Maiya Roelen: Who are you as a leader and what got you started?

This could include your first leadership experiences, opportunities that inspired you to start your work, your spark moment or who inspires you.

 

Kennedy Little: As a leader, I would say that I am someone that tries to lead with compassion. Everyone has their own gifts and talents, and sometimes they just need someone to step in to help them harness that. So, I try to be that person. I primarily work around youth, and as a youth, that's really empowering for me. I would say that since I was young, I've had this deep sense of empathy and compassion for others, no matter what they look like or what condition they are in. It is about trying to create that collective liberation for all people, all beings, and the environment as well. My spark moment would have to be looking at society and just seeing the different systems that exist and trying to pinpoint why there was so much oppression, especially in the food industry. That's an area that I really started to get more knowledgeable about.  

 

Over time, I went vegan and then I started overlapping [veganism] with the other struggles that people might face that are caused by these different systems of oppression. Through that, I've learned that leadership and knowledge of these different sectors can really help us get to a point of collective power and collective liberation. I really try to lead with that and just make sure that everyone feels as though they have a voice, they're being heard, and that they're not alone with the struggles they're facing. 

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Maiya Roelen: Tell us about your current platform, initiatives, community projects, successes, jobs, and impact. We'd love to hear about your current work. Where do you want to go from here?

 

Kennedy Little: Great question. Thank you for asking that. I would say that the platforms that I am primarily a part of all deal with veganism, food justice, or the environment. And while I'm a part of other things that do kind of relate to my future goal, I do think that a lot of the areas that I'm a part of do intersect. Intersectionality is a big part of what I do and what I try to fight for alongside different issues and how they all interconnect with one another.  

 

Vegan food justice is another effort I do with a group called Food Empowerment Project. I'm the Youth Advocacy Team Member. I started as an intern and then I was offered a part-time position  That was such a rewarding experience, something that I still think about all the time. Also, through being around people within Food Empowerment Project, I felt empowered to found a group on my campus called Evergreen. Evergreen is an environmental organization that also focuses on social justice issues. We're intersectional with the work we do just because a lot of people who are facing environmental issues also face housing issues, transportation issues, access to healthy fruits and vegetables. We're also trying to educate on that as well.  

 

I also do work with outside groups within the Kentucky region, like Kentucky Tenants, which is a housing rights group, and then also Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition, which is a nationwide group here in Kentucky that centers youth activism and social justice. I would say that a lot of that ties back to my passion for advocacy for people. I'm currently in school with a degree in Agribusiness and Legal Studies and I plan to go to law school after this. I want to be a lawyer for people, animals, and the planet. Going back to that drive for liberation for all people, there's a lot of oppressed groups and there's a lot of people that are vulnerable in the system. So, I want to use the privileges that I know I have, but also recognizing the privileges that I don't have and weaponize those things so that I can be a voice for people and help to put people that deserve to be on the front lines of these issues at the front. 

 

My end goal is to become an attorney but also focus on nonprofits and grassroots organizing because all those things are so important. Just because I might have a degree does not mean I have all the answers. It's important to still be in those rooms of people who are still facing those struggles daily and I want to continue to empower youth.  I think that there's a lot of work to be done and I just want to unite people so that we can all work towards that common goal. 

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Maiya Roelen: Are there people or mentors who supported you in the process of leadership development?

 

Kennedy Little: Yes, mentorship is so important. I think all young people should have someone that cares about them and has had similar experiences in the path that we want. Not necessarily mimicking their footsteps but using their guidance to create our own. I have had mentors all the way from high school, even middle school, some in elementary school, primarily friends and family. But once I started college, I was able to really branch out and meet with people from animal rights organizations. lauren Ornelas, who is the Vegan Programs Coordinator and Founder of Food Empowerment Project has allowed me to really hone my own knowledge and really be a part of something that is powerful like Food Empowerment Project. 

 

I would say that I've had a lot of great mentors on campus too that have given me different opportunities and that have allowed me to lead in different capacities. Off campus, I've also found a lot of great people. Mentorship is something that's been really important to me. A lot of people that have been in the organizing space for a while can present you with other opportunities that you otherwise wouldn't be able to find for yourself. It's just important to have those connections if you want to try to chase your dreams in other ways, because you need letters of recommendation, different references and things to kind of highlight your own abilities. So having mentors has been everything to me and they've all been very inspirational. 

