This paper presents a comparison between contemporary generational movements, the bul faale generation in Senegal, and the Jeunes Patriotes in C?te d?Ivoire, which both demand, albeit in different ways, a break with the regime of subordinate political assignment defined at the time of independence in relation to young people and more generally to "social cadets," who consisted of young people but also of women. Beyond immediately political or cultural expressions by these two movements, it is also important to show how they engaged in the generational dynamics of rewriting the outlines of the national identity from the bottom up. Finally, the paper discusses the importance of viewing these generational movements in terms of political generations in relation to their declared aims and their ability to work for political and social change.