Essay: Groom young activists

Too often the civil rights movement has been a museum of finished social success. More often than not, the masses peruse drum majors of justice for knowledge in their mental libraries. More of our people are wandering through our civil rights museums rather than marching the unjust streets of our nation.

For young activists, the civil rights movement needs to be a base for future social success. In far too many occurrences, the masses treat the civil rights era as if it were a plateau for ended social success. It needs to act as a beginning of a communal struggle for social change rather than the end-all, be-all for social change.

During my time at American Baptist College, I was in a class about endeavoring in activism online and that class, among many other classes at the college, gave me a passion for "social justice leadership in the world" (excerpt from the mission statement of American Baptist College). These courses have taught me how pertinent social change is to our world and what it would mean for young people to carry on the torch of social justice. What if more higher education structures, high schools and middle schools offered more courses and classes about social change? How much would that bridge the gap?

Young activists must learn from our base, and the older activists must continue to teach us the success of their base. If the creativity of today met with the expertise of yesterday, we would bridge the gap between the young and old activists.

We must see the base of the civil rights movement as it really is. The base is about John Lewis, Rev. C.T. Vivian, Bernard Lafayette, and others brutally suffering for the beautiful good of humanity. What young activists will rise to suffer for the good of humanity?

As we continue to see uncompromising situations of injustice, it is important that young activists unite to strategize, learn and implement justice for all. Young activists must make bold sacrifices that are monumental. If we want to bridge the gap between older and younger activists, the younger generation must "be the change that (we) want to see in the world" (Mahatma Gandhi), and the older generation must teach the change that we want to see in the world. If we bridge this gap, social change would reach heights that exceed Rev. Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement.

Hoggard is a graduate student at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School.