Generation WE: Why a Career in Social Activism is Perfect for Millennials

I was in New York City the other day, and I thought about all of the social movements that have taken place just in my adult life (just turned 25 for the record). The #Occupy Movement. #BlackLivesMatter. The world is waking up to the ills that plague our society, and it’s because of US. Millennials have embodied the passionate spirit of their Baby Boomer parents that led to widespread protest of the Vietnam war. We have taken that spirit and given it a software update. We are CounterCulture 2.0, and we have harnessed the power of technology to make impactful CHANGE. We do all of this on our spare time, but imagine if you could make a career out of being a good person? It can happen if you pursue a career in Social Activism.

Making Social Activism a Career

I’m not going to write about places to find a job in Social Activism. Just go volunteer with a non-profit like Habitat for Humanity or the Boys and Girls Club of America, and give it your all as if it paid you six-figures. That work-ethic will get you a salaried job within that organization.

The person who comes to mind when I think about someone who has made being a great person profitable is Deray Mckesson. For those who have spent the last couple of years under a rock, Deray is one of the brave souls spear-heading the #BlackLivesMatter movement. He has shown how social media, specifically Twitter, is an amazing tool of social change. I learned WAY more about the #BlackLivesMatter movement from following Deray on Twitter than I ever would have watching televised news. If you don’t do so already, I highly suggest following @Deray.

Now of course Deray isn’t in this for financial gain. You don’t pursue social activism as a career if you are motivated by money. You do it because you’re motivated by helping people, and the Universe just conspires to get you paid for your kindness. Deray quit his job to be the driving force behind something much bigger than himself. What he has done is inspire tens of thousands of millennials, whether Black, White, Hispanic, Pureblood, Half-Blood, or Muggle-Born, to take an honest look at how America’s society works. And most importantly, he has shown us all the path to change. People will pay him for his efforts in one way or another for the rest of his life.

I got off my intended path with this article, as it was supposed to be about this video you see. Read this article and then watch this video from start to finish. One of the things that really resonated with me was the concept of “WE” day. It made me instantly think of D-Day, and how that day was single-handedly the most important 24 hours that this planet has ever seen.

I truly believe the concept of WE-day can make the same impact on this planet. I refuse to believe we are Generation me… we are Generation WE. I’ll end with three quotes from the video that occur one after another between the 4th and 6th minute that inspired me to commit to WE-day.

“ WE-day is more than a one-day event. It is a year-long series of actions to better our global community, and we make that commitment TODAY. “

“Together we have already done so much. our generation is about to change EVERYTHING. “

“ We are united. We are strong. We are unbreakable. We are unstoppable because that is the power of WE”

What are you going to do TODAY to commit to impact the Global community? Don’t tell me in the comment box. Describe it to me in the comment box once you’ve already done it. Let’s show the world Millennials are Generation WE, not Generation ME.