Tensions flared during a Black men’s roundtable when actor Clifton Powell was confronted by a speaker who criticized him and other elders for using age as a shield against accountability.
The veteran actor, best known for his role in the Friday film franchise, recently joined a roundtable hosted by SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective and The Conscious Lee, where actors, activists, and creatives discussed Black men’s role in reproductive justice and building healthier relationships with Black women.
Powell said his admission stems from inherited trauma within Black families, describing it not as regret but as a moment of clarity shaped by generational wounds and lived experience.
Powell said his current partner has played a major role in his personal growth, pushing him to confront his behavior and evolve.
“When you hurt somebody, where you leave them is where they stay,” Powell said.
Fellow panelist Joseph Irvin revisited Powell’s comments, using the moment to highlight what he sees as a broader lack of accountability among some older generations when it comes to owning their actions and the trauma passed down to younger family members.
“Some people have talked about, like, you know, going to counseling, have that upon yourself. Stop waiting for a woman to tell you what you need to do,” Irvin said in a clip shared online.
Clifton Powell crashes out at table talk after a young man claims older people only take accountability when they’re old—and it’s already too late. 👀😳 pic.twitter.com/oMyR4MRdi8— Rain Drops Media (@Raindropsmedia1) February 16, 2026
Powell fired back at Irvin. “You can’t tell me what the f-ck I’m living…I’m living it right now. You cannot fix no sh-t that you don’t even know what’s happening,” Powell shouted..
The tense exchange has ignited online debate, with some interpreting Powell’s reaction as a reflection of the very pain, anger, and trauma being discussed, and others defending him.
Another user defended Powell, saying the only reason he became upset is that “buddy was being disrespectful by not letting him talk.”
“We can’t get to a place where start disrespecting elders. Can’t speak for how other cultures do things, but there’s a way to communicate with elders, and that wasn’t it,” added someone else.
“I disagree. Older people rarely ever take accountability because they typically dealt with the same trauma they’re bring on someone else. Generational trauma,” one X user wrote.
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Source: Black Enterprise
