Good or bad, right or wrong, people can be quick to assign labels to others, particularly those they do not understand or those who may be different as defined by what they have come to understand as society’ s standard. And once a label has been affixed, it is quickly accepted as the norm.
Take the label Millennials( or Generation Me) for example. A group generally defined by the birth years 1983-2001 is sometimes characterized through cultural images and attributes and are widely perceived as being self-centered and self-absorbed often accompanied by an entitlement mentality.
The problem with labels is they are sometimes inaccurate portrayals or, at minimum, are perceived inaccurately based on misinformation and misunderstanding. Yet, we succumb to the temptation to use them sparingly with little regard for how the person with whom we have assigned the label sees themselves.
A case in point, in this month’ s cover story we introduce you to an individual who shatters every negative stereotype often associated with the label that was long ago assigned to her age group. Above and beyond that, she boldly exemplifies the admirable qualities that those who look beyond the label have come to see and appreciate in this generation— remarkable resiliency, the ability to be creative, inspiring, enterprising, and confident in times of uncertainty and upheaval in order to make a difference in life where it counts— in the lives of others.
Meet Ebony Perkins. The term high achiever would be an understatement, her life has been characterized by achievement from early childhood throughout high school and her collegiate experience. She earned a Master of Public Health Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Claflin University. Not one to sit idle, she has been named, Woman on the Move by the Blind Spot Art Foundation. Her bio reads of a Who’ s Who at every stage in life. Yet, she remains humble and Christ focused
www. pneupathforliving. com 19