‘We Are Not Our Ancestors’: You’re Right, You’re a Punk

Selma marches in Harlem — Source: Underwood Archives / Getty

Right now, America is teetering on the edge of political collapse. Our democracy is under siege, and we are witnessing a constitutional crisis in real time. And at the center of it all is a twice-impeached, multi-indicted con man named Donald Trump, who’s hellbent on bankrupting and destroying this country (like he did his many failed businesses) one corrupted policy and court ruling at a time.

And what are we doing about it? Posting.

Scrolling.

“Raising awareness.”

And even though we understand wholeheartedly that as a whole we lack true effort, some of y’all dare to utter the phrase, “We aren’t our ancestors,” when discussing current events; and you’re right, you’re not—because you’re a punk.

Let’s talk about how asinine and disrespectful that phrase truly is. “We’re not our ancestors.” As if the folks who survived the Transatlantic Slave Trade, Jim Crow, COINTELPRO, the assassinations of our leaders and heroes in real time, and systemic disenfranchisement didn’t move with more courage, strategy, and solidarity than most of us could ever imagine. Our ancestors faced real terror. I’m not talking about being ghosted by a job recruiter or losing a social media argument; I’m talking about being hunted like animals and lynched in broad daylight while crowds gathered to watch like it was a damn picnic.

They organized and resisted. They fought back by building a community and protecting it. They didn’t sit around sharing trauma for likes or saying, “Well, at least it’s not me.” They understood that if it were them today, it could be you tomorrow. So no, you’re not your ancestors, because your ancestors had courage. They weren’t selfish and had guts, but you, my dear, won’t stop reposting harmful stereotypical content for fear of losing engagement.

And before you come at me with, “Tiffany, that’s too aggressive,” let me stop you right there.

I should be aggressive. Because every time I hear this dismissive, viral one-liner used as some kind of badge of progress, I’m reminded of how far we’ve strayed from the actual fight. This generation is so caught up in sounding “revolutionary” that it has forgotten what it means to be revolutionary. I recently saw a viral post on Facebook that jokingly asked, “Where was God during slavery?” While it was meant to provoke, it made me think about Gaza, Sudan, the Congo, and Alligator Alcatraz, and all the places where oppression is happening right now, while most of us do nothing. We cry about injustice in hindsight, while staying silent when it’s unfolding in front of us—because we don’t want to lose a job, a brand deal, or a follower count.

We are not showing up for Gaza. We are not mobilizing for the Congo. We are not demanding answers for the Black men and women rotting in jails without due process, or our Black and Brown brothers being kidnapped by ICE. We’re not pushing policy; we’re not organizing rallies, but we are posting and complaining, which does nothing if it’s not paired with action.

So, how do we fix it?

We start by acknowledging that no generation is perfect. Each one is tasked with a different battle, but the goal of the war is the same: freedom, progress, and equity, but we can’t win if we keep severing the very branches of the trees that made us. We are so quick to throw shade at our elders while standing on the foundations they built. Those “ancestors” you claim not to be are your Big Mama and your favorite uncle and auntie, who got up every day and went into a racist workplace just so you could one day have the option to post about quitting your job.

We’re losing the sauce, and they have chipped away at the unity, but we still have time to get it back because, despite the chaos, the blueprints are right in front of us.

We know what to do because they showed us how to do it.

The communities of Rosewood and Tulsa didn’t wait for permission—they built. The Civil Rights Movement didn’t just march—they organized. Martin, Malcolm, Fannie, the Panthers—all created structures that held people accountable and understood the power of collective action. Even closer to home, our own families have stories of firsts. The first to graduate. The first to break into a field, thrive, and make a way out of no way.

We don’t lack inspiration; we lack action and follow-through.

So let me say it again: you’re right, you’re not your ancestors, because your ancestors were brave, strategic, and willing to lose everything so you could gain something. The least you could do is stop disrespecting them and start protecting what they fought for.

Because until we realize that we are our ancestors and start moving like it, this country will keep slipping further into the abyss, and we’ll be watching it burn one post at a time.

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Op-Ed: ‘We Are Not Our Ancestors’: You’re Right, Because You’re A Punk was originally published on newsone.com