Kesha Ram Makes History: Becoming the Youngest and First Woman of Color to Serve in the Senate, Vermont 2021
“When I first won a seat in the Vermont Legislature at the age of 22, I called my Dadiji (Grand-mother) to tell her, and she asked if I could go back to singing instead. She would rather me be a starving artist than a politician!” Today’s woman dreamer, Incoming Senator Kesha Ram, of Vermont, is making history, becoming the youngest, and first woman of color to serve in the senate. Born in LA to a Hindu Father and a Jewish Mother who ran an Irish Pub, Kesha shares her exciting life story, including what inspired her to pursue politics, how she advocates for people of color, and the values her family instilled in her. Enjoy!
1) What is it like being a South Asian - American woman in U.S. politics? What were some challenges or interesting experiences you faced along the way?
When I first won a seat in the Vermont Legislature at the age of 22, I called my Dadiji to tell her, and she asked if I could go back to singing instead. She would rather me be a starving artist than a politician! It took me a long time to restore my Punjabi family's faith that something good could come out of my elected service. At the same time, it's in my blood. My aunt, Baroness Shreela Flather, was the first South Asian woman appointed to the House of Lords, and my great-great-grandfather, Sir Ganga Ram, was knighted for his philanthropy and work to advance women's rights at the turn of the last century. I am a descendant from those who helped shape the world's largest democracy, and I have a lot to offer to help democracy endure through a pivotal moment in history.
2) You were born in LA to a Jewish mother and Hindu father. Your parents ran an Irish Pub. You then moved from California to University of Vermont where you studied political science, and then onto Harvard Kennedy School. When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career in politics, and how did your passion for politics develop over time?
When I was a small child, my parents often brought me with them to their bank, which had given them the original loan for the pub. It was the Women's Bank of Los Angeles, and it was the only financial institution that would lend to a woman and an immigrant in the early eighties in Southern California. That kind of lifeline for my family that came out of policy decisions was not lost on my parents, and they instilled in me that that's what government ought to do to help all people, and we should stand up for those who would otherwise be left behind.
3) You have done a lot of advocacy and work for women and people of color in Vermont. What issues are you most passionate about as a woman, and as a politician that you hope come to light as a country over the next few years?
Women and people of color want what everyone else wants, in equal measure and with equitable access to opportunity. We will all be focused on recovering from this pandemic, but we have seen the disparities laid bare - Black Americans are suffering a much higher infection and death rate from COVID-19, women make up a vast majority of frontline workers, and low-income families are struggling to make ends meet with a lack of work and financial supports. If we do not pay attention to those left behind, this pandemic will continue. Public health emergencies show us that equity is what's best for our society and for all of us.
Bio: Kesha Ram recently won a seat in the Vermont State Senate at the age of 34. She is poised to become the first woman of color and youngest woman in history to serve in the Senate. Prior to that, she served four terms in the Vermont House of Representatives on behalf of Burlington, where she was elected as the youngest legislator in the country at the time. In 2018, she graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government with a Master in Public Administration. She has worked for the City of Burlington as the Civic Engagement Specialist and for Steps to End Domestic Violence as the Legal Advocacy Director. She also served on the boards of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and the Vermont Natural Resources Council.