Although they say 'the 80s were the greatest' the 90s produced the game-changers of today. Maybe it's coming of age, maybe I should lay off of social media, but I am noticing that my generation is very powerful. While at work, where I am the youngest employee in the department, one of my coworkers was telling me how fortunate I am to be my age at this time. I kind of looked at her like 'What? Didn't all nineteen year olds feel like they were going to change the world once they got into college?' But she was right, I am fortunate to be where I am, just as my other 90s and early 2000s counterparts are!
Right now, we are still writing (and tweeting history). We are ensuring that our future moves forward and does not hit a reverse into the 1950s through social and racial events. Our generation is standing up for one another regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. We are enjoying privileges that our ancestors only dream of but we have the responsibility of protecting them.
When I think about things such as gay-marriage, interracial couples, fighting for racial equality, protesting, students taking a stand for their beliefs, and so on, this generation is LIT!
We no longer are able to sit still and allow things to occur without speaking about it, and often times we do not have to; we have the ability to make local news, national news just by a #hashtag, a tweet, or an Instagram post.
From the outside looking in, one might say this generation is so consumed in technology, we do not know what's going on around us...but honestly we are collecting news as soon as it occurs. I knew Muhammad Ali passed away two days before my mother did! We also do not go outside and play like generations before us did because of the abundance of game systems available to us; however, playing that Xbox may spark the next best electronic invention or educational game the informs students of the information that public schools leaves out (i.e. a more in-depth African American history chapter)
Our generation is one of the most inclusive generations as well. I often see the age gap between my parents and I when we discuss relationships. Same-sex couples are becoming a social norm on television, and while my mother tries not to gag, I see it as nothing more than a happy couple. Though there are some who engage in bullying minorities, overall our generation looks at them with disgust. Why bully someone for being different? After all, that is the most popular statement used by EVERYONE; 'I am not like the rest', 'I am different', 'I am unique', then let unique people live their lives like everyone else.
Our generation has the power to change the world because we are so diverse. I am so fortunate to have grown up in a place where I did not know just one group of people. I have a wide respect for everyone. When I meet someone who is different than me I consider it an opportunity to learn something new and broaden my horizons. Though we are still fighting for everyone to enjoy the same liberties as others, we have a stronger force thanks to those who fought before us, and those who see us and stand with us as equals.
(1950s)
(2014)
Being that we are living in a time fifty years after the civil rights era we have some big shoes to fill. Those who were around the segregated area are unfortunately, going on to glory and it is our time to protect the things they fought for. We cannot be ignorant to what is going on around us, and brainwashed to believe everything is okay. Through social media we are able to share the news that does not make it on television. We are able to see media that is often misconstrued or played upon to portray a certain point of view.
90s babies and millennials, the ball is in our court and we have a great game we must play. We have the power, the ability, the motivation, and the purpose to create a better tomorrow. We are one of the most fortunate generations to grace the planet, and we cannot let our future look like history because no one wanted to act.
