From Governor Healey’s Youth Climate Council to DEI Commission, Youth Activist Suravi Bhatia Reflects on her Impactful Journey
1. You were an environmental justice chair for a year at Maura Healey’s Youth Climate Council where you worked closely on climate policy proposals. Was there a particular policy you found most interesting to work on? Have you always been interested in environmental science?
As a chair of the EJ committee, I led our group to create proposals to tackle climate change's adverse effects on marginalized communities. Historically, especially in urban areas such as Boston, marginalized and low-income communities have been disproportionately affected by climate issues such as hazardous waste and chemical damage. The EJ Committee proposed plans to the governor concerning establishing a Massachusetts Indigenous Climate Council, removing hostile architecture, creating more publicly available cooling centers to support houseless populations, and implementing more youth STEAM grants/internships from the governor’s office. I’m excited to continue working with the YCC this upcoming school year and am grateful for all the support from the governor’s office.
My interest in environmental science stems from a class I took in my freshman year of high school, AP Environmental Science. I was distraught to read about cases of environmental injustice, including the case of my town of Acton and the possibly carcinogenic PFAS in the water supply. My research in that class sparked my interest in learning about environmental injustice and how it unfairly affects historically underrepresented groups throughout the US.
2. As a DEI Commissioner in the Town of Acton, you’ve been trying to remove the barriers in society and culture that prevent everyone from being included and treated fairly. What motivates you to support individuals who have experienced unfair treatment and exclusion? How will you use what you've learned about removing barriers in society and culture to help make a positive impact on the world?
I’d say that my motivation stems from my own experiences and the treatment of my loved ones. As a member of the LGBTQ community and a woman of color, I am no stranger to discriminatory actions. I believe that it’s my responsibility to ensure that other kids don’t face the same issues that I did growing up and I channel my own experiences in my work. To make a positive impact on the world with what I’ve learned, I can create infrastructure to uplift other youth to speak up about their ideals.
3. As a commissioner in the Town of Acton DEI Commission, why do you consider it essential to provide student community perspectives and suggestions for solutions to people being excluded and treated unfairly?
Student perspectives are essential because the schools are generally closed systems to administration. Having an inside look is crucial because nothing will change if administrators aren’t aware that something is wrong. Furthermore, students are more likely to understand what policies will be effective among their peers than adults. There isn’t a singular piece of advice that I can give to people who are being excluded. Because every situation is different, it is important to step back and think about the facts. What circumstances make you feel as though you are being treated poorly? Can you modify the issues you believe to be the root of the problem? Even if you can change them, do you want to? The fact is that kids (and adults) can be cruel, and you deserve to feel comfortable in yourself. While you may feel alone, there are others more worthy of your time. Their behavior reflects more poorly on themselves than on you.
4. You are the youngest commissioner in history on the Town of Acton DEI Commission Board. What is some advice you have for other teenagers interested in becoming a future commissioner and what is something you’ve learned as a commissioner?
My advice is to be aware of the issues targeted toward your community and research your local government. Being knowledgeable about what needs to be fixed is the first step to creating solutions. I think many students have the skills necessary to contribute to their local government, but they need to find a position where it is possible to make a real impact. As a commissioner, one thing I’ve learned is not to be afraid when reaching out to more experienced people. Realistically, as youth, we’ve had a limited amount of real-world exposure. Receiving advice from my mentors has taught me about concepts that I otherwise would not have been exposed to.
5. What inspired you to start organizing the Town Diwalifest petition?
Growing up in suburban Massachusetts, many non-Indian people didn’t have experience with Desi culture. There was a huge cultural and informational gap between the growing South Asian population in the area and the generational locals. As a South Asian kid, it was an isolating feeling to have my culture misunderstood. I also felt the lack of cultural education when discussing with friends about how we felt disconnected from our culture. This issue intrigued me again when our school boards began to entertain discussions regarding Diwali and other non-Abrahamic holidays as no-school days. The school board/community didn’t understand why these holidays were integral to our cultures and there was no infrastructure in place for them to learn more about why it was so important. The lack of cultural understanding led me and other students to brainstorm ways to educate our town on the significance of these traditions. We founded Diwalifest to create a more open-minded community with easy access to cultural education while also uplifting other youth to be the next generation of advocators.
6. As a platform for women dreamers, what is your next big dream?
This isn’t a dream that will be coming to fruition anytime in the foreseeable future, but I think it’s important to share nonetheless. My long-term dream is to graduate from law school with a concentration in criminal law. Advocacy and my future career contributing to a better future for myself and others is my passion. I also wish to use my knowledge of the criminal justice system to contribute to local government. Although I know that pursuing a law degree will be an arduous process, I can’t help but be motivated by the fact that I can one day be the Desi woman representation in government that I always wished I had.