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OK Boomer, Let's Talk

 

“Boomers look at what they might lose if things change; millennials look at what we will lose if things don’t.”

For more on understanding the beef (or perceived beef) between the two generations, read OK Boomer, Let’s Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind by Jill Filipovic. 

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For 100 Days with Ali Velshi

MSNBC Anchor and Citizen board member Ali Velshi analyzes the first 100 days of the Biden presidency and looks forward. In conversation with The Citizen’s Larry Platt and Roxanne Patel Shepelavy.

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THE FUTURE OF RESTAURANTS

May 25, 6-7pm via Zoom

Post-pandemic, where does the imperiled food industry go from here? A discussion with local restaurateur Ellen Yin, owner of Fork and High Street Philly; Sean Feeney, co-owner of Brooklyn’s James Beard Award-winning Lilia and co-founder of the National Restaurant Association; and Nicole Marquis, of HipCityVeg. Moderated by food writer Jane Black, whose work on the nexus of food and culture has appeared in the pages of The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, among other outlets.

 

INFRASTRUCTURE IS THE NEW BLACK

June 2, 6-7pm via Zoom

What can President Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan mean for American cities like Philadelphia? A conversation with Oklahoma City mayor David Holt, whose “Maps 4” plan uses infrastructure projects to spur inclusivity and transparency in his city; and Shalini Vajjhala, founder/CEO of re:Focus, a California social venture that has worked with both Philadelphia and Rio de Janeiro on developing and financing lauded green infrastructure programs. Moderated by Bruce Katz, founding director of the Nowak Metro Finance Lab at Drexel University.

 

CITIES, RACE AND GUN VIOLENCE | BOOK CLUB 

June 16, 6-7pm via Zoom

A discussion with award-winning New York Times bestselling author Alex Kotlowitz, whose latest book, An American Summer: Love and Death in Chicago, chronicles one summer on the turbulent streets of The Windy City. “A powerful indictment of a city and a nation that have failed to protect their most vulnerable residents, or to register the depth of their pain,” wrote the New York Times.

 

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Watch

Let Millennials Lead the Way

Journalist Jill Filopovic joined The Citizen’s latest virtual book club to talk about why we should listen to the most maligned—and most engaged—generation

Watch

Let Millennials Lead the Way

Journalist Jill Filopovic joined The Citizen’s latest virtual book club to talk about why we should listen to the most maligned—and most engaged—generation

BY Jessica Blatt Press

May. 10, 2021

Print

Every generation
Blames the one before
And all of their frustrations
Come beating on your door

Millennials—understandably—blame baby boomers for our society’s messy planet, income inequality, and injustice. Boomers (think: Bill Maher, whose latest tirade opened our event with journalist Jill Filipovic Thursday night) point to millennials as inexperienced, entitled, and overly idealistic.

Or…do they?

During Thursday’s Citizen Virtual Book Club with Filopovic, the author of OK Boomer, Let’s Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind, made the case that boomer parents and their millennial children—now in their mid-20s to 40—have far stronger relationships than previous parent-child dyads. And that many of the ideals for which millennials are mocked—like good ol’ kindness and integrity—were instilled in them by their very same boomer parents!

Those millennial values have fueled revolutions big and small: from the rise in mission-driven businesses like B Corps, to the cries for justice in our workplaces, voting booths, and bank accounts. And, Filopovic pointed out, millennials haven’t exactly coasted through life: They came of age in the wake of 9/11, tried to get jobs in the shadow of the Great Recession, experienced more student debt than any generation before them, and are now parenting at a time when working parents, moms in particular, are facing unprecedented work-life balance burdens.

It was especially heartening during the event to hear from Philly Councilperson Katherine Gilmore Richardson who, along with councilperson Isaiah Thomas, is one of the first and only millennials in council, pushing for reforms in realms as diverse as city pension investments and relationships with our police union, the Fraternal Order of Police.

“If I had $1 for every time I heard she’s too young, she has children, maybe next time…I’d be a millionaire,” Gilmore Richardson shared of her doubters, explaining that she ran anyway, refusing to let ageism hold her back.

It was a riveting conversation that ended with the same provocative note echoed in Filopovic’s book:

“Boomers look at what they might lose if things change; millennials look at what we will lose if things don’t.”

If you missed it, you can watch it here (stay tuned for the audience Q&A, which addresses how and why Gen X gets left out of the generational conversation). And be sure to join our ongoing series of free virtual events—learn more and RSVP to them here.

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