution of the great freedom fighters. Some of the freedom fighters are Rani Laxmi Bai, Subhash Chandra Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, etc. Other than these freedom fighters, there are a lot of other fighters who have sacrificed their lives for the country’s independence.

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Paragraph on unsung heroes of freedom struggle in 100 words, paragraph on unsung heroes of freedom struggle in 150 words, paragraph on unsung heroes of freedom struggle in 200 words, paragraph on unsung heroes of freedom struggle in 250 words, frequently asked questions on unsung heroes of freedom struggles.

Writing a paragraph on the unsung heroes of the freedom struggle? Refer to the samples provided below for reference.

India’s independence has been a historic change for the country. The British ruled India for a long period of time, and freeing India from the British Raj was a long-drawn affair. So many freedom fighters sacrificed their lives for the happiness of the people of India. Some well-known freedom fighters are Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, Rani Laxmi Bai, etc. But along with these popular faces, there were a lot of other freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the people of India. With time, the names of these fighters have faded into darkness. Some unsung heroes of the freedom struggle are Birsa Munda, Kamla Devi, Tirupur Kumaran, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, etc.

India’s independence struggle was a historic movement to bring a beautiful future to this wonderfully diverse and rich continent. India was under the British Raj for a very long period, and the Indians had no freedom of their own. The freedom fighters of our country decided to take a step ahead and move on with a struggling life and get done with the British Raj. Many freedom fighters came in and joined hands together to fight against injustice and free the country with pride. Some fighters like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhagat Singh, etc., are the popularly known faces of the free India movement. Still, other heroes have sacrificed their today for a beautiful tomorrow along with these faces. Some heroes are Birsa Munda, Kamala Das, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Khudiram Bose, etc. In some way or the other, these people have made enormous contributions toward the country’s freedom.

The Independence movement of India is known to each and every individual. Many rulers have ruled India, and the last was the British, who ruled the country for a long time. The Indians had to live with a lot of restrictions and had no freedom of their own. So to help people live a peaceful life, freedom fighters of India joined hands together and promised to save the people of India. Some popular freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, Rani Laxmi Bai, etc., took the lead to free India from the British Raj. Other than these freedom fighters, several other people had come forward to free India from British rule. But these faces are not well known to us because of various reasons. Some of the faces are Birsa Munda, Kamala Das, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Khudiram Bose, etc. They have sacrificed their lives and their happiness for a better tomorrow. The way we appreciate the contributions of well-known freedom fighters, the contributions of the unsung freedom fighters must also be appreciated and regarded.

Every person in India is familiar with the country’s independence movement. India has had several rulers, the most recent of whom were the British, who ruled for a long time. India was colonised by the British for a long period of time, and the freedom fighters had to dream of removing the British from the country and living a free life. The Indians were subjected to several limitations and lacked personal liberty. A lot of freedom fighters struggled to remove the Sati Pratha from society. They fought for the widows’ rights and started the girl’s education system. So, in order to assist people in leading peaceful lives, India’s freedom fighters joined hands and pledged to save the Indian people. Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, Rani Laxmi Bai, and other well-known independence warriors led the charge to liberate India from the British Raj. Apart from these independence warriors, there were others whose sole motivation was to liberate India from British control. However, for a variety of reasons, we are unfamiliar with their faces. They have given up their life and their happiness in the hopes of a brighter tomorrow. Birsa Munda, Kamala Das, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Khudiram Bose, and others are among the faces. Their contributions must be valued in the same manner that we value the contributions of well-known freedom fighters. With these popular faces, we have somehow forgotten the faces of those who have contributed to the freedom struggle. Now it is time to pay tribute to these faces.

Who are the Unsung Heroes of Freedom Struggles?

Many freedom fighters have struggled to free India, like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, etc. Still, we have somehow forgotten the other freedom fighters who had struggled for India and are known as Unsung Heroes of Freedom Struggles like Peer Ali Khan, Khudiram Bose, Birsa Munda, Kamala Das, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Khudiram Bose, etc.

What do you mean by unsung?

Unsung means the ones who are not praised and who are not appreciated for their contributions.

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Oxygen: the Unsung Hero of Earth’s Drama

This essay about oxygen presents it not merely as a chemical element, but as the lifeblood of our planet, essential for the survival of all living beings. It discusses oxygen’s role in various vital processes such as respiration, the formation of water, and protection against UV radiation via the ozone layer. Highlighting the significance of photosynthesis, the essay credits plants, algae, and certain bacteria as primary producers of oxygen, emphasizing the importance of forests and oceans in this process. Moreover, it touches on the industrial and medical applications of oxygen, showcasing its versatility. The essay also raises concerns about how human activities like pollution, deforestation, and climate change threaten the balance of oxygen production and consumption, underlining the need for sustainable practices to protect this invaluable resource. Moreover, at PapersOwl, there are additional free essay samples connected to Oxygen.

