From Jim Crow to Gen Z: The Rising Power of Black Excellence

Commentary by Ron Washington, native Chicagoan living in Las Vegas, disabled Marine Corps combat veteran, business owner (Premiers Secours), and proud NU grad. Son of Bernadine C. Washington, former WVON GM, who inspired his love for writing.

 

The generations of our great grandparents, and grandparents, the direct descendants of enslaved Africans along with a smattering of free Blacks, provided a foundation for our parents the Silent Generation and us Baby Boomers. Our parents and us Boomers experienced the best of the worst times in Black post slavery history under the Black Codes, Jim Crow, segregation and the likes. These racist obstacles did not deter us. 

 

I think we (our parents and us) as a whole learned a lot and for the most part we used these lessons learned wisely.  In addition to our spiritual steadfastness, we made great advancements in community engagement, education, business, government and politics. We are imbedded forever into this society, mostly for the good. Many take advantage of the opportunities that our forefathers and mothers sacrificed and worked so hard to attain. Now there are those outside, immoral, and evil forces that we face today who still dare to try and deny us the future.

 

Our counter to this is that we produced Generation X—born 1965 to 1980 and along with Millennials—born 1981 to 2000 to inherit and take over what we help build and sustain for future generations. As I see it these two “now” generations, Gens-x and Millennials, our children, are well equipped to take the torch in facing the challenges that lie ahead. They are prepared. They are doing it now. Our young prodigies are fulfilling our dreams no matter what lies are being manufactured about them. Those distracting, devils that have crawlwd out of their holes in recent times are nervous. They see the handwriting on the wall.

 

There are countless examples of excellence among our young folks and all you need to do is look around you, in your family, friend’s families, neighbors’ kids  and onward, their presence is inescapable. Successful young people are everywhere. Take for instance the shining example of 51-year old, Gen-Xer, Stacey Abrams, highly educated, principled, experienced, steady and determined not to be undermined or defeated. A true leader. She represents the best of the now generations. There are many like her and they are rising as the cream of the crop everywhere. We can all feel comfortable in following their lead. Both Gen-X and Millennials make me proud, and they should make us all proud and look at who they are producing now - Gen Z and Gen-Alpha. Oh boy what is the future going to look like? I’m excited. From within these new modern generations, and I personally feel in and of all races, I see and believe that the wicked, the unsympathetic, the unrighteous and all the rest of their kind are in big trouble. These generations will prove this. You just wait… and in support of them I’m able to help, I’m ready! Let’s start with the midterms!