‘I know America’: Indy Black women are unsurprised, but hurting

by Mary Claire Molloy

As election night turned to morning in Marion County, Chunia Graves fell asleep to NBC anchor Lester Holt’s voice.

Donald Trump was ahead in crucial swing states while votes were still being counted. But the 31-year-old therapist from Lawrence was still optimistic about Vice President Kamala Harris, her Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sister.

Sometime after midnight, Graves’ husband turned off the TV.

In the morning, before checking the news, Graves opened the Bible app on her phone. The verse John 14:27 was waiting for her: “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

That’s how she knew Trump won.

The former president easily collected Indiana’s 11 electoral votes as he rode a wave of economic anxiety and male grievances back to the White House. Indiana Republicans won down the ballot, sending U.S. Sen. Mike Braun to the governor’s residence and U.S. Rep. Jim Banks to the Senate. Hoosier voters chose both over female candidates.

But to Graves, what was most devastating was not just the defeat of Harris; it was the death of what her candidacy represented: the hope and joy of millions of Black women across Indiana and the nation.

“With her, I knew we weren’t just being wiped out,” she told Mirror Indy. “Our ideas, our beings, were still important. We still had choices and the ability to dream.”

There were no tears in the morning — just determination to fight for that vision.

Graves is the vice president of the Marion County Young Democrats. She hopes the group can process their emotions together and support the Indy community by addressing local issues, including education and reproductive health.

“We can put together an action plan for the next four years,” she said.

Linda Lewis-Everett echoed the sentiment. The 62-year-old likes to be involved in politics, serving as a delegate to the Indiana Democratic Convention. She’s seen the arc of history:

“I think we wouldn’t be where we are right now, today, if our elders and ancestors only sat around,” the northeast side resident said.

But at 3 a.m., as Lewis-Everett watched the path to a Harris victory shrink in battleground states with voters rejecting the historic candidacy, she felt sick to her stomach. But not shocked.

“I know America,” she said simply.

In between tears, eastsider Stephanie Groves wasn’t sure how to break the news to her 18-year-old granddaughter, who voted for the first time this year. At 9 a.m., she was still fast asleep with hope, unaware of the results.

“I’ll tell her not to give up,” Groves said.“She still has the opportunity to do something because she’s young enough to make changes.”

The two went together to vote for Harris at the Washington Township Government Center on Election Day. They were joined by Groves’ mother, Dorothy Armstrong, who lived through segregation and has voted in every election since 1948.

The 94-year-old grinned as she cast her ballot for Harris, dreaming of America’s first Black woman president: “I never thought I’d see the day.”

For now, she won’t.

“My mom is tired of watching the world go back to the way it was,” Groves said. “She’s ready to let go. I think she’s ready to pass on.”

Mirror Indy reporter Mary Claire Molloy covers health. Reach her at 317-721-7648 or email maryclaire.molloy@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @mcmolloy7.

Mirror Indy reporter Tyler Fenwick contributed to this reporting.