How it works

Let’s talk about oxygen – not as a dry, textbook element, but as the lifeblood of our planet, the silent hero in the ongoing saga of Earth. This isn’t just another scientific monologue; it’s a tribute to that invisible force that fills our lungs, fuels fires, and forms the protective blanket high above us. Oxygen, making up about 21% of our atmosphere, is more than a simple gas; it’s the cornerstone of life, the spark in our environmental engine.

Dive beneath the surface of its scientific persona, and you’ll find oxygen at the heart of nearly every vital process on Earth. It’s the breath of our forests, the pulse in our oceans, and the shield against the sun’s more harmful rays. The very act of breathing, an act so natural we hardly give it a second thought, is a testament to oxygen’s role in our survival. But its story is woven through much more than just our respiration.

Consider the role of oxygen in water – that most essential of molecules. Without oxygen, there’s no water; without water, there’s no life. It’s as simple and as complex as that. Then there’s the ozone layer, our planetary sunscreen, safeguarding us from UV radiation. Oxygen, in its O3 form, absorbs the brunt of these rays, allowing life to flourish beneath its protective veil.

Oxygen’s tale begins in the quiet photosynthetic processes of plants, algae, and certain bacteria. These organisms are the true MVPs, converting sunlight into energy and, in the process, producing oxygen as a byproduct. This not only offers us a breathable atmosphere but also plays a crucial role in controlling the climate by capturing carbon dioxide. The balance of oxygen production and consumption is a finely tuned ecosystem dance that’s been choreographed over millennia.

Now, let’s take a plunge into the oceans, where microscopic phytoplankton perform much of the Earth’s oxygen production. These tiny plant-like organisms are the unsung heroes of the marine world, contributing significantly to our oxygen supply. Meanwhile, on land, the lush green canopies of forests pump out vast amounts of oxygen, reminding us of the critical importance of preserving these natural reservoirs.

But oxygen’s influence extends beyond the natural world and into human innovation. It’s a vital player in medical treatments, supporting those with breathing difficulties and making strides in therapies for various conditions. In the realm of industry, oxygen is a key ingredient in processes from metal cutting to rocket fuel, showcasing its versatility.

Yet, for all its abundance and critical roles, oxygen levels are not immune to human impact. The same activities that have advanced civilization are now threatening the delicate balance of oxygen production and consumption. Pollution, deforestation, and climate change pose significant challenges, with implications not just for oxygen levels but for the health of the entire planet.

In wrapping up this ode to oxygen, let’s not forget that this element is more than a scientific curiosity. It’s a fundamental thread in the tapestry of life, an essential component of our planet’s past, present, and future. As we move forward, understanding and protecting the processes that maintain our oxygen supply is not just scientific necessity; it’s a responsibility to our home, Earth. Oxygen’s story is far from over, and we play a part in how it unfolds. Let’s make it a tale of sustainability, stewardship, and respect for the quiet hero that sustains us all.

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Essay On Unsung Heroes Of Freedom Struggle

Essay on Unsung Heroes of Freedom Struggle: There are many great freedom fighters who contributed to making India an independent nation who have never been recognized for their brave deeds, so they are called the unsung heroes of the freedom struggle.

A very challenging act, making India an independent nation took nearly 90 years, and without the effort of the unsung heroes of the nation, it would not have been possible.

Students and exam aspirants should pay special attention to the “Essay on unsung Heroes of The Freedom Struggle”. I have also provided a long elaborate essay on this topic in the same reference. The students might find this useful for writing essays, paragraphs, assignments, or projects on it.

Table of Contents

Essay on Unsung Heroes of Freedom Struggle 150 Words

It is well known that India has been ruled by several rulers, including the British, who ruled it for many years. Each and every Indian knows the significance of the Independence movement. Indians were subjected to a great deal of restrictions and lacked freedom.

To help the people of India live a peaceful life, the freedom fighters joined hands together and vowed to protect them. The British Raj ruled India for 148 years, until Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, Rani Laxmi Bai, and several others came forward and freed the country.

In spite of this fact, many of these people are not well known to us due to many reasons. There are many examples of these people, such as Birsa Munda, Kamala Das, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Khudiram Bose, etc., who gave their lives and happiness to make the world a better place.

