What is the main message of Make Change?

The main message of Make Change is to inspire and empower individuals to create positive social change.

How long does it take to read Make Change?

The reading time for Make Change varies depending on the reader's speed. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

Who is the author of Make Change?

The author of Make Change is Shaun King.

Biography & Memoir

Make Change Book Summary - Make Change Book explained in key points

Listen to the Intro

00:00

Make Change summary

Name: Make Change
Rating: 3.8 (181 reviews)
Author: Shaun King

Shaun King

How to Fight Injustice, Dismantle Systemic Oppression, and Own Our Future

3.8 (181 ratings)

22 mins

Brief summary

Make Change by Shaun King is a call to action for anyone looking to make a positive impact on society. King tells his personal story and shares strategies and ideas for fighting injustice while also inspiring readers to take action in their own communities.

Topics

Autobiographies Black Lives Matter

Table of Contents

Make Change
Summary of 7 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 7

What’s in it for me? Learn how to start making a real difference in the world.

Are you ready to hear some bitter truths?

In the past few years, American police have shot an average of three people a day – and a disproportionate number of them were Black. Additionally, income inequality in the US has skyrocketed, the cost of healthcare has become untenable, and over half a million people are homeless. Oh, and if we don’t drastically reduce emissions right now, in just a few years time it will be entirely too late to stop climate change.

If you’re an empathetic, informed human being in the modern world, the size and scope of our social, economic, and environmental problems can seem overwhelming. You might dream of making the world a better place. But when it comes to actually doing something about it, you may feel totally helpless. After all, what can you, a single person, do about any of these huge issues?

The truth is, any successful movement for social change is made up of individuals just like you. These Blinks look into the ideas of civil rights activist Shaun King and show the tips, tools, and strategies you need to get started – and what our movements need to succeed.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

the single most important takeaway from human history;
the three indispensable components of any successful movement; and
why one win outweighs a dozen losses.

In order to understand change, you need to understand history.

The most profound insight about how the world works came to Shaun in a college class he didn’t really want to take.

It was 2015, and he’d just gotten more serious about his activism. Over the past few months, he’d emerged as a leading social media figure in the budding Black Lives Matter movement. But the many setbacks the movement had suffered were taking a toll on him. In November 2014, 12-year-old Tamir Rice had been shot in Cleveland, Ohio, for playing with a toy gun. A little later, the police officers responsible for the murder of Michael Brown and Eric Garner had been cleared of all charges.

So Shaun tried to build a deeper foundation for his work by enrolling in the Master of African American Studies program at Arizona State University.

Here’s the key message: In order to understand change, you need to understand history.

In one of his first classes, Introduction to Historiography, Shaun learned about Leopold von Ranke – a nineteenth-century German historian who’d attempted to compile a complete timeline of world history. Initially, Shaun was convinced that the theories of an old, white German man couldn’t possibly provide any useful insight into modern-day activism.

But Ranke's grand historical project revealed something that shook up Shaun's entire worldview. Up until then, Shaun had believed that human history was evolving toward peace and justice.

But Ranke’s timeline showed that history was a constant fluctuation of peaks and dips: peace and war, prosperity and famine, fascism and freedom. Reliably, progressive pushes to make the world a better place were followed by conservative backlash. For instance, when Black people enjoyed a brief period of relative freedom after the Civil War, the American South soon introduced oppressive Jim Crow laws that constituted an updated version of slavery.

And right now, one could argue that we’re living in the “dip” following the election of America’s first Black president, Barack Obama. But none of history’s worst dips – war, genocide, or fascism – have happened out of the blue. Even the election of a right-wing demagogue like Donald Trump had a decade-long buildup. Trump’s presidency was enabled by economic, social, and political structures set up long ago and allowed to thrive by people who chose not to see their systemic flaws.

And while it’s easy to slide into a dip, it’s a lot harder to come out of one. Doing so requires many people working together to build a better future – people like you.

Your story determines the causes you care about.

Police reform, better health care, climate justice – there’s a thousand good causes to start fighting for right now. And if we want to create a better world, we’ll need to advance each of them.

As a compassionate individual, you probably care about many issues. But those closest to your heart are determined by your own personal backstory.

