TAG GEN NEXT, YOU’RE IT!
I am blessed at 71 years old to have a nearly 93-year-old mother that is alive and vibrant today. Not too many people get to boast about either their age in the seventies or having a parent in their nineties. This is all by the grace of God so for that I am very grateful.
With this stated my generation is called the Baby Boomers. We were born shortly after the end of World War II. Many soldiers returned from the war that led to an explosion of new births shortly afterward. That means that people my age have seen and experienced a lot of change over quite a number of years now. We have a deep reservoir of wisdom that we must share with the generations below us.
Arguably we might have been the first generation that was as free to express our disgust over social inequities. My mom’s generation had to stay quiet and accept what the system expected of them, however unfair or atrocious it was. Their voices were muted by racial and gender oppression. My generation broke through those muzzles that kept our kind quiet. Therefore we did what my mom’s generation could not do, especially during the sixties and seventies! Still to this day, we are carrying the torch that we took on our shoulders for nearly a half-century.
Thankfully today there are several generations below the Baby Boomers. Since we broke through with a great splash and fanfare our kids did not have to raise as much noise as did us because they could ride on our legacies. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were the civil rights leaders during my early days of protest during the sixties. History will record many monumental changes that we made during our days of frequent civil unrest.
Things quieted down a bit during the eighties and nineties with a few major flare-ups caused by the actions of crooked cops abusing people of color, mostly blacks. Even though this right to protest was still available for younger generations, without well-respected leaders carrying the torch there was no real sustained movement. People remained disgusted that the system still had not changed after all or marches and days of protest for equal rights. Systemic racism was and has never been very visible so it is like fighting in the dark.
I just looked up the name of the various generations for reference. Below are the names of some of a few generations:
The very top generation that has only a few remaining living members would be the Lost Generation born between 1890 to 1915. They would be 105 or older today. The ones born 1901 through 1913, The Interbellum Generation would be over 107 as the youngest. The Greatest Generation births start at 1910 through 1924 with ages of 96–110. Then came The Silent Generation, born between 1925–1945. They would be between 75 and 95 years old today. This is my mom’s generation. My flock is The Baby Boomer Generation born between 1946 through 1964. Our ages would be age 56–74. I’m there!
Today the mantle has to be passed on to the next few generations after mine starting with Generation X, my kids who were born between 1965–1979; ages 41–55 to be followed by Xennials born 1975–1985 who are between 35–45 years old today. Next, you have the Millennials born 1980–1994 that overlap the previous generation that is sometimes called Generation Y or Gen Next. They would be 26–40 years old today. The final two generations would be iGen/Gen Z born 1995–2012 ages 8–25 and finally, Gen Alpha born 2013–2025 ages 7 and younger.
According to this generational breakdown, there are at least five generations below mine and nearly 9 generations with just a few people who would be above 105 years old. The collective wisdom on the planet would astonish us should we find a way to absorb all that knowledge and pass it on to the younger generations. They must continue to carry the torch. Even my mom at nearly 93 has a few generations above her that are still alive. We should not expect anyone above the Baby Boomer Generation to still be in the very top leadership position carrying the torch because we will not be here to experience what the younger generations will face. We can only set the stage for them and open as many doors as possible to make things possible for future generations.
As a child of the sixties, I worry about the next few generations. I do not see the die-hard fight as was before. Sure we have outbreaks of protest when something hits the news but the fight for equality should be an on-going battle. This does not imply that we need to show violence but that we should join together and fight against any obstacle that stands in the way of the rights of others. No one is above the law and no one should be under the law. The law should be blind and equally distributed. As of this year of 2020, we know that is not the case so we must not let down our guards. Until everyone has an equal opportunity to share in what is available in our nation and even in the entire world, there should always be people fighting for what is right, equal, and just. We know that equality for all people does not reflect current-day society.
As I look out into the landscape I am hoping that the Millennials (ages 25–40) will step up to the plate and take the led as did the Baby Boomers during their youth. These are the ones with youth, knowledge, and even wisdom on their side. Many are well educated and they grew up with technology as a birthright. They are able to do more because they have access to more resources than the previous generations had while aging. They must be the ones who organize voting outreach campaigns and demand changes in the political landscape.
Today many people of all races, cultures, and other distinctions have broken through the barriers and are in positions to demand justice for all. They have numbers on their side but do they have the will and the tenacity to effect change? Many of them were used to having their elders do things for them. The time has now come that they must stand up and take the reigns. So Millennials through Gen Z (my grandchildren) TAG YOU ARE IT! We need you to stand up and take on the fight for yourself and your children’s children who will populate this god-forsaken planet henceforth. You are a proud bunch, a smart bunch, and now all you need to do is learn how to become the guardians over your planet. Do not allow all those sadistic powers to prevail and smother you or your children. That is no longer an acceptable option, at any level.
Use us elder generations for good sound advice and wisdom while we are here, but it is you that must take the lead and we must learn to trust that the world is in better hands because of all the doors we opened just for you. We took the torch as far as we could and things are still not equal. You are growing up with people of all colors, creeds, cultures, and differences side-by-side so that dream of Martin Luther King can really become a reality in your lifetime. Unlike our older generation who were afraid to turn over the reigns out of fear of the known, we trust that you are smart enough and wise enough to make this world a really cool place to live. You can and will squash out any injustices whenever and wherever they pop up their ugly, evil heads.
TAG! YOU ARE IT GEN NEXT!
SELAH!
