In this episode, I reflect on the unique reality of being part of Black Gen X—caught between two worlds that often felt at odds. Our parents, mostly Baby Boomers, grew up under segregation and faced open hostility, while we were the first generation to come of age in a fully desegregated society.
I share my story of growing up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas—a majority-Black town in a majority-White state—where I saw both the nurturing support of Black communities and the subtle hostilities that lingered outside of them. I explore the shift from “hard bigotry” to “soft bigotry,” the absence of a blueprint for navigating this new reality, and the ways both Black and White Gen X had to learn by trial and error.
This is a conversation about resilience, identity, and how Gen X forged its own path without letting the weight of the past hold us back.

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