It is important to appreciate and regard the contributions of the unsung freedom fighters the same way we do the contributions of the well-known freedom fighters.

Essay on Unsung Heroes of Freedom Struggle 250 Words

Every country in the world has such heroes who sacrifice their lives for their country. Freedom cannot be achieved without leaders to achieve freedom. Every country in the world has these heroes. In order for a country to achieve freedom and independence, freedom fighters play a crucial role.

For almost 200 years, the British ruled India. They suppressed our voices and rights. It was a tough time for India. Indians were forced to work without any pay. India was in complete darkness.

After so many years of fighting against the Britishers, India gained its freedom from the British government in 1947 thanks to the freedom fighters who had fought against them.

Freedom fighters from all over India sacrificed their lives to fight against the Britishers. Some are famous, some are unknown. We must respect them both.

Freedom fighters such as Mahatma Gandhi, Baghat Singh, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Subhash Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Mangal Pandey, Bipin Chandra Pal, Bhimrao Ambedkar, and Sukhdev are renowned.

It is unfortunate that there are so many freedom fighters who are unknown to the world. We call them the Unsung Heroes of the Freedom Struggle of India. Here is a list of freedom fighters you may not have heard of.

Begum Hazrat Mahal

She led the battle for Indian independence in 1857 under Begum Hazrat Mahal, also known as “Begum of Awadh.”.

Bursa Munda

During the British regime, Birsa Munda led the millenarian movement which started in the Bengal Presidency (now known as Jharkhand) in 1875.

Peer Ali Khan

In 1857, Peer Ali Khan participated in the freedom movement of India and participated in many freedom movements. Sadly, he died as a result of his participation.

Lakshmi Sahgal

Lakshmi Sahgal was born on October 24, 1914 and served as a member of the Indian National Army and a minister of women’s affairs.

Garimella Satyanarayana

The poet Garimella Satyanarayana inspired many people. Using his poetry and songs, he instilled a sense of patriotism in the people of Andhra Pradesh to join the anti-British movement.

Matangini Hazra

Despite living in poverty, Matangini Hazra got little formal education. She was married at an early age and died when she was 18 after being widowed.

The Civil Disobedience

Unsung Heroes of Freedom Struggle Essay 500 Words

More than 200 years ago, India was under British control. As a result, the freedom struggle movement started in 1857 in the nation and lasted until August 15, 1947.

It was a very long struggle for independence, lasting 90 years, and was a very painful experience for all the Indians during that time. It was a massive struggle, and many people throughout the nation participated in it.

In the history of our country, we have mostly read about and heard about famous freedom fighters such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose, Rani Lakshmibai, etc. However, the list of freedom fighters of the nation includes many more names.

Despite the fact that these individuals have been involved in the freedom struggle, the names and evidence of their bravery are not mentioned in our history.

Because nobody in the nation knows their names or their contributions to the country, these freedom fighters are called unsung heroes of the liberation struggle.

Indian cinema has played a crucial role in highlighting the names of the brave Indian revolutionaries such as Bhagat Singh and Mangal Pandey. Their names were also included on the list of unsung heroes of the nation.

Few Unsung Heroes Of The Independence Struggle

In 2022, we will celebrate our 76th independence day after celebrating our independence day for the last 75 years. In your opinion, would independence have been possible without the efforts of a few prominent leaders and freedom fighters?

The nation achieved independence as a result of the bravery and sacrifice of many great freedom fighters as well as unsung heroes.

On the 76th anniversary of India’s independence, let’s make our celebrations more memorable by learning about some of the unsung heroes who had sacrificed their lives to make India free but were never recognized by the citizens of the country. By doing so, we are paying tribute to all our unsung heroes, as well as their sacrifices.

Madam Bhikaji Kama

A prominent Indian revolutionary, Madam Bhikaji Kama was born in 1936 into a Parsi family in Mumbai. She went to London in 1936 for a cure of plague, where she met Shyamji Krishna Verma.

Her impression was greatly influenced by the speeches he delivered for London Indian communities. It was through Shyamji Krishna Verma that she became acquainted with Dadabhai Naoroji.

An important figure in the Indian independence struggle is Peer Ali Khan. In 1812, this revolutionary was born in Muhammadpur Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh state of India. In a rebellion against the British, he played a major role.

In this way, he was able to provide coded messages, notes, and important leaflets to the freedom fighters. Throughout his career, he was engaged in bookbinding. Additionally, he participated in campaigns against the British.

