Gen X: The Bridge, the Backbone, and the Real Deal in the Fight for Justice-and Relevance

Gen X has driven change through grassroots efforts, tech advances, and prioritizing authenticity over theatrics, shaped by pivotal movements like multiculturalism and early environmental activism.

You know, Gen X has always kind of been stuck in the middle; between Boomers who never stopped seeing us as kids and younger generations who seem eager to swipe past us like we’re an outdated app. But let’s get real: while some are busy performing or clinging to old ways, we’re the ones quietly and steadily getting stuff done. Authentically and quietly doing…not just promoting.

We’re teaching, training, and guiding the very people who underestimate us. We’re the ones leading teams at work, mentoring the next generation of changemakers, raising thoughtful kids, and (let’s not forget) caring for, and still looking up to, the seasoned generations who will forever treat us like we just got our driver’s licenses.

Gen X was shaped by contradictions. We were latchkey kids who raised ourselves, skeptics who questioned authority, and rebels who learned how to survive…and thrive…without the constant need for validation to feel relevant. While every generation has its role to play, Gen X brings something deeply needed to the social justice movement: authenticity. We’re not in it for the clout, the optics, the algorithms, or the likes. We’re in it because we’ve lived long enough to know that real change is needed, and it is done by action over performance. True change isn’t flashy. It’s sustainable. It’s relational. It’s quiet, often thankless, and absolutely critical – especially now.

While younger generations are often the faces of performative activism—viral videos, trending hashtags, and fast-moving content—Gen X operates differently. We pick up the phone. We show up. We stay up late reviewing policies, using our minds and our experiences to shape change, not just drafting and animating slogans. We believe in long-term strategy over short-term optics. We relish in small wins that build a better world one brick at a time, not just big showy moments that vanish with the next algorithm shift. We can be seen in a photo for change, and then still be found showing up…in action… doing the quiet work. We are still taking action, important stewards of change, and doing so beyond the recognition window to the outside social media world.

We may, or may not be, loud about it. But either way, we’re proudly here. In classrooms. In nonprofits. In training sessions. In boardrooms. In hospital rooms with loved ones. In doctor’s offices. In funeral homes. We are everywhere we are needed all at once. Gen Xers are on the front lines and also behind the scenes. We’re holding the line while others argue about who gets to be the loudest voice in the room…and about who is right. We know it’s not about “who” is right, it’s about WHAT is right. And we are seeing to it that it gets done!

To the seasoned: we respect what you’ve done, but we’re not kids anymore. We’re caretakers now. We’re leaders now. We are more than capable. To the up and coming: we love your fire, but we need you to understand that we’ve been in this fight a long time, and you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You don’t need to have the limelight to make a difference. We’ve been moving change for a long time now, rolling that progress uphill the whole way.

To fellow Gen Xers: your work matters. Your quiet leadership matters. Your authenticity isn’t just a personality trait—it’s a strategy, and in a world overrun with noise, it’s the most sustainable path to justice. It’s the only way to create lasting change.

I encourage you to proudly tell the generations on both sides of you, “Hey, I’m not going anywhere. I’m not irrelevant. My generation is the bridge. We’re the backbone. And we’ve been training for this season our whole lives.