The Most Powerful Generation in America
By Russell Simmons and Maya Enista
The vast majority of Americans, including many policymakers at the highest levels of government, are still unaware of one of the most pressing economic issues facing our country. Many may think that everything newsworthy has been covered amidst the media firestorm surrounding foreclosures, banks, bailouts, and the stimulus packages that have consumed news cycle after news cycle in the last several months. Unfortunately, both in the media and among policy-makers, there is one group that has been unceremoniously overlooked.
The Millennial Generation, those born between 1976 and 1996, the heirs to our economic legacy and ultimately the bearers of our economic destiny, are being disproportionately affected by the crisis, but continue to go unnoticed. This is even though they face unemployment at a rate more than 8% higher than the national average, suffer under a crushing average of $27,000 in student loan, $2000 in credit card debt, and a healthcare crisis that leaves 30% of them without any insurance. In addition, as young people enter the workforce, they are being pitted against individuals with much more experience than they have for the same entry level jobs due to recent layoffs, making finding a job exponentially more difficult.
This perfect economic storm will have untold negative impacts if nothing is done by Congress to address these issues now by truly investing in the Millennial Generation.
The good news is that even as young people are being overlooked by the majority of policymakers, they are stepping up to the plate to take control of their own economic destinies. Millennials are on track to be the most civically and politically engaged generation ever.
Just recently Mobilize.org, the Student Association for Voter Empowerment (SAVE), the Roosevelt Institution, and a number of other youth organizations formed the "80 Million Strong for Young American Jobs" coalition, representing the collective voices of millions of Millennials. Its purpose: to give young people the tools they need to engage substantively with policymakers and propose solutions to these problems.
To this end, on Tuesday, 100 Millennials from across the country will convene in Washington, DC to partake in the "80 Million Strong for Young American Jobs" summit, where young people will develop collective solutions and federal legislation aimed at putting young people to work and launching our economy in a new direction. The ideas springing forth from this summit will be both revolutionary and full of promise. However, most impressive is the fact that that they will all be developed and proposed by engaged young people driven to be involved in making the policies that will define their economic futures.
The Millennial legislative agenda resulting from the summit will address several areas where Congress can act now to invest in young people. First, investing in "Mission Critical" jobs and training programs that will utilize new technologies ranging from the emerging green sector to increased online infrastructure and new frontiers in the healthcare industry. Second, creating volunteer-to-career pathways that will provide grants to young people working in unpaid local, state, and federal internships, so that Millennials can gain the experience they need to gain employment while staying afloat financially. And finally, funding programs to provide increased continuing education opportunities for new workers, and legislation that would provide an increased time frame for student loan repayments.
Hopefully, Congress takes heed of the rising chorus of Millennials calling for action in these increasingly important areas. It is time for our policymakers to invest in the generation that will define the future of our country, and in the process, help set America on the path to economic recovery.
Maya Enista is the CEO of Mobilize.org, a grassroots organization of Millennials dedicated to engaging young people in policymaking. Follow 80 Million Strong: twitter.com/@80ms
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As always, the boomers and the press always fawn over the millennials. To you boomer children millennials, join the club and cry me a river. We are all having a hard time finding jobs. What's even more annoying is that the Boomers who are in charge tend to give their millennial children the jobs over us Gen Xers even though we have more practical experience.
We have grown up with boomers overindulging their millennial children, unfortunately we will have to live with it for the rest of our lives and our careers.
The darkest and coldest moment of the night is just before the sun dawns. Most are still in the dark, and it is time to bring some light and warmth into these dark times. I like the prescriptions that are listed in the article, but I'm not waiting.
Personally, I'm tired of looking for work, applying for lame jobs that I'm way overqualified for, and not getting calls back, when I know I have the answers to change the world. So I'm gonna do it.
We have an unprecedented opportunity, and I'm glad to hear that other people are seeing it for what it is. With people so in need, people are more ready than ever to make some changes. And it is ABOUT TIME.
Let's allow the so-called power centers to become obsolete, since many do nothing but drain the real wealth and genuine capital of the world and the people, anyways.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely, don'tcha know?
- Support local banks and credit unions.
- Invest in local projects and community endeavors that will reap real dividends.
- Buy local. Keep your wealth in your community.
- Grow your own food or support those that grow locally.
This is a call to build and support what is real and worthwhile and useful in our lives.
Let's all accept our power...
we
can
grow
our
own
food
We can find ways to meet our own energy and transportation needs and reduce our ecological footprint at the same time.
Cheers,
I have to agree. The "Ivory Tower" has burned down and it's time "the people" started taking their they lives and well-being into their own hands. The politicians are too busy arguing in Washington D.C. while the people are dying and losing their homes out here in the real world. Many of us have the ideas to change the world, and it is now time we started to utilize them.
Generation X is the one which was forgotten. We're not done yet!
Millennials can be workers and whores for Generation X. That's how they can pay their dues!
NOTHING will change until we learn to look beyond the Quarterly Report.
So very true.
I'm glad to hear that i'm part of the most powerful generation (Born in Jan 1996).
they're a smug lot too.
"the heirs to our economic legacy "
You're kidding, right? WHAT economic legacy? There IS no economic legacy any more. The "American Dream" is dead. Gone. Never to return. America is DONE.
Sad to be the one to break it to you.
No country can be done, especially the one I'm from and, for better or worse, consider my home.
Where are you from? Here's a tip, go there and help those around you, it's time well spent.
I'm just basing my conclusion on the fact that even with a President who campaigned on true and serious health care reform, 70+ percent of the American people in favor of at least a public option (AND willing to pay more in taxes for it), a huge majority in the House of Representatives and a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, our government STILL seems incapable of doing something that is BOTH the moral thing to do, AND what would decrease the cost of health care in America by half (based on what every other western democracy has shown to be the case). What would, in fact, be better by far for every American citizen AND an order of magnitude better for the financial health and competitiveness of America forever going forward.
If our government can't even accomplish that, then quite simply there is no hope. THAT is why I say America is done. And believe me, it gives me no pleasure or comfort to have to say so.
Oh, and one other thing - since I have hepatitis C but can't get health care because I have a "pre-existing condition" and will likely die because of it even though treatment would probably cure it (thanks to our wonderful American health care system), all my time is spent trying to take care of myself. Excuse me if I have no time to try to help those around me. Kapiche?
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