Sardar Udham Singh

As a freedom fighter, Sardar Udham Singh played a major role in the struggle for independence. The massacre at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar in 1919 greatly moved him, so he decided to avenge this painful incident by taking revenge. At that time, a British official named Michael O’Dwyer, the lieutenant governor of Punjab, was responsible for this painful incident.

On the 13th of March in 1940, Udham Singh was accused of killing O’Dwyer at Caxton Hall in London. Therefore, he was sentenced to death and hanged on 31st July 1940. While in prison, he kept his name Ram Mohammad Singh Azad, and emphasized the three main religions in the country – Hinduism, Islam, and Sikhism.

Tiruppur Kumaran

A freedom fighter, Tiruppur Kumaran was born on the 4th of October 1904 in Erode district of Tamil Nadu to Nachimuthu Mudaliyar and Karuppaayi. His involvement in protesting against Britishers started at a very young age.

Through the protests, he raised his voice against Britishers. At the age of 27, he died protesting against Britishers on January 11, 1932. The state government installed a statue in Tiruppur in honor of this great freedom fighter and India Post issued a stamp in his name to mark the centennial of his birth.

Khudiram Bose

A brave freedom fighter, Khudiram Bose is regarded as the second youngest revolutionary of the Indian Independence movement. He was born in the West Bengal State of India on 3rd December, 1889. His protests against British rule began at a very young age.

He was accused of the murder of two British women in a carriage. He was the first Indian revolutionary of Bengal to be executed by the British. His friend Prafulla Chaki shot himself before being arrested by the British. Khudiram Bose was 18 and 8 months old when sentenced to death.

It was Matangini Hazra who actively participated in the Indian independence struggle. In the year 1869, she was born in a small peasant family in Hogla village of West Bengal. She was active in protesting against the Britishers until the end of her life. As part of the Indian independence movement, she participated in several protests against the Britishers, and she was also imprisoned several times.

The Indian revolutionary Begum Hazrat Mahal fought for freedom during the 1857 independence revolt. She was born in 1820 in Uttar Pradesh. The second wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, Begum Hazrat Mahal took part in nationalist activities after the British took over Awadh and the Nawab was exiled in Calcutta. She died there in 1879.

Indian history has been filled with the sacrifice of many brave freedom fighters. It is regrettable that we are unaware of the names of many of them, who sacrificed their lives for the nation’s independence.

As we celebrate Independence Day in the nation, we remember the events of our history and pay tribute to all of our freedom fighters for their bravery and sacrifice. The names of many brave Indian revolutionaries are in obscurity, but we can recognize them by referring to them as ‘unsung heroes of the freedom struggle’.

Independence of India is a great gift from the brave freedom fighters, both known and unknown. We salute all of these unsung heroes for their brave sacrifices and brave deeds in this country.

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Sudan’s unsung heroes: protecting people living with and affected by hiv amidst conflict and famine.

15 April 2024

One year ago, on 15 April 2023, armed conflict broke out in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forc

One year ago, on 15 April 2023, armed conflict broke out in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces. Since then, the situation has worsened. The hostilities, which were initially centred in Khartoum State, have intensified and rendered over half the country inaccessible.

The impact of this conflict has been devastating. Some 8.6 million Sudanese have been forced to flee their homes, 6.8 million are displaced with in the country and 1.8 million have sought refuge in neighbouring countries – Chad, Egypt and South Sudan.

The severity of the humanitarian emergency has been compounded by a deepening famine crisis, with 17.7 million Sudanese facing acute food insecurity, close to 5 million of whom are on the verge of starvation, as reported by OCHA and the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.

In addition to the humanitarian crisis, the conflict has severely disrupted the healthcare infrastructure. The central depot, which stored all the antiretroviral treatment for people living with HIV in the country is inaccessible and the stock that it holds has since expired.

Before the conflict erupted, 11,000 people living with HIV in Sudan were on HIV treatment, 4000 of whom were lost to follow-up when the war broke out. All HIV prevention and testing services were suspended.

“We are adapting the HIV response in Sudan to the situation in the country. Our priority has been to get anti-retroviral treatment to those who need it, in whatever way we can,” said Elsheikh Ali, UNAIDS Country Director for Sudan.

Despite these challenges, there are unsung heroes who are working tirelessly to ensure that the HIV response continues uninterrupted.

