 Hello everyone. Thank you for tuning in to Street Talk for Monticeau. My name is Bruce Wilson. I'm the Executive Director of Service Render Incorporated. Street Talk for Monticeau is one of our programs for many, many years since 1999 actually. And it's involved in a lot of different things. But today I want to make an announcement about our art gallery. It's called Art So Wonderful. And it's located at University Mall. It's going under renovations. All right guys, it's going to be a nice war. We're taking out some old ugly shelves, shelving, and making it flatter and putting some screen up there where you can hang up better. The art gallery is more presentable. And we're doing our floors over in the back one. It's going to be like floating cork floor. It's for people like our staff to come to chill, have couches back there, and somebody telling us, we're going to GameStop and get some stuff. I don't play the game, but I might just learn. And so I'm looking forward to that. It's going to be open on March 7th. And so everybody, we're going to have a big performance in center court. You've been a part of it. Yeah, that sounds great. I'm looking at the calendar. Yeah. So today I'm very excited to have my dear friend and honorable state senator case around here. Thank you. Yes, coming on the show. You know, one time was in the summertime, somewhere was in Battery Park. Yeah, we did Battery Park. That was so cool. It was. It was. Battery Cool was awesome. I was just out looking at the lake and just chilling. Yeah. And so my co-host today is Tim Cici. And he's got some things he got, some questions and things he wanted to say. And I'm happy that he's come on the show. Thanks so much for having me, Bruce. I really appreciate this opportunity. I know. It's going to be great to have a conversation with all of you. I know, man. When you worked with Keisha before at UVM or somewhere along those lines, all along those, all along those lines. And so why not, man? I don't let people around, you know, like my dear people like Keisha, you know what I'm saying? But since you, you know, you've had some spirits working with her. It's all good. You know, you get your shot at the title. All right. So Keisha, what's good? So can you tell me? So you've been in, I know you've been in a legislative for many years around 10 or so. Yeah. It's been a decade. So what do you think about the time you've been in the legislative, you know, for 10 years? What have you, what's your measurements? Yeah. Well, I mean, first of all, what's good, Bruce? I'm just so grateful to be here with both of you. I mean, you're both doing a lot of incredible community work and bringing arts and opportunity to young people, especially when it's so needed. So that's what's good. So thank you. And it's always a pleasure to be with you. Yes, I am in my 10th year in the legislature. A lot of people can't believe that. I started as, I started my campaign as a senior at the University of Vermont, won that election. You know, sometimes I realize how far away we are from then Senator Obama's visit in 2006 to Vermont. And so I was a sophomore at that time. And it's funny because it's all coming full circle. That year was the year that then state Senator Peter Welch and then Congressman Bernie Sanders ran for the House seat and the Senate seat respectively. And they knew that they were, you know, popular guys, but that it would be helpful to have somebody who was a bigger draw than them come out. And so they invited this Rockstar Senator from Illinois to join them. And it did work. We had about 7,000 people in the crowd. And as, leading up to the event, they said, you know, we're on campus at UVM with this rally. We don't have any women on stage. Does anybody know somebody who's not afraid to speak up? And that's how I got my, my start in politics. I joined them on stage. I welcomed folks to the event. And I started the event off by talking about why it's so important for young people to get involved. That if young people are not at the table on issues like student debt and climate change, then those issues would be resolved on our backs. And so we needed leaders like like Bernie and everyone on stage to help, you know, advance those issues. So I, I finished my little speech. We go on down the line to this Senator from Illinois. And he gets up and starts talking about, you know, having a father from Kenya and a mother from Kansas. And I have a father from India and a mother from Illinois. And I'm thinking, wow, I've never heard a story like this one in politics. And, you know, he says, I have a funny name. No one can pronounce. I said, me too. You know, so I'm sitting there and raptured. And in the middle of all that, you know, he says to Bernie, and you know what, Bernie, if you don't behave yourself, we're going to run Keisha for the Senate instead of you. Because the first time anyone encouraged me to run for office and incredible. Yeah. It was, it was. And, you know, I had not thought of my thought. I had been an activist. I cared about, you know, the environment and human, you know, health and just didn't think that politics was where, where I was headed. And I thought if there's a place for someone like him in mainstream politics, there's a place for someone like me. We shared a ballot two years later in 2008. I became the youngest legislator in the country. And he became the 44th president of the United States. And so, you know, Vermont has created a lot of opportunity for me. And my only goal as a state legislator, and now the first woman of color in the state Senate, has been to create that kind of opportunity for other people to feel seen