MY REVOLUTION WON´T BE ELEVISED

Gil Scott-Heron

An atomic bomb sized truth was dropped on the USA in 1970 by Gil Scott-Heron with his poem called, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised." If you haven't heard it, here it is. Listen to it! Please!

He was a poet with fire in his voice, single-handedly dismantling the idea that real change can happen through passive consumption of media. Scott-Heron's masterpiece was a wake-up call disguised as spoken-word poetry, a cultural landmark that influenced generations of artists from hip-hop pioneers to modern-day truth-tellers.

That's why, during the latest Super Bowl, Kendrick Lamar echoed this sentiment in "Not Like Us," reminding us that the war is still going on. A war for the minds and bodies of the American people. While Scott-Heron referenced "Bulova watch time" and "Glen Campbell," Kendrick calls out different but equally powerful societal forces. Both artists understand something fundamental: revolution happens in the streets, in conversations, in actions, not on your tiny hand-held devices.

The Blindfold Got an Upgrade

Let's be real: Scott-Heron would be horrified to death by how much deeper we've sunk into the media quicksand. In 1970, Americans had a handful of TV channels and daily newspapers. Today? We're drowning in content while at the same time being hungry for the truth, feeling the pain in our guts because we are information-starved. The algorithms feeding us only what we already believe, unwilling to hear an opposing point of view, have created a society where we can't even agree on basic facts.

Our smartphones are society's new blindfolds with built-in entertainment systems. We scroll past democracy eroding in real-time, giving it the same attention as cat videos or celebrity gossip. The distractions Scott-Heron warned about haven't disappeared, they've multiplied, mutated, and learned to target us personally.

Democracy: Use It or Lose It

So, FYI - democracy isn't a spectator sport. It requires participation, vigilance, and sometimes getting uncomfortable. The American experiment has survived for nearly 250 years not because it was guaranteed but because enough people cared enough to protect it.

Right now, that protection is wearing thin. Voter suppression masquerades as "election security." Corporate money floods our political system. Basic rights that seemed settled are suddenly back on the chopping block. And too many of us respond by...posting memes?

FAFO

"FAFO" isn't just internet slang, it's the perfect warning label for democracies that take their freedoms for granted. I´ve seen it: Venezuela, Hungary, Turkey, even Russia. And now the good old USA. History has repeatedly shown what happens when populations disengage: freedoms erode, authoritarians rise, and one day you wake up wondering how you got there.

The warning signs flash brighter every day, but we're too busy arguing about celebrity feuds or viral challenges to mount a meaningful response. We're sleepwalking through a crucial chapter in American history, world history, and someday we'll wish we had been more awake.

Being Woke is Survival

The term "woke" has been weaponized and mocked, but its original meaning matters now more than ever. Being aware, being conscious, refusing to accept comfortable lies, these aren't partisan positions. These are the requirements for having a functioning democracy.

Scott-Heron wasn't delivering empty rhetoric when he insisted the revolution wouldn't be brought to you by Xerox or broadcast in the comfort of your home. He was telling us that meaningful change requires genuine engagement with uncomfortable realities.

What Now?

The revolution still won't be televised, or tweeted, TikToked, or live streamed. It will happen when we:

1. Vote in EVERY election, not just presidential ones

2. Support independent journalism that challenges power

3. Have difficult conversations with people we disagree with

4. Show up physically for causes that matter

5. Demand accountability from our representatives

   
   

As Gil Scott-Heron warned us over 50 years ago, and as Kendrick Lamar reminds us today, real change happens when we put down our devices, look around at what's actually happening, and decide to do something about it.

Democracy isn't guaranteed. It's either exercised or lost. The choice is ours, but the window is closing.

Don't say you weren't warned.

FAFO if you end up in a Salvadoran jail.

Thanks for reading. Abrazos.

Diego Rojas