Decide on a cause, forget your excuses, and start making a change.

There’s likely more than one cause that you connect with personally and feel passionate about. That’s OK! But if you want to become an effective agent of change, you’ll have to ask yourself a tough question: What do I care about the most?

As individuals, we have limited time and resources. And while you may care about, discuss, and amplify many different causes, you can only effectively fight for one.

Get to work, find your gift, and learn the rest along the way.

Now that you’re ready to start effecting change, you might come up against another hurdle: you don’t know where to begin! But don’t worry – your next concrete steps are actually pretty easy.

Go online and research leading organizations dedicated to your cause. Find one that has a local chapter near you, and email them to ask how you can get started as a volunteer. You can also show up to one of their public events. Becoming an activist is as simple as that!

Every movement needs three things – energized people, good organization, and a solid plan.

You’re invested in your cause because you believe it to be good, right, and true. Surely, it can’t be all that hard to get other people on the side of something that embodies these characteristics – right?

The truth is, even though most people mean no harm, many of them are complacent, misinformed, or easily manipulated. This means it often takes just a few people with money and power to thwart a progressive social movement. It also means that good intentions alone are not enough to create significant, systemic change.

Activism is not about winning every fight; it’s about learning from failures and bouncing back.

All of us are afraid of failure. And in activism, failures can hurt particularly bad. Imagine putting in hours and hours of work for a good cause – just to see it falter.

But here’s the thing: you will fail. When you’re up against big, evil, and corrupt systems of injustice, you will fail much more often than you will win. Take Bernie Sanders, who lost five times in a row when he first started running for the US Senate in the 1970s.

Change won’t happen until you make it happen.

History is often presented to us as a highlight reel of triumphs and catastrophes. It makes sense – if you want to tell a good story, you only focus on the interesting parts.

But what you can’t see from this narrativized perspective is that big historical events never just happen. From the abolition of slavery to the Civil Rights Act, historical moments of change didn’t come about because of a few protests or speeches. They were the result of thousands of small things done by thousands of real humans living real lives and dealing with real problems.

Want to see all full key ideas from Make Change?

Key ideas in Make Change

More knowledge in less time

Read or listen

Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.

Find your next read

Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.

Shortcasts ^New

We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

What is Make Change about?

Informed by the life and work of successful social justice activist Shaun King, Make Change (2020) is your guide on how to join the fight for a better world. King is a leading figure in the fight against police brutality and mass incarceration in America, and his wins and losses along the way have taught him vital lessons on how to create real, lasting social change. No matter the cause you’re invested in, these blinks will show you how to use your skills and resources to make a real difference.

Make Change Review

Make Change (2020) by Shaun King is a thought-provoking book that explores the possibilities for change within ourselves and our society. Here's why this book is worth reading:

Through compelling stories and personal experiences, it sheds light on the challenges and injustices that persist in our world, inspiring readers to take action.
With concrete strategies and practical tips, it shows how small actions can make a big difference, empowering individuals to create positive change in their communities.
The book's engaging and accessible approach makes it compelling and relatable, ensuring that readers will find it both insightful and enjoyable to read.

Best quote from Make Change

Make that problem into your problem.

—Shaun King

Who should read Make Change?

Budding activists and future organizers
Shaun King admirers who want to know more about his life and work
Anyone looking to make a real difference in the world

About the Author

Shaun King is a civil rights activist and organizer committed to fighting police brutality, mass incarceration, and racial injustice in America. After the murder of Eric Garner in 2014, he became one of the leading figures of the Black Lives Matter movement. He has written for the New York Daily News and the Intercept, spearheads organizations such as Grassroots Law and the Real Justice PAC, and was named one of the 25 most influential people on the internet by Time magazine in 2018.