Amidst active war, the displacement of critical partners in the HIV response, poor internet connectivity and communications, sporadic electricity and growing food insecurity, the HIV national response team, with UNAIDS’ support, were able to reconsider, plan and raise resources for this new, national context of the HIV response in the country. The team was able to submit a funding application to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (Global Fund) and to finalize the Global Fund Grant Making process. This secured critical financial support to HIV, TB and Malaria for the next three years. The funds received from previous Global Fund cycles have been used to replace stocks of antiretroviral treatment (ARVs) as well as to establish new HIV treatment storage facilities in safer regions.

During the COVID pandemic, Sudan established a ‘Search and Rescue’ system to track people living with HIV who had  their treatment interrupted. Once the conflict in the country escalated, the HIV national response team were able to draw on the ‘Search and Rescue’ system to locate most of the 4000 people living with HIV who were lost to follow-up because of the war and to re-enrol them again to receive HIV treatment services.

“We have heroes here in Sudan, including networks of people living with HIV, who are working in very difficult circumstances, traveling tens of kilometres and risking their safety, to personally deliver ARVs to the people who need it,” said Elsheikh Ali, UNAIDS Country Director, Sudan. “These are the people we should be applauding; they are the ones keeping the HIV response going in the middle of a war and famine.”

The Ministry of Health, whose infrastructure has been significantly disrupted, is trying to provide critical HIV services including treatment and PEP (emergency medicine for HIV taken to prevent the virus in case of potential exposure to the virus) in regions of the country where there is active warfare. In more stable areas, more comprehensive HIV services are now being offered to those who need them.

In the face of the escalating humanitarian crisis in Sudan, there are dedicated people who remain steadfast in their commitment and working selflessly to mitigate the impact of the conflict on the HIV response.

“The HIV national response team exemplify the resilience  the AIDS response,” said Anne Githuku-Shongwe, UNAIDS Regional Director Eastern and Southern Africa. “In the face of adversity – war, displacement, famine – and against all odds, they have found a way to continue collaborating to uphold the HIV response.” She adds, “They have completed a successful Global Fund grant in the middle of an active war. They have made sure that people living with HIV across Sudan are not being left behind, that they are found, there is treatment available for them and that they receive it.  That is resilience, commitment and leadership.”

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HIV in humanitarian and emergency settings

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Montgomery College Professor Highlighted in ASBMB's Unsung Hero Video

• April 15, 2024
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Montgomery College professor Aubrey Smith was highlighted in American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) video about the unsung heroes of our time, the explorers of life at the most fundamental levels. You can watch the full video below.

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A thank you one of USF Libraries’ “unsung heroes”

After a decade with the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library , Samuel Holloway III will be retiring. If you have been at the USF St. Petersburg library well into the night, no doubt you have seen Holloway hard at work. As a supervisor of the night shift Monday through Thursday until 2 a.m.,  he oversees the library to provide late-night study hours to a steady stream of students. A USF St. Petersburg mainstay since 2014, Samuel marks his final shift in late April.

While we will miss him greatly,  we wish Samuel the best in his retirement and thank him for his decade of dedication to the students, faculty, staff, and community of USF.

Read more about Samuel’s journey with USF Libraries here .

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for King & Country visits Liberty, promotes new ‘Unsung Hero’ film about their family’s story

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April 12, 2024 : By Ted Allen - Office of Communications & Public Engagement

Even as they hyped their newest feature film, “Unsung Hero,” based on their family’s move from Australia to America and the trials they overcame to emerge as one of Christian music’s most popular bands, for King & Country performed a full set of songs to inspire students gathered for Friday morning’s Convocation.

From “Fix My Eyes” and “Love Me Like I Am” to “Priceless” and the film’s title song, “Unsung Hero,” the brothers duo of Joel and Luke Smallbone engaged the crowd with an interactive experience from the stage to the seats.

During the anthem “Burn the Ships,” sung as a ballad from amongst the audience as phone flashlights illuminated the arena, Joel shared an intimate prayer affirming how much the students are loved by the God who created them. The set also included acoustic versions of “God Only Knows” and “Joy” and concluded with the band’s rendition of “Little Drummer Boy,” with Luke on drums.

“I just want to say on behalf of LU, ‘Thank you,’” Liberty Vice President for Spiritual Development Josh Rutledge said as he sat down with the Smallbones to discuss the film, which releases April 26 in theaters across the country. “You guys consistently show up and serve and you just bless us.”

The movie, chronicles “One family’s journey from Down Under to center stage,” from out of poverty to the bright lights of Nashville and tours around the United States and Canada.

