General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: On DU's population aging, and change to DU... [View all]intheflow
(28,452 posts)I was 40 when I joined in 2004, so I get this. And also, I think the reason there is pushback against Boomers is that when younger folks offer their worldview opinions, there are plenty of "old guard" here who push back unto discouraging them. Although born at the tail end of the Boomer generation, my life experience has been Gen X all the way. I delight especially, as a white woman, in listening to and learning from diverse perspectives. I cannot tell you how often I've posted contemporary scholarship on white culture seen though Black eyes only to be attacked as being divisive, naive, and stupid. This ALWAYS happens when I post about how To Kill A Mockingbird is a white savior trope. Talk about white fragility!! NEVER come between a white Boomer and their antiquated ways of thinking about institutional racism, as well as their admiration for a fictional character. Now I'll usually just ignore the "kids today..." rants by the Boomers here, because I would just post in response, "Hey you kids! Get off my lawn!"
But I have known you on these boards for almost 20 years now, and know you to be a kind soul who works and longs for liberation across age/class/gender/religion. Let me offer you (and others reading this) a couple ways to influence younger people into movement work (including DU).
First: volunteer at your local social justice organization. Volunteer work at these places can be anythings from organizing marches to hand-addressing envelopes. Even if you're just the person making coffee and hanging out, you will get to know younger people, and more importantly, they will get to know you, your activism, and your dreams for the future beyond your time on Earth, including where you get your news from - DU.
Second: Table for DU at political events. Work with EarlG to get some bumperstickers (or some other bling) and make up little cards with the logo and site address. Evangelize about DU.
Third: I heartily suggest reading Hope and History: Why We Must Share the Story of the Movement by Dr. Vincent Harding, a Black historian, scholar, and the man who wrote MLK's "Beyond Vietnam" speech. He lays out the power of sharing our stories in liberation work to sustain each other and build successive generations of activists. Then story-tell every younger person you know about our (mostly) wonderful DU community.