Kerry Washington Talk Voting and Civic Engagement in NC
Kerry Washington Joins K97.5’s Ashia Skye to Talk Voting and Civic Engagement in North Carolina
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Two days before the 2024 election, actor, director, activist, and advocate Kerry Washington had a message for North Carolina, and she delivered it live on K97.5.
In a call-in interview with K97.5’s Ashia Skye, the beloved actress urged North Carolinians to harness the power of their vote, fresh from delivering a speech of her own at a campaign rally for Vice President Kamala Harris in Charlotte. During the call, she spoke directly about the critical role North Carolina could play in shaping the country’s future and encouraged listeners to participate in the 2024 election, while also sharing her conviction that Vice President Harris was the leader the country needed.
When the conversation jokingly shifted to her “experience” in the White House — a nod to her iconic role as fixer Olivia Pope in Scandal — Washington didn’t miss a beat: “I know a thing or two about presidents,” she asserted. This drew laughs and giggles, but the message that followed after took a more serious tone.
Acknowledging that some listeners might feel their voices don’t matter, Washington countered that notion with a message about how politics impacts peoples everyday lives. “Politics isn’t abstract. It’s what we eat, what we drive, and what we can afford.” For her, voting is a way to assert control over those real-life conditions and push back against various forces that work to suppress turnout. She also went on to encourage listeners to make voting a collective act, urging everyone to form “voting squads” and bring friends and family to the polls together.
Her parting words served as the ultimate reminder: “Make sure you use your voice to protect each other…to move toward a life that we deserve.”
Listen to the full interview in the media player above.