THE RISING SHIFT: Why America Is Changing And Why Young Leaders Are Stepping Up

A Game Changers Magazine Feature | Voices of the Village Podcast

Across America, something is shifting. You can see it everywhere — from soybean farmers in the Midwest to Latino families in Miami, from small towns in Georgia to major cities up North. People are looking around and asking the same question: “What is happening to the country we thought we understood?”

Prices are rising. Programs are being cut. Diversity and inclusion are under attack. Federal agencies are being reshaped. And for many people who voted with high hopes, the reality of today feels very different than what they imagined. That confusion and frustration is part of a larger national moment, one rooted in power, policy, and the future of democracy itself.

To help us understand this moment, Voices of the Village Podcast sat down with Mike Burns, former President of the Henry County Democratic Party and founder of Community & College Partnership Programs. Known for his clarity, honesty, and decades of organizing experience, Burns offered a snapshot of America that is both sobering and hopeful.

A COUNTRY AT A CROSSROADS

Burns explains that many of the changes people are feeling come from a deeper structural shift. The boundaries between America’s three branches of government — executive, legislative, and judicial — are becoming less respected and more blurred.

What used to be a balance of power is beginning to feel like a struggle for dominance.

Burns points to movements like Project 2025, which openly promoted reshaping federal agencies, eliminating departments such as the Department of Education, and stripping away diversity and equity initiatives. In a nation built on immigration and multicultural contributions, he warns, removing diversity from public policy is not only harmful — it weakens the very foundation that made America strong.

“The power of this country is in its diversity,” Burns says. “We are who we are because so many people from so many places have built this nation together.”

THE RISE OF YOUNG LEADERS

But amid all the concern, Burns sees something extraordinary happening: young people are stepping forward in ways this country has not seen in decades. Their voices are louder. Their turnout is higher. Their confidence is growing. And their impact is already changing elections — from Stockbridge to New York City.

Burns points to leaders like Mayor-Elect Jayden Williams, whose story captured national headlines, and Adrian Consonery Jr., a 25-year-old running for Georgia Secretary of State. Their victories and campaigns are not random. They are evidence that a generation once dismissed as “disengaged” has decided it’s done waiting for permission to lead. For Burns, the reason is simple: “Young people finally understand their power. They grew up with access to the entire world in the palm of their hand. They are informed, connected, and unafraid and now they’re voting like it.”

PASSING THE TORCH — WHAT IT REALLY LOOKS LIKE

Burns believes this moment requires older generations to make room for the new one. That doesn’t mean stepping aside entirely. It means shifting roles from gatekeepers to guides.

“Our job now is to advise, not control,” Burns says. “Young people need the chance to take the reins while benefiting from our experience. That’s how progress works.”

He believes passing the torch is not just emotional or symbolic — it must be practical. Seniors and elders must help open doors that were once closed, make young leaders aware of global opportunities, and teach them how to work across cultures and across nations.

Burns has seen it firsthand. Through his nonprofit work with colleges across the country, he has watched white college students from New York help Black families in Mississippi, and engineering majors in Florida design housing solutions for Indigenous communities in Alaska. For him, this is proof that young people are ready to lead with compassion, intelligence, and global collaboration.

WHAT WE AGREE ON — AND WHAT WE FORGET

One of Burns’s most powerful observations centered on unity. He says America spends too much time arguing about what divides us and not enough time recognizing how much we share.

People in every community — regardless of race, politics, or background — want the same basic things: safe homes, clean air and water, the ability to care for their families, access to opportunity, and a fair chance at a good life. These shared values far outweigh the handful of issues that divide us.

“When young people focus on what we agree on instead of what we don’t, they will accomplish things our generation couldn’t,” Burns says.

HENRY COUNTY AS A LESSON IN CHANGE

Burns helped lead Henry County through one of the most significant political transitions in its history — from a deeply Republican county to a Democratic one. It took eight years of groundwork, voter registration, community engagement, and demographic growth to make that shift possible.

But Burns is honest about the next phase. Winning elections is one thing. Governing with integrity is another.

He stresses the need for transparency, consistency, and accountability from elected officials regardless of party. For him, leadership isn’t defined by who holds the seat, but by how well they serve the people who put them there.

THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THOSE WHO SHOW UP

At the end of the conversation, Burns offered an analogy that captures the spirit of this moment:

“You don’t have to cook the whole Thanksgiving dinner alone,” he says. “If everyone brings something to the table, everyone eats.”

For America to move forward, it will take generations working together — youth with energy and urgency, elders with wisdom and history, and communities willing to put aside labels long enough to see their shared humanity.

Something new is rising in this country. Something bold. Something young, diverse, and unafraid. And as Burns reminds us, the future isn’t coming someday.

The future is already here — and it’s knocking at the door.

Mike Burns of Community & College Partnership Programs Appears on VOTV