With a 2024 Presidential Election victory Vice President Kamala Harris will become the first member of Generation X to serve as this country’s Commander-in-Chief.
On rare occasions when it has been acknowledged, Gen X has been labeled the “Forgotten Generation,” “Latchkey Generation,” “Lost Generation,” and “Invisible Generation.” However, even with an entire existence being overlooked by researchers, media, and society in general, a Gen X president might shine a much-deserved light on what one reported ranked as the “Greatest Generation.”
Sandwiched between Baby Boomers and Millennials, the 65 million members of Gen X were born between 1965 and 1980, making them anywhere from 44 to 59 years old in 2024. This demographic has been viewed as a bridge for their experiences with Baby Boomer parents and Millennial and Gen Z children.
Gen Xers are said to have been the first group of bonafide latchkey kids, who walked to and from school, were home alone while both parents were at work, and experienced the fallout of rising divorce rates. Gen Xers were the last children to live and play without the guardrails of “helicopter parents,” baby seats and seat belt laws, and “stranger danger” warnings. And parents of Gen Xers didn’t automatically side with their children over their children’s teachers. Gen X parents cheered on their children’s teachers who held their kids accountable for acting a fool in school and shaming their family name.
The result, Gen Xers have a serious respect for authority. But at the same time, they were raised to “fight the power,” with people like MLK, Malcolm X, Angela Davis, Assata Shakur, Nelson & Winnie Mandela, Steve Biko, Marcus Garvey and others celebrated as standards of Black excellence who should be emulated–making Gen Xers the most complete, well-rounded, dynamic and powerful of all generations.
That said, the Defender asked members of multiple generations, their take on the significance of a Gen X president, and the role Gen Xers might play in November’s election.
Significance of a Harris/Gen X Presidency
This is amazing because she’ll be the first, not only female president, but the first Black president as a female. So, this is amazing for us. I think our generation kind of started with the ‘not so much racism,’ as we were coming up in high school and things of that nature, because our parents are baby boomers. So, we kind of changed that trajectory of having our parents who went through kind of still Jim Crow-ish, if you will. And then Generation X came along and we kind of changed some things. That’s why they called us X, because they couldn’t put a name on us. So, I think it’s amazing, and I do hope she does win. (Bridgett Holden, entrepreneur, Gen X)
From the beginning of this nation’s establishment, from the Declaration of Independence to the establishment of the United States Constitution all the way to today, we’ve been about progress; even a nation, about moving forward and looking to the future. And before Kamala Harris stepped in, we had a decision between two of the oldest candidates in American history. She brings a new energy to this office. She brings a new vision to this office, one that she’ll be alive to inherit, and one that her nieces and her family members have a true stake in… Moreover, this generational change is healthy. As a millennial, I’m part of the generational change here in Houston and across Texas, and I’m proud to be a part of that. Not just because I happen to be a little bit younger, but because we’re bringing new ideas, new experiences to the table, that are going to help our city and our state get better. And I expect the same from future President Kamala Harris, and I’m excited to be supporting her. (Chris Hollins, City Controller, Millennial)
We’ve lived a long time. We’ve seen a lot of things. We’ve seen ups and downs, the changes, the good and the bad of this country. So, we want to cherish [Harris], but also challenge her at the same time. Cherish her for her achievements and for that joy that she’s bringing, but also the policies. It’s about the policies, not so much as an individual politician. But what policies can she bring that are going to affect the majority of people? And speaking personally from the African American community, what policies can she bring that will uplift our community? That’s what we’re really focusing on… and hold her accountable to bringing that promise so that we can have a brighter future and not go back. (Mshinda Nyofu, educator, political scientist, Baby Boomer)
Role of Gen X Members in Upcoming Election
Gen Xers will bring a powerful energy to this election season because we’ve seen so many things change; the way with the Millennials and the Gen Zs and different things of that nature. I think we still have those values that were taught to us as Generation Xers. And I feel like if we really stand together and come out and vote, we can put her in the White House. (Holden, Gen X)
Gen X is the second biggest block of voters and will play a major and decisive role in the election outcome. VP Harris has been running a campaign designed to be bigger than just a base campaign and it will attract a majority of Gen X members based on the polling that has been done to date. (Carroll Robinson, TSU Political Science Professor, Baby Boomer)
We have to turn out in record numbers… Millennials, Generation X even, and Gen Z, we have an opportunity to make this important decision about the future of this nation and the direction that we’re headed in. And we have to keep making sure that our neighbors, our friends, our family members, our cousins, our nieces and nephews, grandchildren, that if they’re 18, if they’re American citizens, that they get registered to vote, which is step one. And then that they make a plan to vote and then follow through and cast their ballots this fall. (Hollins, Millennial)
Right now, as an assistant dean at Thurgood Marshall School of Law, we are partnering with our faculty, staff and even student leaders to encourage everyone to become deputized, such that they can be in prime position to be able to register even our young voters to vote. This election is extremely critical and it’s just going to take everyone who is registered to vote to actually get out and vote. (Susan Bynam, college administrator, Gen X)