and uplifted and a part of change in this state, in this country. Well, I'm going to say, you know, I want to thank you for all the incredible work you do and are doing. It's like, you know, you, like, like Bernie, for instance, like when Bernie say, well, you know, I was in Burlington and I talked to Tim C.C. and he said about, he need, his wages need to be higher and he can't pay health insurance and, you know, he need, medication should be lower. You know, he means it. He means it. He means it. You know, he means it. And that's the same with you, Casey. When you go all around, you talk to the people, you're in the communities, you know, you ask the questions, you learn from it and you try to figure out what's good, how you can make it better for those individuals. And so that's one of the reasons why I support you, you know, personally, my personal support, and because you do those incredible things and you're so knowledgeable. It's not like you're just coming out your own thinking. You go by what everybody else is thinking. You know, you work for the people who you serve. They don't serve you. So, and that means a lot to me, you know. It really does. You know, I mean, that speaks to a kind of philosophy that I don't always talk about out loud, but it takes a lot for someone to reach out to their elected official, you know, unless you are part of a privileged few who think I'm going to bug my legislator all the time or, you know, I'm going to contact my state senator or my, you know, the congressional office. When that person reaches out, they are either so angry or so desperate or so, you know, lost feeling like there's no one to help them. And, you know, that is a really critical moment to stop and say, you know, this person, how I treat this person will influence how they think about asking for help of anyone, but particularly how much they trust government to be their partner in building a better life. And so I think about that, you know, so often when people reach out and I'll often write back and not only affirm what they've said, but ask, is it okay if I share this story in committee, you know, when the Department of Labor switched people's social security numbers who were getting unemployment and, you know, I would say to the commissioner, I mean, this is really serious. You have people who never thought they'd be unemployed up at night wondering where their social security number is and who has it, and you know, I collect on a spreadsheet all of the stories of unemployment, despair in the pandemic. You know, we owe it to people that when they reach out, we uplift their voice because hopefully that helps other people feel like they can reach out as well. Can you recount one of those stories? I'm so curious. I've heard Bernie speak so many times and one thing that really speaks to me about how he speaks is he speaks through other people's experiences. Exactly like that. What are some of your monstrous experiences you've been able to resolve? Well, so, I mean, actually, when I was thinking about taking this leap from being a state senator to running for our lone congressional seat, I was really agonizing, you know, is this the right thing for me, for my, I have a new marriage, you know, for my husband, for Vermonters. I mean, who is the right person to represent them? And as I was internally, you know, making those decisions, a friend reached out and he said, oh, I saw your name come up on a list servant we haven't talked in a while. I don't know if you remember, we knew each other at UVM. And I was, I was really struggling to get my wife here from the Caribbean. And I didn't know where to turn to. I started with you because you had just been elected to the legislature and we were young people. And, you know, you figured out who to contact in the federal delegation. You wrote a letter of reference for her. You stayed with me throughout the process. And it's been a while. I just want you to see my two daughters, you know, here in Vermont, picking blue bit, you know, eating blueberries, picking blueberries, they wouldn't exist if it wasn't for you. And, you know, that I thought was, I mean, what do you say to that, you know, that that is the difference that government can make is helping two people, you know, who love each other live their lives and raise a family in a state that they want to live in. And so I just, I love doing this work. And that's what it comes down to is that casework for every veteran who can't figure out how to get, you know, alone to improve their home, for every person having an immigration issue, for every young person who wants an internship and feels left out. We need to restore that trusting connection. That's great. So it really happens on the personal level. Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah, people reach out constantly with stories that can be extrapolated just to the larger experience, you know, someone reached out who she said, I'm at my wit's end with my, you know, with my childcare facility in Milton. I have, you know, I'm trying to take care of a number of these kids. One gets sick. They all have to go home. We lose revenue. We're trying to hold on and help people who need childcare. It's a constant struggle. And so, you know, I asked, could I read from her email and committee just a couple of weeks ago, because we need some emergency funding for families and childcare centers and those struggling to keep their doors open and keep kids safe and healthy in the pandemic. Before you go on, you know, I'm so used to calling you in case of Ram. Yeah. I forgot the hints there. But every time she works through her hand up, it's