“Unsung Hero” is co-directed and co-written by Richard Ramsey and Joel Smallbone, who plays the role of his father, David. In the film, David’s once-successful Sydney-based music company that promoted concerts in Australia collapses and he opts to move his family — his wife, Helen, and their six children, with one on the way — to the United States in search of a brighter future.

The brothers began their music careers as band members for older sister Rebecca St. James, one of America’s most popular female Christian recording artists of the 1990s, and eventually followed in her steps to become for King & Country.

The movie is a drama, with comedic elements that share the family’s transformation through trial — turning struggle into adventure — with a diverse soundtrack from the 1990s.

Playing the role of his father proved a life-changing experience for Joel Smallbone.

Luke Smallbone, who also co-produced the film, said it should inspire families to draw closer together and nearer to God.

“I believe in the power of the family,” he said. “I think the family is more important today than it ever has been in the history of the world.”

He cited Mother Teresa who said, “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.”

“That’s kind of the heartbeat behind this movie,” Luke told the students. “If we want to see revival in the Western world, I think it’s going to come through the family. Some of you here might be thinking, ‘Well, Luke, I’m away from my family right now. I don’t have the opportunity to speak into my family.’ Well, here’s what I would say: The people that you are sitting next to, here for four years if you are a freshman, they are your family. If you are a senior, the people that go beneath you, the way that you love them, the way that you care for them, has everything to do with family.”

At its essence, the film is a tribute to the artists’ parents, for their sacrificial love shown toward their family. Luke Smallbone encouraged the students to honor their own mothers and fathers by learning from their mistakes and creating their own legacies.

“The way that you honor and respect your parents in these years that you are here at college has everything to do with the way that you will raise your kids, the way that you will go about your life,” he said. “You play a vital role in the influence of where your family goes, from here until however long you get the privilege of being with your parents.”

Josh Walsh, co-producer of the film, will host a Q&A following a premiere showing of “Unsung Hero” at the university’s theater inside the Get Air Trampoline Park at the Candlers Station Shopping Center at 7 p.m., with limited seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

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Procurement institute reviewing awards after ArriveCan app team named 'unsung heroes'

The award was meant for 'innovative and effective' procurement during the pandemic, but the ArriveCan team’s work has been severely criticized by the auditor-general

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OTTAWA — An organization that promotes procurement best practices within the federal public service says it is reviewing its reward process after giving an “unsung heroes” award in 2021 to the procurement team behind the ArriveCan app.

Procurement institute reviewing awards after ArriveCan app team named 'unsung heroes' Back to video

In the fall of 2021, the Canadian Institute for Procurement and Material Management (CIPMM) published a  whimsical one-page graphic  announcing the recipients of its annual procurement awards.

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Well into the COVID-19 pandemic that had thrown much of the procurement (and the rest) of the world upside down, CIPMM also included a new award category: the “2021 special award: Unsung Heroes.”

The award was meant to highlight teams and individuals who had found “innovative and effective” procurement and material management solutions during the pandemic. Seventeen government teams shared the new award as well as five individuals.

Among those teams is one standout: the Canada Border Services Agency procurement team behind the ArriveCan application.

Just over two years later, CBSA’s ArriveCan procurement team’s work would once again be highlighted, this time in a scathing report by federal Auditor General Karen Hogan.

“The Canada Border Services Agency’s documentation, financial records, and controls were so poor that we were unable to determine the precise cost of the ArriveCAN application,” reads Hogan’s report on the ArriveCan procurement process published this winter.

“The Canada Border Services Agency’s disregard for policies, controls, and transparency in the contracting process restricted opportunities for competition and undermined value for money… We also found deficiencies in how the Canada Border Services Agency managed the contracts, again raising concerns about value for money.”

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In light of Hogan’s scathing report on the ArriveCan app, which determined the cost ballooned from $80,000 to approximately $59.5 million, CIPMM president Carolyne Montague says the non-profit, volunteer-run organization is reviewing how it grants some of its annual rewards.

“We do not currently have a process in place to retract awards. However, I will be asking the Awards Committee to examine if we could introduce a way of validating the information provided in the nomination papers,” Montague wrote in an email to National Post.

CIPMM’s mission is to “advance and promote professionalism and effectiveness” of the federal public service’s procurement practices by organization webinars, events and workshops largely aimed at bureaucrats and government contractors.

Montague said the institute is not an extension of the public service, though  all but one of its 1 5 board and executive committee voting members (Montague) are government executives.

Montague said the 2021 “Unsung Heroes” award was awarded to all the teams put forward by their respective government departments after a call-out by the CIPMM.