Categories with Make Change

Biography & Memoir Motivation & Inspiration Society & Culture

Book summaries like Make Change

Blueprint for Revolution

Srdja Popovic and Matthew Miller

How to Use Rice Pudding, Lego Men, and Other Non-Violent Techniques to Galvanize Communities, Overthrow Dictators or Simply Change the World

China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West

15 min

3.4

Help Me, I Have No Discipline and Zero Self-Control

Vaughn Carter

The Secret Formula to Breaking Bad Habits, Mastering Mental Toughness, and Reaching Your Goals

How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation

17 min

4.2

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind

Joseph Murphy (Ian McMahan revised)

Unlock Your Master Key to Success

The Swedish Art of Balanced Living

18 min

4.3

Man’s Search for Meaning

Viktor Frankl

The harrowing experiences of the author in a concentration camp

The Art of Letting Go

Nick Trenton

Stop Overthinking, Stop Negative Spirals, and Find Emotional Freedom

19 min

4.3

First as Tragedy, Then as Farce

Slavoj Žižek

Why the crises keep happening

How Stories Go Viral and Drive Major Economic Events

The Science behind Atheism

26 min

4.0

Build the Life You Want

Arthur C. Brooks & Oprah Winfrey

The Art and Science of Getting Happier

A Practical Guide to Powerful Innovation in a Changing World

21 min

The Self-Made Billionaire Effect

John Sviokla and Mitch Cohen

How Extreme Producers Create Massive Value

14 min

4.0

I Shouldn't Feel This Way

Alison Cook

Tame Guilt, Name the Hard, Transform Self-Sabotage Into Action

18 min

4.4

Difficult Conversations Don't Have to Be Difficult

Jon Gordon & Amy P. Kelly

A Simple, Smart Way to Make Your Relationships and Team Better

19 min

3.9

Thank You for Arguing

Jay Heinrichs

What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion

15 min

4.2

The Upside of Your Dark Side

Todd Kashdan and Robert Biswas-Diener

Why Being Your Whole Self – Not Just Your “Good” Self – Drives Success and Fulfillment

A fascinating story of collective wisdom and effective decision-making

How to Overcome Depression through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Positive Psychology

14 min

4.3

Beautiful Game Theory

Ignacio Palacios-Huerta

How Soccer Can Help Economics

16 min

3.8

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

Thomas S. Kuhn

A groundbreaking study in how science progresses

13 min

4.3

The Little Book of Stoicism

Jonas Salzgeber

Timeless Wisdom to Gain Resilience, Confidence, and Calmness

5 min

3.8

Stop Walking on Eggshells

Paul T. Mason & Randi Kreger

Taking Your Life Back When Someone You Care about Has Borderline Personality Disorder

What Makes You the Way You Are

The Psychology of Human Relationships

A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes

24 min

4.4

The Leader’s Guide to Radical Management

Stephen Denning

Reinventing the Workplace for the 21st Century

How to Work Less to Achieve More

Uncover a Rich Tapestry of Love, Hope, and Redemption

Rich Dad’s Retire Young Retire Rich

Robert T. Kiyosaki

How to Get Rich Quickly and Stay Rich Forever!

One small step toward understanding the greatness of the universe

Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

Exploding the Myths of the Self-Help Generation

23 min

3.2

Blitzscaling

Reid Hoffman and Chris Yeh

The Lightning-Fast Path to Building Massively Valuable Companies

31 min

4.4

Economics: The User’s Guide

Ha-Joon Chang

Everything you need to know about economics.

The stoic thinking of a Philosopher-King

10 min

4.1

The Art of Reading Minds

Henrik Fexeus

Understand Others to Get What You Want

And how we can save ours

To Live, to Love, to Learn, to Leave a Legacy

The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business (and in Life)

23 min

4.3

On Being and Becoming

Jennifer Anna Gosetti-Ferencei

An Existentialist Approach to Life

23 min

4.6

I Respectfully Disagree

Justin Jones-Fosu

How to Have Difficult Conversations in a Divided World

A History from Socrates to Social Media

A Lyrical Journey Through Love, Loss, and the Melodies of Life

20 min

4.2

The Cask of Amontillado

Edgar Allan Poe

A Dark Romantic Tale of Revenge, Deceit, and Murder

13 min

4.1

100 Ways to Change Your Life

Liz Moody

The Science of Leveling Up Health, Happiness, Relationships and Success

Using Nature's Playbook to Spark Energy, Ideas, and Action

18 min

4.2

People ❤️ Blinkist

Sven O.

It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

Thi Viet Quynh N.

Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

Jonathan A.

Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

Renee D.

Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.