bling on her finger. Right, right. I keep going like this. Let's see that. So, so, I mean, now it's doubled up. But the original engagement ring was my husband's grandmothers. She raised five children in Orleans, Vermont. Jacob's mother grew up speaking French until high school. So I just feel really honored. You know, I never thought I'd have somebody's grandmother's ring who I know. Isn't it awesome? Yeah. Congratulations. Thank you. You know, it's, you know, congratulations. Thank you. Stop throwing your hand. Blinding me over here. No, I should know better. I'm so animated today because I haven't been on CCTV for so long. We haven't been able to do this for so long. Go ahead. I'm sorry, everyone, Tim. No, no, no. Yeah, I was, I mean, I love that. In Vermont, I've noticed the politics are really on that interpersonal level. You know, I'm far more apt to vote for a legislator or a future senator or representative that I personally know. And that's what I love about Vermont. I mean, I, I talked about I escaped Northern New Jersey to come to Vermont almost a decade ago, and I absolutely love it for that access. Yeah, I think this is a really unique place to be involved in politics. Plus, you know, like you got some party like your location is representing you, you know, you feel like a person, me a person of color. You know, I am, I am people, people don't know I am a person of color. And in Vermont, when I came in, it was the widest state in America in 1989. And somebody says a second. I don't know. You know, they say second, although that's to Maine. And I believe Maine has a bigger tribal population. They have federally recognized tribes. So I don't know how we became second. Yeah, well, I think, well, second or third, whatever, we're still way up there with the widest state in America. And then for me, it's very important that somebody who looks like me, who's equal to every equal to everyone, because obviously you equal to everyone, because not many people, 0.1% of people are African Americans living in the state. So obviously, you're equal to everybody. But, but what is what a great surprise, I say, you know, even with Obama, I mean, you know, who have a person who's like you, who's actually fighting for everyone, but definitely someone who understand, because you're a person of color who looks like me with the plights that that that I personally go through. I don't have to tell you the story. I say, case of racism, if I use that what you understand, you know, you get it. I don't have to go and tell you everything about it. You feel it right in your heart. You feel it. You know what I'm talking about. And so, and you know, and I say to you that, you know, you know, just as equity, diversity and inclusion, you understand what that means, you know what I mean, because how, how, you know, what part of people who like me have been in part of that. I mean, and I think equity and inclusion is like shut down the back room. Not, okay, now black people can come or people color or BIPOC can come in the back room. No, no, shut it down. Right. You know what I mean? Because I don't believe that the back room is ever going to be shut down. I don't believe that the back room is going to still allow a person like me in it because it's traditional. It's heredity, it's culture, how a person was raised through their ancestral. You got to change. It's a lot to change if you want to try to include me into something. It's a lot of thinking. It's, you know, it just, and I'm not mad at nobody. You know, I'm not mad at nobody because that's just where it is. I'm saying it's how it happened. It just happened in America that way. But, you know, so it's hard to really include all of this when we're trying to do it across the world. It really is, you know. So my question is, what, what do you, you know, how do we, Well, you know, first of all, we can be mad at the system. You know, the system was built off of the exploitation of black labor and indigenous erasure in this country. And it's a system that's, you know, counting people out all the time. I mean, as, as you know, well, I made it my mission to, to ensure that people aren't left behind by a system that's broken, or maybe that's working really well, you know, and that is, is exclusive and, and continues to pit people against each other. And I, part of my mission has been to help people understand that it's costly to leave people behind. And it costs all of us, our humanity, to leave people behind. For example, you know, 90% of our population growth in Vermont in the last decade or so has come from the immigration of people of color. That's through refugee resettlement, through, you know, immigration to higher education and the medical establishments that we have. You know, most of our growth is coming from people of color. But of course, what we're seeing time and again, is that Vermont does not have a recruitment problem when it comes to people of color. It has a retention problem. And so we, we are not a white state by accident. You know, there are, there are cultural elements in place that say, you know, if you, if you just fit in a little better, if you just quiet it down a little more, if you were just nicer to people, if you're more polite, things would go fine for you. And for many people of color, particularly black women, they don't have the privilege of staying silent about things that are killing people of color, that are excluding people of color, that are causing them to lose opportunity. And so, you know, that's part of the reason I helped to create the Bright Leadership Institute that helps candidates of color across the state run for