As we await the final decision of the 2020 election, many are discussing what next steps will look like as we move forward into the next four years. Regardless of which presidential candidate prevails, if this summer’s social unrest has shown us anything is that this country’s deep-seated systemic racism will not be fixed with one election, and our work cannot stop at our one vote.
Kara Little, author of Voting: That’s All We’re Doing?, expands on her piece for Your Silence Will Not Protect You and discusses her plan for post-election.
What’s your story? Tell us a little bit about your background and how you got to where you are today.
My name’s Kara. I was born in Brooklyn but I currently live in Sayreville, New Jersey. I live in the suburbs. I am someone that’s gotten used to being the only Black person in a room, in a classroom, in a setting - just because that’s just how it is everywhere when I’m home.
I just graduated from school in May - from Susquehanna University - another predominantly white experience for me, which was kind of a culture shock. Even though I was used to being the only Black person in a room, it became where I was the only person of color in a room. So that was something that changed me even more and got me excited about writing about social justice issues that deal with our community - the Black community specifically.
How did you approach writing your piece, “Voting? That’s all we’re doing?”
I approached it in a way that - I was thinking about my audience and I was thinking about how most of the people that would be reading this, I assume, would be Black people and/or people who care about Black issues.
Throughout this time that we’ve been talking more about social issues and the Black community, I’ve been learning stuff myself. As a Black person you can think “Okay well, I’m Black I have my own experience” but I approached it in a way that I wanted to touch from a different point that I normally wouldn’t.
When I started thinking about it, I just kind of thought about people who might not have the same opinions as me - people who might not approach voting and the idea of voting in the way that I initially would. I wanted to get all different perspectives in there and understand both sides, if not all sides, of the idea of voting and its importance in the States.
I’m thinking we’re gonna put out your interview on Election Day or the day after - what message do you have to folks for that immediate aftermath of Election Day? Or what’s your plan?
I would say - I kind of touched on this earlier, in the article as well: I’m someone that always advocates for voting, always advocates for Black people to vote. That’s something that I’ve always been taught and something that’s been engrained in me.
After the election’s over the next question - regardless of how it turns out - is “now what?” The job’s not done, there’s a lot more that needs to be done in every way possible. I think for me, I’m still going to do everything I possibly can - I follow more news outlets, I get more engaged in my community, I listen to what others have to say. I listen to how certain plans, certain ideas that politicians have affect people in my community - people that I know - rather than hearing it from the politicians themselves.
My advice to people that want to stay engaged or who might not really know what to do besides voting is to be in your community, talk to the people that you know best and you trust the most as far as speaking their minds about what’s going on. Start from the inside out, start from that.
Kara Little (she/her/hers) is from Sayreville, New Jersey and is a May 2020 graduate of Susquehanna University with a Bachelor’s in Journalism and Political Science. In her free time, she is the Social Media Chair for Princess in a Power Suit, an NJ-based mentoring organization for young women of color. She also enjoys fitness, cooking, and finding new shows on Netflix. Find her on Twitter and Instagram.
