Kara Young doesn’t just walk into a room—she carries Harlem with her. Four Tony nominations. Two wins. The first Black actor in Broadway history to take home back-to-back Tonys. Yet, the way she talks about her success isn’t about ego or even the spotlight. It’s about community. About showing up for others without losing yourself. About rooting your power so deeply in who you are that no stage, no matter how grand, can shake it.
This is the thing about Kara: she knows she’s that girl — not in a braggadocious way, but in a rooted, “I know who I am” way. The kind of knowing that comes from growing up on the same streets where she now buys coffee from familiar vendors before walking into the Hayes Theater to perform.
In Purpose—the Pulitzer Prize–winning play by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins—Young embodies Aziza, a Harlem-born social worker whose moral clarity cuts through the noise of a prestigious, fracturing Black family. On stage, Aziza never shrinks. Off stage, Kara is learning to hold her own purpose with just as much conviction.
In our conversation, she offers the kind of guidance every Black woman — every that girl — needs to hear. Here’s how she stays grounded and gracious, while still owning her confidence as that girl—and how you can, too.
For Kara, the work is inseparable from the village that shaped her. Born and raised in Harlem, she still lives in the neighborhood where she took her first breath—literally across from the Schomburg Center, home to the largest collection of Black art and literature in the world.
“I’ve never lived anywhere else. I run into people I went to elementary school with, my mom’s old coworkers, the same vendors outside the theater. It’s not even me knowing who I am—it’s being surrounded by my roots every single day.”
Her advice? Let the people who knew you before the accolades remind you of the version of yourself that doesn’t need applause.
2. Show Up Without Overextending Yourself
Kara is the first to admit she’s still learning this lesson. She shares a recent moment where helping a friend move after their show led to her losing her phone in an Uber.
“I was checking to see if everyone else had their stuff before I checked for my own. You can take care of people, but you have to take care of yourself first.”
It’s the airplane mask rule: secure your oxygen before you assist anyone else. Kara credits her mother—a “boss” who always took vacations and prioritized herself—as the model for how to lead with generosity and boundaries.
3. Make Space for Rituals That Ground You
Whether it’s praying with her cast before a performance or exchanging hellos with strangers on the train, Kara sees these moments as acts of connection. Even as her visibility grows, she resists the urge to retreat from the people who stop her on the street.
“People don’t have to say anything to you, so when they do, I stop for that. I receive it.”
The takeaway? Build grounding rituals that make you feel human in high-pressure spaces.
4. Choose Roles That Speak Beyond You
With upcoming projects like Is God Is and The Whoopi Monologues, Kara doesn’t chase prestige—she honors the story and the storyteller.
“I don’t feel like I choose anything. These scripts find me. It’s about honoring the playwright’s world, their words, and connecting to something bigger than me—especially as a Black vessel.”
For women making moves in their own careers, this translates to: choose opportunities that align with your values, not just your résumé.
5. Live From Your Own Source of Power
When asked what she’d say to a young Black woman sitting front row at Purpose, Kara’s answer is instant and heartfelt:
“Be unapologetically yourself. Live every beating moment from your own source of power. Our force as Black people is nature. It’s the earth.”
She reminds us that power isn’t about performance—it’s about presence. It’s not what you acquire, but who you touch and how you connect.
Final Word: Legacy Isn’t Just What You Leave, It’s How You Live
Kara Young’s grace isn’t about perfection. It’s about intention—showing up for your people, protecting your peace, and honoring your own joy without apology. You can still be that girl and rest. You can still hold space for others without losing yourself in the process. You can still be grounded, even when the spotlight finds you.
Kara reflects on the privilege of living, breathing, and connecting.
“We are our ancestors’ wildest dreams. Seek the abundance of life. Maybe it’s not a material thing — maybe it’s just connecting with a stranger. That’s the real legacy.”
You can be that girl and still be soft. You can shine and still protect your peace. You can hold space for others without losing yourself. Like Kara Young, you’ll realize that being that girl isn’t about having it all together — it’s about having the courage to live in your purpose, every single day.