“Given the unprecedented nature of the pandemic and its impact on the work and work environment of the procurement and materiel management officers, the (Awards) Committee found it difficult to select a single recipient for the Team and for the Individual awards. Their recommendation to award everyone who was nominated was accepted by the Board of Directors,” she wrote.

In an interview, Conservative MP Michael Barrett said the ArriveCan application is an example of how not to do government procurement.

“It is proving to be a cautionary tale for everyone who gets involved with (Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s) government because there’s corruption at every turn,” he said in an interview. “We’re now seeing this with his $60 million ArriveScam.”

He noted that the federal government is paying tens of billions of dollars to consultants every year all the while growing the size of the public service during the pandemic.

“Canadians are not getting value for money, and that’s the case with ArriveCan,” he said.

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The Kingmaker: The ‘unsung hero’ of Trump’s 2016 election is back.

But this time he isn’t endorsing a candidate.

By Samuel Benson

On a Sunday morning in 2006, Chad Connelly’s life began to unravel. As he tells it, he came home from a church service with his two sons in tow, ages nine and five. Upon entering the house, he found his wife of 18 years on the kitchen floor, lifeless. He sent his boys to their room and held her body. “I literally challenged God,” he recalls. “If all things work together for good to them that love God,” he prayed, “you’ve got to prove it.” The following weeks were a blur. He fainted in the casket room. He hadn’t arranged for a headstone — “Nobody ever told me you had to go pick out a tombstone,” he recalls. He ached for his sons, who lost one parent to suicide and seemed to be losing another to distress. He agonized over his career as an engineer and a businessman. But he felt a nudge. “Sometimes in the lowest places, God says, ‘I’m not done with you,’” he says. “I believe he’s tapped us on the shoulder and said, ‘Now it’s your turn, go fix what’s going on in this nation.’” Here in his story, Connelly says that he decided to follow the voice. Now, nearly two decades later, he works as one of the most influential evangelical powerbrokers in American politics.

If Connelly had his way, every Christian in the country would vote. The country, as he sees it, is barreling toward a precipice: away from the Bible, away from conservative values, away from God. He believes that if he can train enough pastors to vote the “right way,” they can train their congregants. “Political people walk into my meetings, and they see 42 pastors,” Connelly says. “I see 6,000 people, 8,000 people. They don’t know the multiplier effect.”

“I believe he’s tapped us on the shoulder and said, ‘Now it’s your turn, go fix what’s going on in this nation.’”

Connelly isn’t a pastor. He’s not a big-money donor. Aside from a stint as the Republican Party chair in South Carolina, he’s never held elected office. But within his nonprofit organization Faith Wins, Connelly has amassed a following of some 16,000 evangelical pastors, who look to him as a mentor as they navigate political issues. He speaks with an assuredness — a charm. And with conviction. To them, Connelly is the nonpartisan guide equipped to help them combine their faith with their politics. All he asks in return is they register their congregants to vote and teach them to vote “Biblical values.” Faith Wins has pastors involved in all 50 states, though the highest concentrations are in early-voting states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Before the Iowa caucuses, Connelly blitzed the state with a group of pastors, hosting “caucus training” meetings in churches, where he guided congregants on where to vote, how to register and which values should drive their candidate choice. In New Hampshire, he held pastor briefings on issues like Israel and abortion. In South Carolina, he held closed-door meetings with Republican candidates themselves.

To Connelly, his work is an essential bridge between church and politics. But not everyone sees it that way. Many Americans are uncomfortable with religious leaders operating in the political sphere. Trust in clergy hit a new low in a recent Gallup survey . In his new book, “The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism,” journalist Tim Alberta writes of the melding of the political right and the evangelical church. A new form of Christian nationalism, Alberta writes, allows evangelicals to embrace a “Christian America that puts them at odds with Christianity.” They are able to replace their worship of God with the worship of a state: “They have allowed their national identity to shape their faith identity instead of the other way around,” he writes. Connelly doesn’t escape Alberta’s pen. Connelly is “warm and self-deprecating,” he writes, but by bringing politics into the sanctuary, he’s doing inextricable damage to the church. “Did Connelly worry, in the context of campaigning inside houses of worship, about a blurry line between engagement and idolatry?” Alberta writes.

It is believed the term “kingmaker” traces back to 15th-century Britain. The first was Richard Neville, the 16th Earl of Warwick, who — through a fortuitous combination of military prowess and familial prestige — helped remove both Henry VI and Edward IV from the throne by assassination.