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Maiya Roelen: Have you faced challenges, obstacles, or doubts in your journey that you are comfortable sharing and how did you overcome them?

 

Kennedy Little: I would say I have. I think as someone who has been introduced into the organizing space, you're around a lot of people, and so in some ways you have to learn how to be good with people management. You have to learn how to deal with different personalities, different struggles that people might face, and try to be accommodating to them, but also make sure that your work is directed at a place where everyone can succeed towards that common goal or North Star. I've run into struggles with trying to get a project off the ground and different internal issues, then having to do it in a way that would be a peacemaking situation so that everyone felt they were being heard, and no one was being slighted or anything. So, I've had struggles there. 

 

I'm a member of numerous organizations on campus and off campus. There's also been struggles with just trying to balance the different weights of what people are carrying within the organization and making sure that it's equitable with what people are doing. I also think that there's also financial struggles that I've come across. As a youth, I don't have an unlimited amount of money. It's about trying to figure out how I can work alongside people without trying to spend a bunch of money and do things that really connect one another instead of trying to assist a capitalistic system, trying to bring people together. 

 

I think when dealing with the environment, which is the primary part of my leadership, there's always a struggle of just trying to educate others. Many of us were not born into a system where the environment or animals or even just people power is at the forefront of everything we do. So, it's sometimes a struggle to try to share that message and try to get people on the same line of thinking about these different issues collectively. For me, I think translating that message is something that can be a difficulty. But it's very rewarding to see people think differently and maybe change some of their choices on different issues just because I've had a conversation with them or they've attended an event that I've led or just made a friend with someone in one of the groups that I'm a part of. 

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Maiya Roelen: How do you care for yourself while also pursuing the activities that you are most passionate about?

 

Kennedy Little: I would say that I really try to plan out my schedule. That is really important for me and it's something that I wish I had learned sooner. I'm a very passionate person and I try to get involved in everything that I can. I think it’s important that I have a schedule and jot down everything from day to day and not necessarily hover over my time because I do like to have freedom and not just be controlled by a planner. But [I try to] put down those important dates so that there is consistency with my work. 

 

I would also say that some commonality with the work I do is important. For me, I was lucky enough to find a passion that I crave to put time and commitment into. I see a lot of similarities with the work I do so it's easy to cross over different themes and subjects. That helps with my mental health so that I don't have to completely switch if I'm trying to move from one subject to another. A lot of the things that I do are consistent and they all revolve around liberation. 

 

I would also say that finding some kind of hobby or joy for me. I love finding new music. I love trying different vegan foods. I love going to the movie theater and watching different movies, especially with my sister. That's one of our fun things to do. It's great having her as a student on campus with me. So just trying to find joy in little moments.  

 

I'm also trying to learn to be present in the moment and not always thinking about the future because that can make me, and many people lose sight of the time that we have. With all those things, it allows me to be a stronger leader, but also a stronger person.  

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Maiya Roelen: How does your work influence the progress of environmental and or climate justice, and does it advance the goals of the just transition?

 

Kennedy Little: The work I do boils down to tackling oppressive systems and [one] oppressive power is capitalism. It causes us to prioritize property and money over people. With the space that I'm in, it really is just trying to tackle oppressive power like racism and low economic statuses of people that could be fixed if they were given the resources to make that possible. With that in mind, it allows me to share a stronger point of environmental protection and environmental awareness. For people to think about these issues of the environment and animals, they have to be protected themselves and it can be very hard to have these discussions about how climate change is happening, and global warming is going on, if individuals do not feel secure and stable within their own lives. Going to the root of these issues allows me to tackle this common theme in addition to recognizing that I see their struggles as well, and that we can tackle this together helps a just transition.  

 

Just transitions also started with community, community power, and making sure that there is this intergenerational strength within communities. With the work I do, I try to include all different ages. It allows us to try to tackle all these things together. Recycling, plant-based eating, and trying to create those connections with people all work to tackle climate change and the environmental degradation that's going on. 

