We’re living in unprecedented times. With inflation ravaging American families, political leaders dividing people more than ever and civil rights at risk of complete termination, Americans are scared of the future. It all leaves many of them to wonder: “Where are the leaders who will fight for us?”
With recent calls for democrats like Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former President Barack Obama to do something, many Americans feel abandoned. One political leader, however, said the solution isn’t to wait around for a saving grace because we’ll never get it. The Root spoke with Bakari Sellers, a lawyer, author, and former S.C. representative about the state of the nation. And according to him, it’s time for Americans to buck up.
For everyone waiting for someone to swoop in and save the country, Sellers told The Root “Superman’s not coming.” With less than one month into President Donald Trump’s second term, he’s already pardoned Capitol rioters, banned DEI at the federal level, enacted mass deportation nationwide and much more.
For his supporters, Trump stands as a man of his word. But for those who didn’t vote for him, hope is at an all-time low.
Because of this, Sellers, author of “The Moment: Thoughts on the Race Reckoning That Wasn’t and How We All Can Move Forward Now,” suggested we shift the conversation from who will rescue the American people to “what we can do in our own respective communities,” he said. Because “the problem is organizing from top down never works.”
According to a Gallup poll, only 34 percent of people are satisfied with U.S. democracy— crediting this increase from 28 percent recorded in 2024 to the Republican Party. This leaves a remaining 61 percent of Americans frustrated with the state of the country, but according to Sellers, it’s not enough to be disappointed, you have to actually do something about it.
“What are you doing now?” Sellers asked. “Are you organizing in your communities? Are you marching on your Capitol?” He continued, “What are you doing in your own individual capacity?” In 2023, only 32 percent of adults said they follow politics closely, according to another Gallup poll. Which— to Sellers’ point— is “not a recipe for success.”
Since Trump’s reelection, protests have erupted across the nation objecting to his onslaught of executive actions, but that can’t be the end, according to Sellers. “People are tired of marching,” he said. “If you march without demand or a purpose, you’re just getting steps in, so the question is what do you do and how do you do it.”
If you paid attention to the 2024 presidential election, you’re probably not surprised about how the country got to this point. But if you just got to this party, now is not the time to cry about it. “Instead of waiting and saying ‘Where’s Hakeem [Jeffries] or where is Martin, Malcolm, or Rosa?’” Sellers told Americans to get in the field and save themselves.
“Are you going down to the GSA [General Services Administration] building and saying why is Elon Musk in here? What are we doing at treasury? Are we filing those lawsuits?” Sellers told The Root. “Are you sending back your Teslas? Are you raising your voice?”