office. What we found is, and I also helped found a merge Vermont. That's a big deal. That's a big deal. Yeah. You know, and with a merge Vermont, you know, it was just building sisterhood and a network and the training that people needed. But we realized for people of color, they need something extra. You know, they don't have the same relationship to safety when they run for office. They don't have the same relationship to money when they run for office. There needs to be, you know, that extra support and discussion of cybersecurity and threats. You know, one woman who ran for office, a black woman in Bennington, sent her son to go live with his father out of state when she was running, because she was so afraid of, of what would happen to him while she was running. So, you know, Vermonters have to know this is the reality for people of color. They're not making it up and it's important to stay curious about it. Otherwise, we're going to lose the only population growth we have. You know, the country is changing and we as a rural state have the opportunity to wrap our arms around these issues and to make sure that, that we live up to our values of freedom and unity in our state. That's right. Freedom and unity. That's one of the reasons I came in because it was like the model was in Vermont, freedom and unity and the underground railroad came through here. And it was against slavery, you know. And so that's one reason why I moved to Vermont. But another thing too is that it's funny because, you know, I like, I like Peter Welch. I mean, congressman Peter Welch, I really do grow a lot of everybody. Yeah, I was like, is there a butt coming here? Well, the thing is that I, since I've known him and since I've followed him, since I've voted for him every time, I really don't hear him. I haven't heard him say anything about a person look like me really. And I really haven't seen him really do the footwork for people who are maybe he has, but I don't see it as if it is not something that should have been spoken out loud, you know, on TV shows and, you know, things that you're on. And so I feel like it's just a regular business, he's a person that's going to step up and win the, just like now he's going to win to be a senator because of, that's how it works, you know, it goes by the next step, who's up next, you know, in theory, you know. And so the only thing I heard him say about or about, well, I'm not going to say the only thing I heard him say because I mean, I'm sure he said some things about person look like me that I haven't heard. But I remember one time I was at, I was in Washington with the youth service providers network, I mean, with Burma Coalition through the Department of Health. And we were visiting all our senators and, you know, all the, you know, congressmen and things like that. And so we'll go to their office right in Washington. And so we was in our Congress office. And with so many of us, because it's 2326 coalitions around the state, that we couldn't offer, you know, places to sit. But he said, Bruce, Bruce, sit at my desk. So I sat at his desk, you know, and then one day I was getting a war for at Kitsip Collaborative. And he was there and he's like, and he said, that that Bruce guy, he was all over you. He took, he came in and took over my office. I mean, you know, so I was like, wow, he remembered me and whatever. So I mean, you know, I thought that was funny, you know what I mean. But it wasn't, you know, it wasn't about, it's not about me. And I never really heard him say that I'm really personal about somebody who looks like me. Interesting. Well, have him on the show. That's what I would say. Have him on the show. Invite him here, you know, and I'll encourage him to say yes, even if he's busy. You know, I think it's fair to say that Congressman Welch is evolving on these issues and evolving his understanding of the urgency in Vermont. And you know, I remember after the attempted murder in Kenosha, you know, the gentleman who was shot seven times and survived was paralyzed. You know, he called and he was reaching out to people across the state saying, I'm just really heart sick about what's happening in Kenosha and, you know, St. Louis. And, you know, he was naming a lot of other communities around the country. And a lot of people of color, you know, asked me if I could, they just said, well, you know, you seem to know Peter well enough to say, hey, it's not just those places out of state. It's, you know, virgins. It's, it's Brattleboro that has nine times the rate of stops of Black men, you know, by police than, than white folks. So, you know, people wanted Peter to know the urgency is not just about what's happening in the country, what's happening in the state. And, you know, what I do love about, about Congressman Welch is if you call him, you know, he'll pick up his phone and say, you know, hey, Kasia, what's going on? And we could have that conversation. And he started to get far more active in the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act. He had Karen Bass, who's now running for Mayor of Los Angeles, you know, do a Zoom session with myself, with heads of the NAACP. You know, he, when it's pointed out to him that he has a blind spot, I really do believe he tries to work on it. And you should have Peter on and you should have his incredible staff person, Tafine Dean. Tafine, you know, has been a real champion as well of, of access and resources for new American folks who, you know, what we know to be true is that if people of color feel left behind, when you add language barrier, things get astronomically worse. And especially in a pandemic where we