After Father’s Day: What We Pass Down
What we inherit, what we pass on, and what we’re fighting to build.
Yesterday was Father’s Day.
For some, that meant BBQs and laughter. For others, it meant grief, silence, or complicated feelings best left offline. For me, it was a moment to pause and think about what I’m really building.
I’m a dad. I’m also an organizer. A union rep. A writer. A partner. And every day, I feel like I’m carrying a dozen weights and responsibilities that don’t come with a handbook.
But Father’s Day isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence.
Presence is radical when the world tries to pull us away from our people: through work, through crisis, through burnout, and through systems that don’t want us to feel whole.
What We Inherit
We don’t all inherit money, property, or connections. But we do inherit habits. Wounds. Values. Stories.
In working-class families, we inherit resilience. Sometimes bitterness. Sometimes survival strategies. Rarely wealth.
But we can choose what gets passed on next.
I often think about what kind of world I want my kids to grow up in, and how much effort it takes to shape that future. The love I have for them doesn’t stay at home. It’s what pushes me to fight for better hours, better wages, better housing, safer streets, honest history in classrooms, and dignity for trans kids.
Because it’s personal.
Fatherhood in the Fight
I’ve sat in bargaining rooms for days out of town while my kids waited for me at home. I’ve handed out flyers while my wife packed backpacks and escorted the kids to the bus. I’ve skipped protests to read bedtime stories. And I’ve skipped bedtime stories to speak at rallies.
It’s never balanced. But it’s real.
Fatherhood in the movement means teaching more than slogans. It means modeling care, discipline, and courage. Even when the camera’s off.
We organize to make things better now and later. I don’t want my kids to grow up thinking struggle is inevitable. I want them to know that solidarity is possible. That people can win. That adults around them refused to settle.
We’re raising future co-strugglers. Future truth-tellers. Future organizers. Future builders.
The Legacy We Leave
And maybe that’s what we pass down.
Not a system of scarcity. But a legacy of showing up, loving hard, and fighting smart.
Whether or not you're a parent, you’re still part of that legacy. You still shape the world the next generation inherits. Every picket line, every protest, every campaign meeting is part of that future.
Let’s keep building it.
✊ In solidarity,
—Jay
Balance is not linear. Happy belated Father’s Day 💚