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More importantly, it ain’t our fault. Once again, this country has called upon the descendants of the formerly enslaved to save it from its tendency to stray from its stated ideals. And once again, the descendants of the formerly enslaved have stepped up, providing overwhelming voting support for those ideals. Yet, once again, much of the country has resisted, casting votes against those very principles. Let’s be clear: the descendants of the formerly enslaved include the Afro-Latin community as well, who bear the same brown skin as those descended from slavery.
So, this ain’t our problem. Fortunately—or unfortunately—the system under which we were forced to live, after that “free” transatlantic cruise you gave our ancestors and the Jim Crow conditions our recent ancestors endured, has built us up with skills of resilience. We taught ourselves to turn discarded food into delicacies. We learned to create opportunities where none existed, to make something from nothing, to work long and hard and make the best of nearly anything. You didn’t. So when the system turns on you, it’s a lot harder to navigate. This ain’t our fault, and it ain’t our problem. We will survive and thrive because we always have, to varying degrees.
Given your own deficiencies, I offer this advice. You have an opportunity to make change through fiscal rebellion—purposeful, deliberate economic resistance—because most lasting change begins with some form of rebellion. My advice to you: engage in fiscal rebellion. Spend your dollars with intent. Support and empower the communities that have stood for this country’s ideals. Find a Black-owned grocery store, and drive that extra distance to shop there. If you’re buying a car, ask for a Black salesperson, and walk out if there isn’t one. Redirect your charitable donations to an HBCU, where many of the leaders who mobilize Black voters are educated. Attend and tithe at a Black church. Move your money to a Black-owned bank.
Stop spending your hard-earned dollars with those who don’t share your ideals; consider it a form of fiscal resistance. By economically empowering those who consistently support your values and withholding resources from those who don’t, you’ll make a stronger impact. We’ll likely be back to assist again in 2026 and 2028, but to make that support even stronger, engage in fiscal rebellion against those who oppose our shared goals.
Otherwise, stand up and take your lumps.
