During a time when the baby boomers appear to be being blamed for every little thing going wrong in the world, it’s refreshing to read about where they’ve done things right. A recent online discussion amongst Gen X gave massive props to the boomers, defining these accomplishments as their top ten. Do you agree?
1. Music
Many boomers recall the joy of listening to Saturday morning cleaning albums such as Paul Simon’s Graceland and getting lost in the artwork inside a double album. The baby boomer generation indeed produced incredible music from legendary singers and groups, including Fleetwood Mac, Willie Nelson, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Huey Lewis, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, and Michael Jackson.
2. Women’s Rights
Boomer women paved the way for women’s rights. They made significant advancements, including opening bank accounts, getting credit cards, and changing mortgage and housing laws to accommodate women getting loans without their husbands’ approval.
Before boomers, women needed a man to sign for her, whether her husband, father, or brother, regardless of how much she earned. They also secured a no-fault divorce and birth control use. They made it much easier for younger generations in the workplace regarding sexual harassment despite still having a little further to go with equal pay.
3. Casual Clothing
Gen X appreciates what boomers did for fashion, especially regarding women and comfortable, casual clothing. Can you imagine being required to wear skirts and heels? Or worse, corsets? Long gone are the gender constructs of uncomfortable clothing. Boomers burned their bras in protest, and Gen X is still grateful for it today.
4. The Tech Revolution
When you think about it, the tech revolution is a boomer thing. The Apollo and supporting programs gave America opportunities, and the boomers completely changed the world. Companies like IBM, Intel, and Xerox PARC helped the baby boomers bring younger generations technological advances, including computers, software, and cellular phones.
5. Looking Out for Neighbors
Overall, boomers were more of a collective culture than the individual ‘in it for me’ we see running rampant today. Boomers stayed connected, whether it be a neighborhood association, church, or meetup group. They looked out for their neighbors and community in ways these younger folks do not. Today, people don’t know their neighbors and are more interested in pulling their phones out to record and post than helping and assisting people.
6. Work Ethic
One of the biggest complaints among Gen X’ers today is the ridiculous lack of customer service and admirable work ethic amongst the younger generations. Boomers had a tremendous work ethic that laid the foundation of many institutions we still rely on today.
Moreover, many boomers worked very hard through absolutely horrendous labor conditions and with half of the protections we have today because they understood what it meant to do anything to feed their families.
7. The Civil Rights Movement
The Civil Rights Movement advanced significantly because of the boomers protesting out in the streets. True, it started with the Silent Generation leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, but the boomers pushed the movement. While there is still turmoil regarding race relations today, there’s no contesting the amount of progress the boomers brought to the status quo at the time. Civil Rights and Freedom Riders; Movers and Shakers. What a time to be alive.
8. Movies
While some may associate the movies they watched as kids in the ’60s and ’70s with boomer movies, it’s really the 1980s decade that cemented their contributions to Hollywood. Steven Speilberg is one of the biggest names producing classics, including E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws, The Goonies, Gremlins, The Color Purple, Poltergeist, Back to the Future, and the Indiana Jones series.
Before you come for me in the comments about George Lucas and Star Wars, technically, Lucas was born two years before the baby boomer generation, making him a silent Gen’ er.
9. The Sexual Revolution
In addition to the women’s equality and civil rights movements, boomers led the charge for LGB rights. The movement didn’t have a T, I, A, or + yet. Still, for the first time in history, boomers got loud for gay rights. The attitude toward sex changed with the free love movement, and boomers are responsible for starting it. And don’t forget key parties and wife swapping, something that’s evolved into poly and open relationships modern-day.
10. Gen X
Finally, and without any surprise, Gen X declared themselves as one of the biggest and best accomplishments of the baby boomer generation. From being the last generation to send their kids outside to allowing for them to make mistakes, many Gen X’ers are grateful their parents were boomers and not the more helicopter-style parents of today.
The Bottom Line
Sometimes, it can be challenging to see them being under the constant bombardment of blame and bad news, but boomers have done many great things for America. Like every generation before and after them, boomers made several significant societal contributions and advancements.
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