didn't even barely understand the information we were getting in English, let alone if you don't know why your school is closed, if you don't know where to get help, if you don't know, you know, what's right or wrong information as you try to parse the culture that we're in. And, you know, so I think his team has been making a lot of progress as he evolves. And I think he'd be the first person to say that he's evolving. And you should have him on the show to talk about it. Well, I like Peter. I vote for him every time. Thing is, you know, I will ask him to come on the show, you know. But the thing is, for me, it's like, like a lot of politicians, you know, they have the answers. But actually, are they actually boots on the ground? I know you for being boots on the ground. You know, not, and so it's easy for you to get the answers because you get them from the people who you serve. You know, so I don't, you know, I see, I hear Bernie talking in Congress. I see him on the TV is on, you know, the legislative forum, I see him talking on the floor, you know, everywhere. I see him. Yeah. Actually doing the work that he said that he's trying to do. Yeah. And so. You know, people have, I mean, people are asking, what is there a difference you see between yourself and the current congressman? I mean, right? People, of course, there's a lot of votes he's taken, I agree with. There's a lot of priorities he's advanced that I care about around climate change and energy policy. But I do think you're right, you know, that what someone prioritizes, you know, prioritizing the embedding of social and racial and economic justice in everything that they do is really critical. And, you know, there, I think there are ways that that Peter has evolved on that front as well. I think, you know, I have said in other forums, he is a quieter leader. He's more, you know, he's spent a long time maybe in that, you know, Obama mold trying to find the solution and the common ground, which comes from our training in the Vermont legislature, I think, which is, you know, a wonderful place where you can, you know, you can work with anybody, regardless of what you disagree on, you can still find agreement and you can, you know, you can see each other at the end of the day, exchange pleasant words and come back the next morning and sort of live to disagree, agree wherever you may stand. That is not the case in Washington anymore. You know, there is a party that is, you know, bent on the destruction of our democracy and the destruction of our institutions as we know them. They don't believe in civility. They are ostracizing their own members who are trying to, you know, combat the lies and the, the real erosion of our, of our decency as, as political parties. So, you know, it is no longer time to try and be, you know, be civil and be nice with folks who are trying to destroy our planet and our democracy. And I think that is one place where we differ. Although I know that he's been there for a long time as the culture has changed and, you know, maybe been like a frog in boiling water. You know, now when we look from the outside, that, that place looks like, you know, a war zone for the future of this country. Well, we're all aware that you're also in the middle of a candidacy to replace Peter Welsh in, in that House representative seat. And I feel like as, as a Vermonter of less than 10 years, I hear the, the term the Vermont way and I'm going to bring the Vermont way to Washington or we need more of the Vermont way. What is the Vermont way to you? What does that mean to you? Yeah, that, that is a great question. And you know, I, I frame it this way. I woke up one morning thinking, you know, in Vermont, success is not, you know, how many cars you have, but how many cars you have pulled out of a ditch. And, you know, I really think we measure a person's worth and value by how much they lift up other people and how much they help their neighbors. And that person holds high esteem in the community. You know, coming from somewhere else, I mean, I escaped Los Angeles. I consider myself a climate immigrant. I wanted my future children to have clean air and clean water, you know, and, and a safe community. I, I love being in a state that truly values, you know, what someone offers to their neighbors, you know, not what someone takes. And I've seen it in the business community and across the board, you know, people don't define success as a business person by their profit margin, but by, you know, how much they're investing back in their employees and their families. And so I think we truly do have a lot to offer the rest of the country that comes from the Vermont way. It's interesting that you say that I, I am a product of UVM and shout out Kelly Hampshire and the community and economics developments department. Totally. I always think about the different forms of capital and how it's not only financial, but there is social capital, there's economic capital, there's political capital, there's environmental capital. And, and a business's purpose doesn't only have to be to drive financial capital. That's right. But that human capital and that social capital and environmental. And I really do feel that Vermont businesses and individuals don't always see finance as the bottom line. And I do appreciate that. Exactly. And we have been national leaders in trying to measure progress differently and trying to measure what business success looks like differently from, you know, Ben and Jerry's to seventh generation now. Beta technologies is going to be a very interesting developing, you know, business that's almost going to create its own industry