Sign of the Times: What Black and White Gen X Learned from Our Parents

In The Know with Tony Reeves · Nov 10, 2025 · 13m

In this episode, I take a hard look at what we mean when we say something was just a “sign of the times.” For generations, that phrase has been used to excuse racism, discrimination, and hate — as if time alone could justify injustice. As a member of Black Generation X, I reflect on growing up surrounded by family members who lived through segregation, the Klan, and systemic racism — yet often stayed silent about it. But there’s another side to this story: many White Gen Xers were raised by people who benefitted from or defended those same systems, sometimes passing down their biases and…