 

A year ago, I had the opportunity to work with a group called Farm Transition Academy. It was a group of three women who were dedicated to changing the food system. While we're no longer together as a group, I learned so much about sustainable agriculture and making sure that farmers and farm workers have a just transition with the work that they're trying to phase out of. Our food system is a large polluter and that's something that we can all band together through our choices to try to make a change within. While it's not always easy, like I mentioned before, we have to make sure that people feel stable and have resources in order to make that change before we tell them to stop using fossil fuels or turn off the lights, stop using water or change your diet. 

 

I think that if we try to change the system, we can slowly begin to allow people to make smarter and more sustainable choices. Farm Transition Academy, or FTA, was a big point for me to spread awareness about those different issues. I know we were able to educate a lot of people on this theme of sustainability. 

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Maiya Roelen: What can other youth do to be involved with your work?

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Kennedy Little: With Food Empowerment Project, youth can check out our website and check out our different social media platforms. They can watch videos, they can intern with us, and they can also reach out to me at kennedy@foodispower.org just to try to learn more about what vegan food justice is and why ethical veganism is something that's important to us and many other people. 

 

I would also say that we provide resources like an annual scholarship. We're currently working on a youth zine that's set to be published soon. There is video content such as a series for youth. We also have a booklet in the making for young people. All these things we're going to try to do recurringly just so that youth have a space and an outlet to feel passionate about their work and to use that as catharsis with the many injustices that they might face in the world. 

 

With Evergreen, while it is a campus organization, we do have Instagram. When I founded the organization, I did not know what I was doing. I was very scared, but [Instagram] serves as a platform for people just to scroll through and see that it is possible to make an impact on their campus. We do have public events and if they are around Kentucky, they can totally come out to one of those events and see what we're doing in the community. 

 

I also do federal work with a group called the Youth Steering Committee, which is a part of the Plant Powered Youth Steering Committee Coalition. It is a group of young people that come together and try to fight for more plant-based food options within their school cafeteria. That's a group that I started within the inaugural group and there were about ten of us. Each year they've had a new set of young people. They have all selected different people to serve. That's something that is likely to be optional and open again for next year. Looking for different opportunities and seizing those things is something that can be helpful to me as a young person, knowing that there are other passionate young people out there and even older people as well. Whoever you are, you can do something that's impactful and we can all inspire one another. 

 

Additionally, utilizing your resources if you have access to the internet, to a phone, to a computer. If you're passionate about something that is going to be productive and even just productive for yourself, not even to the world, I mean, you can start on so many different levels that can make a change and that can be helpful to your neighbor, even if they don't know it yet. Just really trying to hone in on the different privileges that you might have as an individual, recognizing that there are injustices that exist in the world and that you might be in a position where you can weaponize that power and use it to fight against a system of oppression. Those are all important things that young people and people of all ages can do. I also would say that people can get involved with their organizations. I think a lot of these issues start locally and not necessarily at a national level all the time. So going outside, meeting people, and building connections is so important. I've met people that know other people and it just creates such a strong bond within the community and that's how community starts. It all starts off by really thinking about what you're passionate about and kind of taking it from there. 

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Maiya Roelen: If a young person is not able to get involved with those specific organizations that you mentioned, what are other ways youth can aid in advancing your mission?

 

Kennedy Little: Yes. My mission is collective liberation, environmental protection, and animal protection too. So I would say that if you can't get involved with an organization or if you don't have access to these different groups, then you can do things as an individual. You don't always need to have fifty members to act. Sometimes it just takes you to start that ripple effect. That was something I learned when I thought about going vegan. I was the only person in my family. My parents thought that it was just a phase. They're like, what is she doing? But I think learning about an issue and once again, finding out what I was passionate about helped me. If young people can go into their community and pick up trash, that can spark someone else to do that. Maybe you can start a trash pickup group in your community. I'm sure there's shelters in the community that are looking for volunteers, whether that be a shelter for unhoused people or an animal shelter. Seeing how you can get involved with those groups.

 

Also, school is such a powerful tool. While the system could be changed and tweaked, school is a center that I think needs to be used as more of a tool than it is. There's a lot of resources that are within administrations. If we ask questions and if we see who else is out there that has our similar mind, then we can do a lot of good. We shouldn't always leave it up to older people or different administrations to see if they can make that change. We can also have that power too.  

 

Maiya Roelen: Thank you so much, Kennedy!

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[Original interview edited for clarity in collaboration with interviewee.]