It’s a hot day in South Central. Craig’s sitting on the porch, unemployed, unsure, and unbothered—at least for now. Smokey’s talking loud, running game, and blowing smoke like it’s a part-time job. The mailman slides by, Miss Parker waves, and Deebo rolls through on his bike (the same one he stole last week). The whole block tenses up, eyes down, and conversation stops.
That’s Friday in 1995. But it’s also Washington, D.C., in 2025.
The longer our democracy devolves—complete with leaked group chats about foreign wars, pulling the plug on life-saving vaccines, and coming off of the longest government shutdown in American history—the more our nation’s capital looks like Cube’s neighborhood. A handful of loudmouths spend their day flexing, finger-pointing, and ducking responsibility. Meanwhile, the lights are off, folks are losing their jobs, and rent is still due.
Three decades later, Friday still hits. And if you pay attention, that little block in South Central had more wisdom about power, pride, and responsibility than most of Washington does today. Here are a few parallels we could stand to take notice of:
1: “How the hell you get fired on your day off?”
Craig got fired on his day off—ridiculous in a comedy, devastating in real life. Thousands of federal workers have lived that same plot recently. It means critical government services aren’t being provided, and more families are struggling to cover rent, groceries, and childcare costs.
2: “You ain’t got no job… and you ain’t got sh** to do!”
Smokey’s line hits a little too close to home. Republicans in Congress didn’t show up to work for 54 days. There’s no urgency, no plan—just cameras, chaos, and political theater. Washington is failing (if it’s even trying).
3: “My grandmama gave me that chain!”
When Deebo snatched Red’s chain, it wasn’t just about gold—it was about inheritance, something earned through struggle and sacrifice. For many of us, what our grandparents passed down wasn’t jewelry, but justice: civil rights, voting rights, and the freedom to live without fear. MAGA extremists treat those hard-won gains the way Deebo treated that chain—something to grab, twist, or pawn off for power. Every rollback of rights or cut to opportunity is another theft of what our foremothers and forefathers fought to secure.
4: “Playing with my money is like playing with my emotions.”
We’re tired of performative politics. Tired of watching elected officials treat governing like a pay-per-view event. Tired of seeing teachers, TSA workers, and small business owners take the hits while politicians bark, posture, and take what isn’t theirs. Congress should be showing up for the people—regular people who can’t afford political games. We can do better than making workers foot the bill for this BS.
5: Pops’ kind of wisdom
When Deebo pushed too far, Craig reached for a gun—until Pops stopped him with the wisdom that still echoes: “You win some, you lose some. But you live to fight another day.” Pops wasn’t just comic relief; he was the conscience of the block, reminding Craig—and all of us—that doing right is tougher than acting tough. Real strength isn’t ego or revenge; it’s restraint, courage, and purpose. What Washington needs now is more Pops and fewer Deebos—leaders with less performance and more principle, less swagger and more substance, fewer hustlers and more helpers.
6: Stand up to the bully
Deebo ruled the block through fear. He didn’t earn respect. He just rides around stealing bikes, chains, and peace of mind, and somehow the neighborhood lets him. That’s the thing about bullies. They don’t have to be smart, or right, or even working. They just have to be loud enough, mean enough, and unchallenged long enough for everyone else to forget they don’t actually have any real power.
For a while now, our politics has been shaped by intimidation instead of ideas. And when one person or institution cowers to Trump and his cult of morons, that cowardice can be contagious. But Friday reminds us: when you stop flinching and finally stand up, the bully ain’t that hard to beat. Power built on fear collapses the second people refuse to hand it over. We just saw proof of that on Election Night from coast to coast. Sadly, it’s still not clear that Congress has learned this lesson.
7: “Round here, between Normandie and Western…”
Friday was never really about Deebo. It was about the neighborhood. The people laughed, struggled, and still showed up for each other. That’s America at its best. We can’t control every move in Washington, but we can check on our neighbors, support small businesses, and ensure essential services in our own communities. And, if the lights get cut off, it’s on us to come together and keep the block lit.
By Chris Hollins
Chris Hollins is Houston’s City Controller and the youngest person to hold the office. He is known for work on voter access, fiscal transparency, and community engagement, which has appeared on CNN and MSNBC.