In American politics, kingmakers operate with money and influence, not swords. There are the media magnates, like Rupert Murdoch. There are the billionaires — George Soros, the late Sheldon Adelson. There are webs of big-name advisers and big-money donors — the Koch brothers, Tom Steyer, Paul Singer. But it wasn’t until the 1960s that clergy became kingmakers in American politics the way we recognize them today. Some pastors had always preached politics, to a degree — in colonial times, it was the custom in several New England states to “open each year’s session of the legislature with an annual election sermon,” according to archives from the American Antiquarian Society. But they were rarely entwined in the world of partisan politics. First, it was Billy Graham, working behind the scenes trying to sink John F. Kennedy for being Catholic. Then it was Jerry Falwell, diving headfirst into Republican politics with his “Moral Majority” movement.

Falwell’s overtly partisan maneuverings were concerning, even to Graham. “Evangelists cannot be closely identified with any particular party or person,” he said. “We have to stand in the middle to preach to all people, right and left.” That was a common position, at the time. At the height of Watergate, when prominent evangelicals were in Nixon’s corner, Barry Goldwater — the boisterous Republican senator — warned of religious influence in his party. “Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the (Republican) party, and they’re sure trying to do so, it’s going to be a terrible damn problem,” he told a journalist. “... Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can’t and won’t compromise.”

But Falwell’s Moral Majority proved both influential and lucrative: The massive conservative lobbying group pushed Reagan into the White House in 1980, riding the support of over two million donors. By the early 1990s, the Moral Majority splintered. Cal Thomas, a conservative columnist, warned against the corrupting influence that power had on the organization’s original intentions. “In the 1980s, people were led to believe that changing government leadership would keep their teenage daughter from getting pregnant, would clean up television, would reduce drug use, and restore ‘morality’ to America,” he wrote . “They believed it because we in the Moral Majority knew they wanted to believe it, so we convinced them it could happen. Many books were sold with quotations from the past, suggesting that the time of the Founders was more moral than the time of Carter and Clinton. (Somehow Republican presidents got a free pass even when they failed to do what we wanted.) But those of us who criticized liberal attempts to use government to impose what we regarded as an unrighteous standard were trying just as hard to use government to impose a righteous standard.”

“They have allowed their national identity to shape their faith identity instead of the other way around.”

Connelly sees his work as different from the old Moral Majority, as well as different from the Christian Coalition and other groups. Instead of spending each evening on television himself, he’d rather empower the local pastors to “do the work themselves.” But Connelly has made a career out of his influence. Even before his wife died and he pivoted his career, he’d already begun curating a public image as a motivational speaker and author. In the early 2000s, he began writing a book about “the solid values that once formed the bedrock of American society.” In 2013, Connelly became the Republican National Committee’s first-ever director of faith engagement. He hit the road, meeting with some 80,000 pastors (in his estimation) in the three years preceding the 2016 election, asking pastors: All things are spiritual, including so-called political issues. So why aren’t your congregants turning out to the polls? Come November 2016, evangelicals did turn out, in record fashion: 80 percent of white evangelicals backed Trump, the highest proportion for a Republican candidate ever recorded. Connelly was praised as the “unsung hero” of Trump’s election. Evangelicals made up over one-fourth of the 2016 electorate; it was Trump’s victory in a handful of evangelical-heavy swing states — Iowa, Florida, Ohio — that secured him the election.

This year, Connelly can’t formally endorse a candidate and maintain nonprofit status with Faith Wins. He’s instead resorted to encouraging his pastors to vote according to “Biblical values,” as he calls it. “I can take you to the scripture on life, marriage, Israel, religious liberty, sovereign borders,” he says. “We want to link arms on the issues that matter — that are biblical, basic, common sense, conservative issues.” While a growing number of evangelicals are skeptical of Trump, Connelly says he would be doing the same work if there were an election this year or not. “You think this is about an election? No,” he says. He wants to see pastors and congregants involved in their communities. But, right now anyway, the pastors Connelly has trained aren’t meeting with local city councils or county mayors or even governors — they are focusing on a presidential election. Perhaps it’s a symptom of a broader American fixation: a creep toward all politics becoming national, and a dissolution of interest in building strong communities from the inside out. When asked if he will see his work as a success if the pastors he’s coached are active in their local communities, but the more liberal presidential candidate wins the election, Connelly takes a beat. “(The election) is a piece of the puzzle. And policies always have an impact. But getting these guys involved locally is a whole lot bigger deal to me.”

This story appears in the April 2024 issue of Deseret Magazine . Learn more about how to subscribe .