Carrying the Torch: How Multigenerational Leadership Sustains Justice Movements

Time and again, our work at English Hudson affirms a simple truth: the strongest justice movements are multigenerational. History shows us that progress is driven by those on the frontlines of protest and policy change and strengthened by multigenerational wisdom, energy, and vision. 

Rep. John Lewis (1940–2020) leading the 1965 civil rights march on Selma, Alabama.

Lessons from the Civil Rights Era

During the civil rights movement, leaders like Ella Baker and Septima Clark carried forward hard-earned knowledge from years of grassroots organizing and educational activism—and younger activists took those lessons to the streets. As a college student, Diane Nash led sit-ins and helped coordinate the 1961 Freedom Rides to challenge segregation on Southern buses despite life-threatening risks. Barely in his twenties, John Lewis helped organize the March on Washington in 1963 and led the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965, nearly losing his life on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Their courage clarifies what becomes possible when elders share wisdom and young people answer with bold action.

This pattern continues today. The founders of Black Lives Matter built their movement on resistance handed down from the civil rights era. Leaders like Wawa Gatheru, who founded Black Girl Environmentalist, show how young visionaries build directly on the foundations created by earlier generations. Even in government, younger elected officials continue to build on the legacy of trailblazers like Shirley Chisholm—the first Black woman in Congress—whose fearless "unbought and unbossed" leadership paved the way for today's diverse coalition of lawmakers advancing equity and justice.

When each generation lifts the next—exchanging experience and courage—movements endure, sustaining the fight for racial justice, housing equity, climate action, democracy, and more.

Why Multigenerational Leadership Matters

Multigenerational leadership is how movements stay alive and grow stronger. Collaborating across generations preserves the wisdom of those who have fought for decades, transforming it into a beacon that illuminates both hard-won victories and the path to avoid repeating past mistakes. 

Today, as Black history—particularly the realities of slavery and the civil rights movement—is increasingly ignored, rewritten, or outright denied in classrooms and national discourse, this leadership model is more important than ever. In the face of these erasures, it is critical for generations to stay connected to ensure that lived experiences and hard-earned lessons are not lost to time.

At the same time, younger leaders bring innovation—often willing to try new tools, languages, and methods for engaging our communities. Research shows that while 91% of young people believe civic education should be accessible to all, only 43% feel prepared to participate civically based on their experiences. This gap underscores why multigenerational exchange is essential: the synergy between hard-earned wisdom and fresh ideas strengthens a movement’s resilience, ensuring it adapts to new realities rather than fading when one generation retires. Most importantly, multigenerational leadership creates a more inclusive democracy that honors the past while building a future shaped by many hands.

Multigenerational Leadership in Action

The legacy of past leaders meets the energy of new voices in the work of English Hudson’s partners. Organizations like The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Institute and Women of Color in Community Development show how honoring history while elevating emerging leaders drives real change in communities.

Mamie Till-Mobley (1921–2003) seated before a photo of her son Emmett Till.

The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Institute is a powerful example of how multigenerational leadership works. Founded by family members, educators, and cultural leaders, the Institute protects sacred memory sites, delivers truth-telling education, and equips young people to lead in a multicultural democracy. The Institute honors Mamie Till-Mobley’s legacy and the life of her son, Emmett Till, whose lynching and open casket funeral revealed the gut-wrenching reality of racial violence to the world. The Institute transforms memory into civic power through programs like ARTIVISM IN ACTION, which empowers high school students to use art as a tool for justice, and Replaying the Final Judgment, where youth reenact the 1955 murder trial. These programs preserve history and activate young people to see themselves as democratic leaders at a time when public education is retreating from teaching hard truths. 

By bridging generations—honoring a painful past while preparing courageous civic leaders—the Institute demonstrates how memory itself can become a catalyst for justice.

Women of Color in Community Development (WCCD) also shows how leadership passed from generation to generation changes communities. What began as an informal support network in Washington, D.C., has grown into a national organization where Black and Brown women in community and economic development come together to share wisdom, build power, and sustain one another. By linking seasoned leaders with emerging voices, WCCD fosters a cycle of mentorship, wellness, and advocacy that strengthens individuals and communities. Through its multigenerational leadership model, the organization has influenced housing and land-use policy—advancing tenant rights, combating vacancy and displacement, and expanding equity in underinvested communities such as D.C.’s Wards 7 and 8.

WCCD’s story demonstrates how collaboration across generations equips women with the most intimate knowledge of community challenges with the tools and power to create lasting change.

What It Takes to Embrace Multigenerational Leadership

Multigenerational leadership doesn’t happen automatically. It takes intention, trust, and structures that bring generations together. Organizations that want to adopt this proven model should:

• Build systems for mentorship and reverse mentorship so wisdom and fresh ideas flow in both directions.

• Create spaces for shared decision-making, where younger leaders are treated as partners.

• Honor legacy, carrying forward history and past sacrifices as a source of grounding and strength.

• Stay open to change, allowing new voices and approaches to keep movements relevant and alive.

Without these intentional practices, organizations risk siloed leadership that weakens over time. True resilience comes only when generations link arms and lead together.

Yes, Multigenerational Leadership Is Necessary. 

The past offers hard-earned wisdom, the present fuels urgent action, and the future demands bold imagination. When elders and emerging leaders share the work, they build the living, breathing infrastructure of change that lights the way forward. If we are to create a future rooted in justice, we cannot afford to lead in silos. 

Multigenerational leadership calls all of us into the work. It reminds us that justice is not a baton passed once, but a torch carried together—a torch carried by me and you.