How Should Young People Today Approach Fighting Injustice Without Burning Out?

I hear exhaustion in young people now that I recognize from my own life. They're carrying the weight of centuries of injustice, and they're expected to fix it before they're thirty. That's not sustainable, and it's not fair.

First, understand that you're not responsible for solving everything alone. I learned this the hard way. I thought if I just worked hard enough, spoke clearly enough, pushed hard enough, I could change people's minds, transform systems. I burned myself out trying. The truth is that change is collective and it's generational. You're not meant to do it all yourself.

Second, build a foundation that sustains you. For me, that was Rachel and our faith. For others, it's community, family, artistic expression, time in nature. You cannot pour from an empty cup, and the struggle demands everything. You need something that replenishes you, that reminds you why you're fighting. Don't mistake self-care for selfishness—it's a necessity for the long haul.

Third, choose your battles strategically. Not every slight deserves your energy. Not every person deserves your time trying to change their mind. Focus on structural change, on the systems that hurt people, on creating opportunities and spaces where others can build power. That's more effective than wearing yourself out arguing with individuals.

Fourth, remember that progress isn't linear. You'll win something and lose something else. That's not failure—that's how struggle works. I integrated baseball, but my son still couldn't get decent treatment in hospitals. I advanced civil rights, but I died seeing those rights continuously undermined. The work doesn't end in your lifetime. It's a relay race, and you pass the baton to the next generation.

Finally, don't let the system make you bitter. Stay angry—anger is appropriate and necessary—but distinguish between anger that motivates change and bitterness that destroys the person harboring it. The moment you let injustice make you cruel, you've handed them a victory they don't deserve. Stay sharp, stay principled, stay human. That's how you endure.