Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) advocated gradualism. That meant being patient and doing what white society would allow, which meant changes and better times for blacks would come slowly. Marcus Garvey (1887-1940) founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in 1914. He promoted blacks taking power into their own hands, becoming their own business owners rather than dealing with unfairness at the hands of white employers. He himself opened a restaurant, started a newspaper, and established the Black Star Line, which was the first black-owned shipping company in the US. "Garveyism" meant black people establishing business and commerce enterprises for blacks as a way of achieving economic independence and success. In "The Negro's Greatest Enemy," published in 1923, Garvey argued that Negroes were their own worst enemy and needed to take control of their own futures. He was one of the early figures in the black nationalism movement, in which Malcom X became a key figure.
Societal change can be one result of a war effort. During World War II, women filled job positions that were traditionally male-dominated. See Rosie the Riveter.
