The Power of our Generation by Jordan Henry

            In today’s class Dr. Alton B. Pollard came in and lectured our freshman seminar class. Dr. Pollard specializes in African and Divinity Studies.  The subject of his lecture was “Civil Rights, Hip Hop, and Hope.” He also discussed how the power of young people has affected change in the past and the ability of our generation to affect the future.

            All throughout the past century, young people have definitely impacted the world.  Our generation is known as the Technological or the Millennium Generation.  Dr. Pollard said that the difference between our generation and the generations of the past is that we are more intelligent and determined.  He said that we have higher expectation for ourselves, so it is up to us to embrace our freedom and black beauty in order to do so.  Dr. Pollard stressed that even if we achieve great things in the future, we must acknowledge the great “giants” before us.  All of these “giants” achieved great things as the young generation of their time.  The Civil Rights is a great example of young people affecting change.  For example, all of the nonviolent protests like marches, the freedom rides or the Wichita Kansas Sit in and the Greensboro Sit in in 1958.  Most of these individuals who challenged the law were college, high school, or elementary students.  Dr. Pollard also discussed many leaders of the past like Malcolm X, Coretta Scott King, and Nelson Mandela.  Some of these “giants” even came through Howard University like Cancellor Williams and John Hendrick Cook.  Dr. Pollard said that the Civil Rights movement somehow passed the baton over to the musicians and artists of different genres over the years.  Artists like Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Missy Elliot and many others represent the voice of our people.  Dr. Pollard stressed success comes with freedom and freedom is just about individual rights, but our responsibility to our help out our community as well instead of looking down upon those who do not make it out.  We must stop doing things to destroy our people and it is up to our young people to ask questions and never settle for anything less than the best because we have the power.