Since 1963, each May, the nation pays special tribute to senior citizens in observance of Older Americans Month. This year’s theme, “Flip the Script on Aging,” seeks to encourage a shift in the way society both understands and approaches the aging process.
Dr. Robert Cosby, a gerontologist and social worker is convinced that both older adults and youth can benefit from participating in conversations in which they share “life-affirming experiences” and listen to one another “without being judgmental.”
“As they get to know each other and build trust, the result can be transformational,” said Cosby, who serves as the assistant dean of administration and director of the Howard University School of Social Work Multidisciplinary Gerontology Center.
Cosby, 69, a father and grandfather who has been in his current position at Howard for seven years and affiliated with the university for more than 20 years, emphasized the importance of intergenerational dialogues, particularly in inspiring and promoting positive change for young people.
“Given the struggles that Black, young males face, speaking and being mentored by older Black men can make a profound difference in their lives,” he continued. “Of course, women equally benefit from engaging in intergenerational relationships. However, because Black men and youth must wear so many different masks, simply to cope with the inequities prevalent in American society, engaging in mutual dialogue can change the trajectory of their lives.”
The Power of Storytelling
In 2021, Cosby created the podcast “GrandStories: Profiles in Aging,” in which he speaks with seasoned residents, particularly African American social justice advocates and community leaders, who discuss their experiences on topics related to aging and equity.
“I was looking for ways to describe how older adults feel and to bring intergenerational communities together for dialogue,” Cosby said. “So far, I’ve done about 30 podcasts, and I plan to do more soon.”
Cosby looks for guests who can inspire or remind his listeners of the past and are willing to engage in frank conversation.
“My work on the podcasts, in the classroom, and in group sessions is in no way politically based,” he said. “It’s all about allowing people to tell their stories – experiences that I believe would be of interest to others which possess elements that were life changing.”
Cosby noted that because technology has impacted the way people transmit information, older Americans often find it easier than youth to engage in oral communication.
“One of the greatest challenges society faces is negotiating the generational divide,” he said. “Youth find it more difficult to understand what’s happening around them or to express their feelings because of their dependency on computers and iPhones. Declining socialization skills and the pandemic exacerbated things, making it harder for youth to engage in meaningful conversations, particularly with older adults.”
Further, Cosby explained how communication has evolved over the years with young people less reliant on words to express themselves.
“Back in the day, reasonably educated adults had a command of about 10,000 words but today, within the Black community, that number has decreased to about 2,000 words,” Cosby said. “Youth, because of technology, now use memes or repost messages rather than conversational language to describe their experiences. Life experiences are sometimes tough and traumatic but can also be beautiful. Either way, healing and growth only occur when one can talk about their feelings and listen to someone who has overcome obstacles from their past.”
An Uncertain Future Awaits With the Graying of America
In recent years, the U.S. has undergone an increase in life expectancy and a decrease in birth rates. The result has been a “graying of America” – a term which refers to the demographic trend of an increasingly older population (those 65 and above).
This “graying” continues to result in significant social, economic, and political implications, including increased healthcare demands, particularly for long-term care; strain on Social Security and Medicare systems; potential labor shortages; and shifting political landscapes and priorities.
Data confirms the growing impact of a graying America, as indicated in a U.S. Census report, “The US Joins Other Countries With Large Aging Populations,” published in March 2018.
“Although declining fertility plays a role, the driving force behind America’s aging is the baby boomers,” the report said. “As one of the largest generations in the country, boomers leave a substantial imprint on the population. They swelled the ranks of the young when they were born and then the workforce as they entered adulthood.”
The report explains that by 2060, nearly one in four Americans will be 65 years and older, the number of people 85-plus will triple, and the nation will add a half million centenarians.
“If the trends continue, the U.S. is fast heading towards a demographic first,” the report continues. “It will become grayer than ever before as older adults outnumber kids.”
The African American population, 65 and older, was 4,979,133 in 2019, when Black Americans made up 9% of the older population, according to the U.S. Census, and is projected to grow to 12.1 million, or 13%, by 2060.
But while numbers are increasing, older African Americans must contend with higher rates of poverty, disability, and health disparities, often linked to factors like chronic diseases, reduced life expectancy, and cumulative race-related stress. After a lifetime of racial and health inequities, Black seniors are at risk of spending their last years with declining health, little income and virtually no savings as indicated in a 2016 CIGNA Health Disparities report.
Cosby said these and other factors confirm his belief that Black Americans would benefit from returning to, or at least embracing, long-held African traditions that valued and respected seniors and viewed them as vital to the community, providing guidance, mentorship, and support to younger generations.
He noted that some older Americans don’t get the respect or attention due they deserve.
“Many people don’t understand the significance of being an older person, so we don’t celebrate their lives or their experiences,” Cosby said. “If anything, they’re seen as a hindrance.
However, he emphasized the importance of talking to older Americans before it’s too late.
“I often ask children to describe their best experience they remember about a time they spent with their grandparent,” he told The Informer. “Sadly, far too many of them, especially Black children, don’t have any memories to share.”
Benefits Abound for All of Society When We Learn to Value the Elderly
Cosby said history provides an essential lesson that African Americans can ill afford to forget. As Black families moved from the south to the north during the Great Migration in search of better jobs and greater educational opportunities, many had no choice but to split up. As families separated, the intergenerational relationships that had once kept them grounded were destroyed.
“In the wake of the Great Migration, scores of Black families were left without the natural order of things in which grandparents took care of children within nuclear or extended family systems,” Cosby said. “In the past, families often lived on the same block or in the same community. You could learn the rubrics of being a business owner, an herbalist, a midwife, whatever job was needed, from an elder who was experienced in those roles. They passed on their knowledge orally and through hands-on experiences. It’s not like that today.”
Cosby concluded by emphasizing the importance of African Americans creating more space for older adults and recognizing their value because of their unique ability to pass on institutional memories to future generations.
“Older Black Americans have lived through D.C.’s day of receivership, Jim Crow and segregation, and remember when we were accurately known as ‘Chocolate City,’” Cosby said. “They alone can pass on their memories, stories, and lessons learned to future generations. Without them, we, our children, and our children’s children have little hope of surviving or, as Dr. King confidently believed, overcoming.”