Social Activism Today: What Happens When Youth and Adults Work Together To Create Change
Exploring the generational perspectives of youth and adults on collaborating for social change
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I grew up outside of Berkeley in the 1960s, the golden age of Make Love, Not War social activism. Today we are experiencing another pivotal period of citizen engagement, often led by activists too young to vote. Anyone paying attention to local and national news will see people of all ages at rallies, walkouts, and town halls calling for common sense gun reform, among other issues. As the recent March for Our Lives gatherings across the country clearly illustrated, the fight for safe schools is both personal and close to home.
When I see or read about youth taking their protests to the streets (or the cover of national magazines), I feel a bit of nostalgia mixed with my optimism. Young people are once again on the front lines when it comes to social activism — but as any old hippie will tell you, it takes a village to create lasting change — a village of young and old working together to make the world a better place.
But what really happens when generations cross a picket line together? To explore that idea, I asked some adults and youth (ages 14-18) who have worked together as activists to answer the same five questions from their generational perspective. Here are their thoughts:
