I'm Not Surprised But I'm Not Giving Up

Thoughts on the election and the future of America.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Hi my lovely subscribers! I wrote the following article immediately upon waking up the morning following the 2024 presidential election which resulted in a loss for Kamala Harris and a second term for Donald Trump. I wrote it for Elev8.com, an iOne digital publication that covers culture, wellness, and spirituality, where I contribute freelance articles. But I also wrote it for me, to remind myself of who I am and what I hope my country can be as we face one of the biggest modern threats to liberty and social justice. I hope it encourages you and fires you up. And I hope you rest. Because there’s work to be done real soon. I’m with you in the trenches! Love you! - Jolie A. Doggett

Tom Williams / Getty Images

Originally published November 6, 2024 on Elev8.com.

Donald Trump has been elected president again and I am not surprised. 

Whenever terrible things happen in our country like police brutality, violent suppression of protesting college students, locking children of immigrants in cages, riots and insurrection at  the U.S. Capitol building, terrible things like the first election of Trump to the presidency, people and pundits like to tell the media “this isn’t who we are! This isn’t the America I know!”

As a Black woman, standing on the shoulders of my ancestors who endured systematic violence and oppression at the hands of bigoted leadership and lawmakers well into the 21st century, and as a millennial who has lived through at least a dozen “unprecedented times” before her 35th birthday, I know this is exactly what America is, this is the America I know. 

America has chosen to protect and preserve its legacy of white supremacy and economic power over the most marginalized communities across the globe. This didn’t start with Trump but in the years under his first presidency and surely in the years to come in his second term, more and more people will feel emboldened to say the quiet part out loud: That America is a country where only some of us are permitted to feel safe and protected.

So I’m not surprised. But I admit, I am scared. Donald Trump promises to carry out the largest deportation in history, threatening my friends and neighbors who weren’t born here. He promises to roll back regulations that combat climate change, pretty much signing a death warrant for the planet. He promises to cut funding for public schools and prevent education on race, gender, and sexuality, ensuring that our next generation will be as ignorant and bigoted as he is. He encourages violence among his supporters and promises swift retribution and revenge against anyone who opposes him. 

And so many people clearly support Trump and these promises. I’m a Black woman living in the southern state of North Carolina. Whenever I see a “TRUMP/VANCE” bumper sticker, hat, or lawn sign, I go on high alert. I know whoever is driving that truck or sporting that paraphernalia does not see me as a human being and that puts my life in danger. Because how could you see me or my family or other women or my queer community or educators or climate activists or disabled people or students as worthy of care and protection when you proudly support two men who lie, incite violence, and loudly purport how much they don’t care about the majority of Americans and would rather see us gone?

That’s what America chose. Again, I’m not surprised, but that doesn’t mean I’m not upset. 

One candidate has pretty much promised to make the world less peaceful, less equitable, and less just. I’m really, really not looking forward to living in that world

So many people tried so hard to get the first Black and Asian HBCU grad into the highest office in the land and we failed; that hope turned to hurt so fast. I’m heartbroken for people who didn’t feel as if there was any good choice to make in this election cycle (because once again, America functions how it’s supposed to function, limiting us to a two-party system that relies on an Electoral College that’s rooted in slavery and literally erases the popular vote). I’m frustrated with people who sat this election out, because by not making a choice, you did make a choice and aligned yourself with the one candidate who has pretty much promised to make the world less peaceful, less equitable, and less just. I’m really, really not looking forward to living in that world. And I’m deeply disappointed in Harris’ campaign and the Democratic Party for not doing more to speak up and speak out for the issues that matter like ending global genocide and stabilizing the economy, thus alienating whole voter bases who are harmed by the silence of politics as usual. 

So no, I’m not surprised that America did what America has done before, but I’m certainly feeling a lot of emotions this morning after. I typically turn to my journal when I’m feeling super stressed out and anxious. I try to unload my panicked thoughts in the pages and then reassure myself of things that I know to be true so I can look ahead to the future.

In my journal, I wanted to say “No matter what, everything will be okay.” But that doesn’t really feel true right now. Things look bleak under a Trump presidency and the prospect of Project 2025. I wanted to write “I have hope for our future.” I do have faith, but at the moment, it's kind of marred by my feelings of sadness, fear, and disillusionment. 

What I wrote down as election results were coming in was: “I will never stop trying to make the world a better place.” And it’s true. It doesn’t matter who’s in White House, what laws are written or rolled back, America is the same, but who I am remains the same as well. I am someone committed to justice and empathy. I'm someone who writes down my feelings and tries to document the complex feelings and experiences of others. I am someone who takes seriously my God’s commandment that we love one another and who rejects any government institution that’s not rooted in love and care for its constituency.

I will never stop trying to support the people that Trump’s administration or any administration seeks to further marginalize. I’m never going to stop speaking out about what’s happening to my neighbors and to people I don’t know across the globe that America’s government has chosen to ignore and imperialize. I’m never going to stop writing and reporting and helping others express what’s going on in their own communities. Whatever happens, if I succeed or fail, if our hopes for the future are dashed again or if our dreams for democracy come true, I will never stop trying to make the world better than it used to be, better than it is.

In the small ways that I can, I’m going to uplift, inform, and advocate for my community. Because that’s what my people do. Time and again, when leadership and citizens in this country try to silence or erase us, Black people, queer people, young people, all people who believe in true liberty and justice for all, we stand up against the systems designed to keep us down. 

So I’m not surprised by the election results last night and I’m not giving up on tomorrow. What happens next is the same thing that happened eight years ago and the same thing that’s happened throughout history when we’ve had to come face-to-face with who America is: We keep trying to make this country into something new, something better than it’s been before.

Thank you for being here! Before you go:

Follow me on Instagram @jolie_bean and @FindingtheRightWords.

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