The economy, the war, abortion – these are all big issues in the upcoming election. But one we’re sort of leaving out is the one you and I feel the most — the Black Generation Gap. It’s the big differences between the Lil Wayne generation and the Frankie Beverly generation that make ALL the difference. And you, and whoever ends up president, will have to deal with that in one way or another. How so?

As we well know, not only do all Black people not want the same thing, but young people and older people of every stripe have different needs.  Let’s take education for instance. Old heads and young heads see the issue of higher education differently because they have different needs. But no one can deny that the rate of college enrollment among Blacks is up but still not enough to keep pace with other minorities, specifically Hispanics. I think one of the obstacles to a lot of Blacks getting a college education is the cost.  Hopefully, the new head cheese will put some better grants in place or create a better savings bond program so parents can afford to send their kids to school and not be saddled with a lot of debt. But that’s not the biggest issue separating the two generations.

Young heads simply don’t have a torch to carry because they weren’t given one to pass on. They don’t have a political agenda in the way their parents and grandparents did. Since Blacks can attain the same financial successes as White folks, to many youngsters, that means that the struggle for equality is over. Old heads agree that while Black folks have certainly come a long way there seems a long way to go. Old heads see it and preach it, but the youngsters don’t get it. I think the Black Generation Gap is fueled by a lack of accountability from generations past who didn’t pass the baton in a way designed to keep the fight alive. What do you think?

Is there a Black Generation Gap, and how to we fix it?  Tell us here.

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(*The views contained herein are solely the views of their respective authors, and do not express the views of TV One.  TV One does not take responsibility for their content.)

An Obama/Biden White House would be a game changer: no one doubts that. How it would change the game, however, is another matter entirely. Some think it will be the start of some bold, post-racial American movement, where we forget about our past, run outside, all grab hands and have a Coke and smile.

Others see it as the beginning of a new kind of race politics: something that resembles old school ways, as liberal Whites embrace the New Normal and angry, scared White folks organize and push back. Me? I think that none of the marching or hand-holding will matter. No one likes change, and putting a Black man in the Oval Office is the kind of change that makes some White folks wake up sweating.

Obama is a prototype, in some ways, of the “no excuse” American and that scares a lot of people — Black and White.  I think if the interracial son of a single White mother can be elected to the highest office of the land, we will all have to file away the excuses and step up game up a little. Right? Just the fact that Obama has come this far means no more “White man holding me down” talk from some of us. Those days are over. No matter what happens after November, Obama’s proved that anyone can do anything they set their mind to. More than the race piece, Obama’s presidency would also be a thumb in the eye of some White folks who will suddenly see their skin privileges devalued. In Obama’s America, being Black or being White will not be enough. Being an American will be about substance, finally.

How would an Obama/Biden presidency change America? Tell us here.

Images courtesy of flickr.com.
 
(*The views contained herein are solely the views of their respective authors, and do not express the views of TV One.  TV One does not take responsibility for their content.)