Sakhi Interview: Our Executive Director Kavita Mehra
What are you most excited for in your new role as Executive Director at Sakhi for South Asian Women?
We are living in a time when voices of hatred and bigotry are becoming amplified, and we need to mobilize quickly to challenge and quell such ignorance. Our communities are increasingly at risk of being further displaced onto the margins of our country. Now, more than ever, Sakhi is more vital and relevant to combat injustice. Our vision is to create gender equity and justice, and I am both honored and humbled to contribute towards this movement to advance the mission forward.
Did you have a moment or experience in your life that made you realize you wanted to devote yourself to advocacy?
My family was part of the migration of South Asians that arrived in the 1970's, and after moving around for the first few years, we settled in Carteret, NJ. At the time, we were the third South Asian family to move into what was a White working class town. There was a great deal of overt racism my family and I experienced from the community. It was this community backlash that occurred outside of our home, and the challenges inside of our home, that shaped my decision at an early age to spend my life working for justice and equity.
Who is a badass feminist you admire and why?
While attending university, I gravitated towards studying postcolonial feminist theory and subaltern studies. I believe the post-colonial experience is what roots communities of color, particularly within the United States. The list is long: Bell Hooks, Angela Davis, Audre Lorde, Maxine Hong Kingston, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Lilly Singh (IISuperwomanII), President Barack Obama, and Malala. However, it is Chandra T. Mohanty's quote "We were not born women of color, but we became women of color here" that reminds me of how identity is created and shaped to segregate power. Her work, particularly this quote, resonated with me years ago, and is something I remind myself of daily. In fact, I consider it my mantra.
What’s your favorite summer drink / cocktail?
Right now it is the 2013 Chardonnay from One Woman Wines and Vineyards. Even more compelling than this vintage, is the story of the woman who started the vineyard.
Do you have any advice for young activists in this political moment?
This moment is our time to mobilize. Actively engage with, and participate, within your local community. Reach out to your local elected officials. Organize other activists to be a part of movement building- by volunteering at Sakhi or another CBO. Go even further and don't stop, in fact, mobilize a base and run for elected office. Power comes from sources of energy, and we need to identify and diversify those sources in order to establish equity.