Besides the fact that we are all from New Jersey. The commonalities between my mama, Fetty Wap and myself are probably few. But we do share one thing for sure… a serious generational divide. Being a member of Generation X and of a particular age, I have always felt like a bridge between Depression Era babies, (my grandparents), Boomers and Millennials. Imagine a tether ball being hit from both sides and every angle – to me, that is Gen X.
In discussions with various generations spanning different circles and in different areas of the city there are a number of questions on the table that can only be answered across generations. I have always felt there has to be a solution to the turmoil our communities face. Whether it is the lack of successor-ship in government and organizational positions, the savvy yet non-political politics of the BLM movement or the seemingly apathetic approach to life we see in our youth, there is a solution… better still there are answers. I feel that this project is a stepping stone to closing the gaps within our community.
Letters 2 a Generation (L2aG) is a project developed by moi (Kimberly C. Gaines) with the goal of igniting conversation through written language among multiple generations of African-Americans. The project will enlist participants through an open call and a curated selection process to create an inter-generational dialogue. Using the art of letter writing, each generation will craft a correspondence to a generation of their choice. Writers can pose additional questions or topics or attempt to respond to a selected letter.
Submitted letters will be posted on the L2aG website. Select letters will also be included in a 3-part series, where they will be read during a staged theatrical presentation followed by a moderated conversation with representatives of each generation.
The objective is to:
- Engage in a cross generational dialogue, in pursuit of better understanding
- Develop a mutual respect for differing perspectives and approaches
- Develop an online space for continued conversation
- Create a book documenting the process and keeping record of written accounts
Here is the link to more details!
