A minority of a population becomes active, and by their actions (even before _official_ change of law or institution) they change reality. Example: The black riots of the '60s. The world in which those riots occurred was a different world, institutionally, from the world in which they didn't occur. That changed the attitudes of millions of individuals. As far as I can tell there has _never_ been a really major change that did not follow this pattern.
Carrol
^^^^^
CB: Yes, thus, the Leninist concept of vanguard party and _parts_ of the working class , or leading class sections. Somebody less than the masses must grip the masses with radical ideals.