We Care Too: A Gen Z’s Perspective on 2020
By La Toria M. Lane, YPD Connectional Financial Secretary
It is often stated that the young people of today are either doing something to destroy the earth or unrealistically trying to change the world. There are many rumors that we have ruined the economy, mailing system, and the dynamic of dining out at restaurants. We have especially been labeled as being unengaged in civic duties or activities and unconcerned with what is happening in our country and the world.
It is apparent that the words “lazy” or “carefree” have become less of feelings and more of terms to describe youth. Well, this is not the case among many of the youth in my generation, Generation Z (Gen Z).
Gen Z is the generation born between the mid to late 1990s and the early 2010s. This age group is known for being the first group to be raised in the dawn of the Internet; however, we are much more than that. From social media challenges on Tik Tok to flooding the streets and fighting for black lives, this generation is taking on a revolution.
This year has been a year that no one expected. The COVID-19 pandemic and police brutality, coupled with the deaths of great giants, have too affected the way my generation thinks and functions. We could not have anticipated how this year has progressed educationally, socially, politically, or spiritually. Through quarantine depression; talk of the big November election; and attending school, worship, and socializing virtually, there are still smiles on our faces. We still are optimistic about the future and continue to keep our heads up.
Whenever I think of this year, I think of my generation. We are special and powerful beyond measure. We can change the narrative and make a valuable difference in this world. We are often told that we are resistant to everything; however, the reality is that we are resilient in the most beautiful way.
Resistance is the ability to be unchanged to a disturbance, refusing to accept what is. Resilience is the ability to recover from a disturbance, accepting what is, and being able to bounce back. There is an exceptional elasticity that has been embedded within us. We are being pulled and stretched in many different directions; yet, like elastic, we bounce back. We are resilient and ready to be a part of change!
Huey P. Newton, a political activist and revolutionary, said, “The young always inherit the revolution.” The year 2020 is a time not only of struggle and uncertainty but also a time of realization and clarity. Gen Z, we are our ancestors’ wildest dreams. We are prepared and ready for whatever the enemy throws our way. It is with great certainty that I say, we were built for this!
La Toria M. Lane serves as the Connectional Financial Secretary of the YPD. She is a member of St. Andrew AME Church in Memphis, Tennessee, in the Thirteenth Episcopal District. She is also a graduate student at Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee, pursing a Master of Public Administration.
