Let’s Make Sure to Give Kara Young Her Flowers

by Chris Peterson

Look, I know award shows are noisy. There are splashy dresses and standing ovations and viral clips before the winners even get to the mic. But amid all that, something historic happened at the Tonys. Kara Young won her second Tony Award. In a row. That makes her the first Black performer to win acting Tonys in back-to-back years. Do you understand how rare that is? Not just in Black Broadway history. In Broadway history.

She won this year for her role in Purpose, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ shattering new play that walked away with the Tony for Best Play (as it should’ve). It must also be noted that Jacobs-Jenkins also won his second Tony in a row, joining the ranks of Tony Kushner and Terrence McNally as the only playwrights to go back-to-back at the Tonys.

Young plays Aziza, an outsider in a wealthy Black political family, and she sets the stage on fire with a performance that’s both razor-sharp and impossibly tender. But that’s Kara’s trademark: she makes every syllable matter. She shows up fully. She transforms a show.

Kara Young isn’t a new face. She’s not a surprise. She’s been doing this brilliantly for years now. She’s been in four Broadway shows and gotten four Tony nominations. She was nominated for Clyde’s. She was nominated for Cost of Living. She won for Purlie Victorious last year. And now she’s done it again. Do you know how rare that level of consistency is?

I’ll say it plainly: Kara Young is one of the best stage actors working right now. Full stop. And, in my opinion, she’s not getting the credit — or the coverage — that kind of talent deserves.

It’s not enough to applaud the win and move on. Kara’s back-to-back victory is a landmark moment. It should be opening doors for more stories like Purpose. It should be putting pressure on casting directors and producers to ask themselves why someone as undeniable as her isn’t already headlining season announcements across the country. It should be sending a message to critics and editors(I’m guilty of this as well) and Broadway tastemakers that when Black women deliver excellence, it’s not a fluke — it’s the result of years of grit, craft, and brilliance finally being seen.

So, let’s celebrate Kara Young. Cheer for her. Post about her. But also talk about what this win means. Let’s not treat it like a footnote. Let’s treat it like the shift it is.

Because Kara Young isn’t just making history, she’s demanding a better future for the American theater. And the least we can do is pay attention.