and evolve transportation, you know, with, with zero energy drone technology delivering organs, delivering, you know, needed supplies quickly and without using fossil fuels. I think they're going to revolutionize a lot of things and we're fortunate to have them doing it from Burlington Airport. You know, so I think there's just people want to grow here with a certain ethos and that gives us a lot to, to bring to the rest of the country. Kyle and his whole team have been really impressive and I'm so excited to see what they do for Vermont. Yeah. Does that intersect with what you hope your role to be in Washington? Absolutely. You know, we should take our sense that we kind of have one foot in the pasture and one foot in the future to, you know, to Washington, this notion that we can keep a lot of our traditions and the things we do love about our deep sense of community, our rural landscape, our value for open space. And at the same time, innovate and create green technology, green businesses, you know, success that still has a light footprint on the earth. You know, I think it's one of the reasons that I have Bill McKibben's support in this race is, you know, he, he, he knows that I can sort of go in the weeds and also in the streets to really convince people that we have something special here and that we should replicate it around the country. I really appreciate, I was reading your website before today and I really appreciate you use the term co-governing and how, you know, Bruce echoed that as well saying you are boots on the ground, you are in the community, you're talking to people, you're probably personally responding to consensual emails and whatnot. And do you think you'll still have that same opportunity if you were to be in the House of Representatives? You know, I hope so and believe so. And I think we have a great model in Bernie Sanders, you know, doing that so well. Really in touch via all the communication channels imaginable as well as coming back and doing forums. I mean, I think the place Bruce and I first met was a forum that Bernie did for People of Color and it was like 2007, you know. And that, you know, that was a commitment that he was making then. So, you know, I, I think Peter Welch does it as well. I mean, so does Senator Leahy, you know. But it shouldn't be hard when you have a small state, particularly with ours, to, you know, constantly be touring, watching what people are doing, staying in touch with them, creating a two-way dialogue and, you know, bringing also some of that thinking here. One of the things that I've felt in this election so far is it's been 16 years since we've had a congressional race and we haven't had a lot of robust conversations about foreign policy, about where Vermont fits into that, about rural trade and rural development and how we intersect with a global marketplace. I recall, you know, when Senator Sanders brought the, I think maybe the, the president or prime minister of Finland here to talk about what a small, you know, a small country can contribute that has heavy social values and, you know, invest in its people. And, you know, so it was a, it was a wonderful example of how, you know, Vermont wants to be part of a global conversation and elections like this, but also ongoing engagement can do more to bring that ethos to Washington and back. That's a really good point. I really appreciate that you brought up how Vermont sits on that national stage too. I mean, right now in Detroit, I believe, we're seeing the Ambassador Bridge, I guess, just was cleared just the other day. Do you see something like that potentially happening in Vermont? I mean, we do share our border with Canada. You know, I think it's a good reminder. I mean, just going back to the, I mean, the ways that we police and monitor our southern border and our northern border is pretty informal. You know, we have, if anybody's been up to Derby Line, you know, we have like a couple of folks sitting in a little cabin, you know, and we, it's quaint and we love it, you know, but what they're doing on that border is, you know, causing chaos, economic loss, etc., you know, and so to me, it's just a reminder that we have to balance meeting people's needs with this huge hypocrisy around who we criminalize and who we don't. And, you know, we, we should really be taking a look at, you know, civil disobedience with the same lens. We have, you know, arrested people for trying to protest in the streets when a black man is, is murdered in front of, you know, hundreds of people. And yet at the same time, we are, you know, people around the country and in Canada have felt powerless to stop this particular demonstration. You know, I, I hope we can meet somewhere in the middle. I do think reminders have been, you know, engaged in, in incredible, you know, civil and social protest. And I think, you know, if you look at our border, it reminds us of some of the better ideas that exist in other places, you know, that we should borrow from as well. I mean, a vial of insulin, you know, probably costs like one front, you know, at less than a tenth of what it costs here when you go across the border in Canada. What is happening, you know, that our health care system and the cost of prescription drugs is so broken? Those are good questions. Wow. So, um, so I was, I've just been honored to be able to, the governor appointed me to the Human Rights Commission, so I'm a commissioner. Yes, congrats. I can say congratulations to him first and finally first. And also on the merit of, when you see appointed me to be on the, when you see housing authority, border commissioners. And so I'm very