The Story of Us: A Vision for a Stronger, United Future

02/12/2025

A friend recently shared a page from a lovely children’s book he’s reading to his newborn baby about what it means for each of us to be a good ancestor. 

The page reads, “Be a good ancestor with your words. Words become expressions; expressions become stories; stories become narratives; narratives become truth.” 

– Leona Prince and Gabrielle Prince “Be A Good Ancestor”

I’m reminded of these words now, when many of us are working overtime to hold onto a vision of the world we want to create, where everyone has resources and opportunities to thrive. Whether we’re trying to ensure everyone has a place to live, has access to healthcare or is treated fairly, we want to create a world that is just. 

That feels especially hard to do these days when we are working to protect ourselves, our Black and Brown neighbors, immigrant families, transgender youth, the essential federal workers who make basic government services work and justice leaders who are now targets of fickle and cruel politicians and advisors. 

In a recent post, Shanelle Matthews asks, “How do we mobilize a broad base with messaging that is both visionary and materially grounded – one that inspires but also builds power at scale?” 

By being good ancestors and telling the story of “us,” the story of what we want and how we get there.

Here’s one story:

We know our country is in a greedy, narcissist phase and our neighbors, family and friends are hungry, homeless and scared. 

In the face of this onslaught, it’s easy to lose sight of the future. 

But we are building a movement of people from all walks of life because we know that our safety and opportunities are all connected. We know that we cannot thrive as a country unless everyone has what they need to live with dignity. 

This is our shared vision that drives a movement that is so big and strong, it cannot be ignored. We can make it unstoppable by sharing the story of the world we want everywhere – in newspapers, podcasts, social posts, movies, in comments by athletes and celebrities. 

That’s when we will see our country begin to turn toward justice.

First, we’ll stop people from getting arrested for sleeping outside when they have nowhere else to go and instead offer them housing in converted office buildings and hotels. Then we’ll see communities create their own housing that is actually affordable and renters will get protections from unfair evictions and rent increases. 

We will work with others in healthcare to expand our mental health and recovery care or immigration rights or liberation movements to ensure each of us has what we need – regardless of race, gender or income. 

Finally, we’ll make rental support available for everyone who qualifies so all of us can live in accessible and decent housing. Landlords and tenants will work together to make rental vouchers easier to use and soon enough our parks will be clear, the tents will be gone and most importantly, everyone will have a place to call home.   

This is the story of “us” we need to share every time the opposition tries to cut funding, cast blame, create chaos or make outrageous accusations. 

As Thomas Coombes said in a recent post, “We need to tell stories that not only show that change is possible, but make that change feel familiar and real – so that we can feel it on a sensory level: Taste, touch, hear and smell.”

History has shown us over again the power of narrative to make the change we want in the world. From labor rights to civil rights, from marriage equality to healthcare for all, the story of us has fueled these movements. 

Our ancestors have done this before, and we can do it again now. 

Here are some ways we can be good ancestors with our words:

• Remember the opposition wants to overwhelm us and control the story so we have to share our story about the world we want – where everyone has a home in a thriving community – everywhere and all the time. Go on the offense by saying what we want, not what we do not want.
• Lean into the impact of the action on people (seniors, families with children, veterans, students and people with disabilities or health issues who are experiencing homelessness) instead of the rule changes or policies.  
• Share solutions that people understand. Paint the picture, share examples, elevate stories of people who got support and are now thriving. 
• Call out misinformation and disinformation as an effort to mislead people and call out those engaging in both for spreading lies. 
• Show what we want from leaders – people who solve hard problems for all of us, regardless of how much money we have, our race, gender or place of birth.

We all have a role to play in this story. We can be good ancestors when we share words and expressions that become stories and those stories become narratives, which become truth.