Oftentimes, living in Washington, DC feels intimidating as a kid from Kentucky. Whenever I introduce myself to a group of new people, and they ask where I’m from, I always respond, “Kentucky.” I never mention a city, or even a region–just the commonwealth as a whole. Reactions are mixed. Some tell me they’ve never been.
Some ask me what it’s like. Some simply apologize to me. I have never understood why someone would apologize to me for where I come from. I would never apologize to someone who told me they grew up in Chicago or California.
When “Kentucky” leaves my mouth, I watch the expression on their face change from intrigue to indifference. I am no longer someone that they are excited to get to know, but instead someone that they want to pity.
People often assume that Kentuckians are uneducated, unprofessional, and uncultured. People believe that Kentuckians have little to offer, and I don’t think that’s accurate or fair. As many problems as the Commonwealth of Kentucky has, I am proud to be born, raised, and educated there.
Even though I work for Senator Jon Ossoff and serve the people of Georgia, my Kentucky roots have always shown through. From the way I talk to the way I walk, I have been an outsider since I arrived in DC. At first, I resented it; I wanted to be like everyone else and have an average intern experience on Capitol Hill. However, as time went on and more inappropriate comments were made, I realized that I myself needed to play a role in changing the narrative surrounding my commonwealth. Within the cohort of Victory Congressional Interns, within the Office of Senator Jon Ossoff, and within the District of Columbia, I hope to have accomplished that.
In talking with some of the other Victory Congressional Interns, I learned that I was the first person they had met from Kentucky and one of a few people they had met from the South. They had no perception of who I was as a person, only a stereotype. People associate Kentucky with hillbillies, horses, and rednecks. Contrary to popular belief but not to any of the interns’ surprise, I have all my teeth, I wear shoes, and I have manners. I know how to navigate a city, use public transportation, act in fancy restaurants, and drive on highways. Everything that outsiders think I am incapable of because of where I grew up is simply untrue.
While I believe that I challenge many stereotypes about Kentucky, I still want to recognize that some stereotypes are true. Kentucky has high rates of poverty, low educational attainment, and little racial diversity. However, that does not lend someone from another area the opportunity to discount the perspectives and skills that we Kentuckians bring to the table. Even if you have never been to or met someone from my commonwealth, they deserve the same respect and dignity as anyone else.
In all spaces, I found myself teaching others this. They may not understand or empathize, but I found that my role as an average Kentuckian was not to change their minds but to disprove their assumptions. In the same way that the LGBTQ+ community is made up of a vast array of people, regions, states, commonwealths are too. My commonwealth is not a monolith of stereotypes but a group of people often overlooked and underestimated.
From my time in Washington, DC, I will certainly remember sitting on the steps of the Capitol to watch the Fourth of July fireworks and meeting Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, but the feeling that will remain with me forever is my pride as a Kentuckian.