honored to, to be on those businesses. I saw a lot of different committees and commissions, but the thing is that while I sit on these things, it's not because it's not about me. I'm always in the back, you know, it's about the people who we serve. And it's about the people who looks like me, you know, not necessarily getting fair opportunities. That's not my whole objective, but also them to learn about what, what they, the information, get the information they should know about. You know what I mean, that's so important because people who look like me specifically, particularly in Winniski, don't get the information. They don't get the, you know, if they get the brochures, they probably don't really read them as, as well as you might read and read them to them or any of us because from, from there, from other countries, you know, even though they might speak like five different languages, five more languages than us, but they might not be able to get to English as well as we would like for them to. And so how do you, what do you, what's your goals in working with people who like live in Winniski? New Americans and primarily around the country, around the state, but particularly in Winniski. Yeah. I mean, you know, I'm the daughter of an immigrant who is a small business owner and who actually, you know, coming from India spoke perfect English, you know, but was still discriminated against. So that's only compounded several times over when, you know, you, you look different, you sound different, you know, the xenophobia sets in even if it's unconscious for folks. So, so many of the issues I've tackled have been to ensure they can gain a foothold in society and the economy right now. So last year, one of the things I did that feels small, but it was actually really critical, was came from hearing folks saying, you know, my lifeline as someone who doesn't speak good English and is just coming to this country and I have small kids was that cultural liaison in the schools, you know, they call sometimes they call their social worker, right? My social worker, I don't have them in the pandemic raging in the middle of summer because they're only, you know, hourly wage workers who are available during the school year. And so I, it was a small bill, but one that is already being utilized in communities that have a lot of new American folks which was to share the positions to allow our finance system between education and municipalities to share those positions so that they can be a municipal and district position and year round can serve families instead of saying, I can't do that because, you know, my job is only with the district. Those cultural liaisons are incredible lifelines for folks and they're already underpaid and, you know, have to figure out how they're going to fit all of that help into their, the hours that they have. So we passed a bill that changed that last year that I was really proud of. This year I'm working on, it's even more ambitious, it's a language access plan for the entire state of Vermont. Another thing we saw in the pandemic as I was talking about before is if you didn't have information in English, that could be life or death, you know, or it's starting in your language. That could be life or death. That could mean you're lacking access to business opportunities as well as important medical information. And so, you know, starting with emergency communications and life-saving services and moving toward, you know, services that you need to participate in government and then to things that are really nice to have in government, we are looking at a comprehensive language access plan for the state so that the most popular language is spoken, you can easily get the written materials and you can get really any language you speak, you should be able to get an oral interpreter on the phone right away without guesswork. And it's a culture change too, because for so often, you know, a police officer might have thought, I'll just have the child interpret in this, you know, emergency situation, which is frightening, you know, or, oh, in court, like, it's okay, we'll have the same interpreter for the defendant and the plaintiff. You know, it takes people's humanity away to not think about how language becomes, you know, a source of dignity and a lifeline. And so, you know, I'm constantly thinking about ways to advance New American experience in Vermont. And so, I know, who's your intern, your person? Yeah, Emily, Emily. What does she do? She's from Washington. Emily's from Washington County? Yeah, Emily Sheffman, I'm probably embarrassing her right now. She's working with you with the police, some police initiative or something? I, you know, I think a hallmark of my leadership always has been to ensure other young people can get involved, you know. I was that student who introduced an environmental justice bill as a senior at UVM with a legislator who said, this is really brilliant, you should help write a bill, you know, and that inspired me to run for the legislature. So, it means a lot to know that there are other young people who want to be part of the process and who one day, you know, when they get there, see how accessible it is and how much, you know, of an impact they can have. And so, you know, to work with Emily on drafting the bill, looking what other states are doing on police oversight and accountability from no-knock warrant bans to, you know, ending cash bail to independent investigation and to use the force. She helped me look at best practices in other states where things are not going well, ending qualified immunity in Colorado. And that makes me a more informed