Originally published in the Stock Savvy Dad newsletter on June 19, 2026.

My grandfather was born in Savannah, Georgia.

He made his way to New York, bought a home, and built a life for his family. That home is still in our family today. Decades later.

That’s generation one.

Today is Juneteenth. A day about freedom finally being recognized after far too long. But freedom on paper and freedom in practice are two different things. Real freedom, the kind that compounds and gets passed down, takes generations of intentional effort to build. Not just financially but mentally.

The baton passed to my mother and her siblings. My mother extended it further. She paid for my college. No student loans, no decade of debt waiting for me the moment I graduated. That foundation she gave me wasn’t just generous. It was generational.

That’s generation two.

Now I think about my daughters and what I’m building for them. Custodial accounts that I’m adding to consistently, growing year after year. The goal isn’t to hand them a clean slate when they turn 18. It’s to hand them a lead, not a starting line.

We’re not getting it out the mud. We’re starting at the top.

Wealth, over time, is really a relay. Every generation either extends the lead or starts the race over completely. And for a lot of Black families in this country that race has been forced to start over again and again. Wealth built, then stolen. Land owned, then taken. Communities established, then burned to the ground. Not metaphorically. Literally.

When I think about my daughters’ accounts, it’s my first pass at extending a relay that started with my grandfather and ancestors who survived the struggle, continued through my mother, and now runs through me. Every dollar I add isn’t just for them. It’s proof that the baton didn’t get dropped.

If you’re building something for the people who come after you, know that it matters more than you think. Land, a business, a brokerage account, a paid off home. Whatever it is, it’s a starting point for someone who comes next.

Let’s pass the baton in first place, not in the back.

— Stock Savvy Dad
​Invest smarter, build wealth, be a savvy dad.