Dear Young Professional,
People often get inquisitive when I boldly state my admiration for young professionals a.k.a. millennials. Mainly because they can sense through my tone that it is genuine passion and not what they expect… sarcasm.
I strongly believe that this generation has an inherent cause and fairness factor which demands transparency. Sometimes misguided in the application (oversharing), the intention is always honest.
On the third Monday of each January we celebrate the achievements of Martin Luther King Jr.
Next Monday, January 15, 2018 is Martin Luther King Day, and happens to fall on his birthday. MLK would have been 89 years old. He was assassinated in 1968 at just 39 years of age. Think about that, just 39-year- old, leaving a wife and four children. What a life and legacy we celebrate as we acknowledge his achievements and dreams as a civil rights leader.
His ministry fueled his optimism for equal rights for all God’s children, and required his use of non- violent protests to bring about change.
And when he dreamed, he dreamed BIG. If you haven’t seen or read his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech access the national archives for the print copy or NPR for the audio. If you have, do it again, yes it’s that good.
While Rev. King had strong held belief for and preached fairness for all, not one gender, race, religious group etc., fairness for all, that all are created equal.
I cannot help but think of many of you who I have mentored. You too, hold your beliefs so strongly that you have symbols and script of those beliefs tattooed on your body. I see a correlation, a common denominator, of fairness as a right between your generation and that of Martin Luther King Jr.
I can’t help but dream and dream BIG of what this may manifest in as you travel on this journey called life.
So, what do I say to my inquisitive audience about your generation? I say:
They are not entitled… They are INNOVATIVE.
They are not difficult… They are CAUSE and FAIRNESS-DRIVEN.
They are not too techy… They are CAPABLE OF CHANGING THE WORLD.
Then I remind them if we want to see what true unabashed entitlement behavior looks like, look no further than the actions that spurred the #TimesUP and #MeToo movements. Power does not equal entitlement.
As we start a new year, I look forward to supporting and guiding you and hearing about your stories of success. What are you going to do with this one life given to you? As you dream, may a little bit of MLK live in all of you and dream BIG.
Fondly, Aunt Kris