legislator. And hopefully, you know, when some of those bills pass, you know, she'll feel just as proud that she had a hand in changing, you know, state policy. No doubt about it. No doubt about it. And also, she'd be like a way of having a curve when she ready to start, not start, but even do more about helping make change, you know. She ought to be smart about what's going on. You know the issues and she'd be like also knowing what people are saying to what they're saying, what their concerns are, what their ideas and suggestions are. And she would know how to, well, no, she'd know how to implement. That's so funny because like she's not, she's already ready to go, you know what I'm saying? Right. She's not ready, ready. One of the things that we're really proud of in Vermont, but you can sort of see the, you can see the kind of, the cultural differences at work, we have a page program. You know, we have legislative pages and a lot of them end up learning about the process, running for office later in life. They are all in middle school and it takes some privilege from your parents or connection. You know, a lot of the pages that come through, they may have parents who served in political office, they know about the program. I never knew about that program growing up. And so, you know, those are often the folks that end up coming back into the state house. The first time I went into the state house, I was a sophomore at UVM. And my mentor who took me around the state house, his name is Ernie Shand from Weathersfield. And, you know, I could barely keep up with him. He was, we went to go talk about broadband, then we went to go meet with kids who wanted to, you know, and tobacco use. And, you know, we had this full day and he said, I hope one day, you know, I see you back here in one of these seats. And two years later, I sat two seats down from him in the legislature. It really changes things when, you know, you feel like, yes, I could take one of these seats. I try to invite as many young people as I can into the process, so they see it's not scary. And that, you know, they can make a difference. You've gone so far as to start programs to do that exactly. Yes. Can you tell us about Emerge and that other program? And Bright Leadership. Bright Leadership. Yeah, yeah. You know, often when you sort of find all the people that you need to run for office and be a leader and you do all the guesswork, hopefully you turn around and say, is there a better way to do this? You know, and how can I make this easier for the next person coming along? With Emerge, you know, a program that's expanding all over the country, Governor Madeline Cunan came home from a trip and said, I think she was visiting with maybe Emerge or again Emerge, California. She was on the West Coast. And, you know, she said, this program is going around the country. Here's why I think it's great to help women really build a network to run for office. And I was honored to be one of just a handful of people in her living room starting that program. Well, started out of a living room. Yeah. You know, it's like... That's the Vermont way. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. Drink some tea, save the world. You found something. You found a Vermont way, bro. Good job. That's right. Can we get some tea on it? Yeah, right. So, we got like three more minutes. Okay, yeah, yeah. Why don't you talk about your platform? Oh, I'm going to ask you one question. Yeah. Because since I've been in Vermont since 1989, I really don't know what... I know Bernie, when I would work for him, like we did everything, you know, with the youth, with working with youth. Yeah. He was dead on big with working with youth, with their goals and aspirations in life. And so, I learned a lot from what a congressman do here. But since then, tell me, what's the role of a congressman? What do they do? Yeah. I mean, period. What's a job description? That's a great question. Hard maybe to answer in just a couple minutes. You know, but I think that case work piece is so important. We can't forget that you have one member of congress. That person is your link to, you know, small business loans. That person is your link to a program at the federal level that's not working for our nonprofits here and how to fix it. You know, your one member of congress can really help you as a family, as a business, as a community get what you need. And so, being responsive to the community is incredibly important. I have been talking to folks who've worked on both sides. You know, there are like, you know, some folks who've worked for Bernie, both in the House and the Senate. And they'll say, man, you get so much more support and office space and staff when you're in the Senate. You know, so you really as the, you have to be kind of scrappy as the congresswoman and, you know, take your small staff and make sure you're meeting the needs of Vermonters while collaborating across the board with your colleagues in the Senate with other Vermonters. I think, you know, too, it's to really look at the policies, the budget items, the programs and initiatives that are going to help Vermonters and in my mind those that are going to help those who are otherwise left behind by government and really, you know, negotiate what Vermont needs, but also do that. And I mean, I've constantly done that in a way where I've said, hey, you know, this is what Burlington needs. What does the Northeast Kingdom need, right? You know, so at some point, you know, being from one of the most rural states in the country, you have to go and say, hey, I know that New York City or LA or Chicago need this. Here's what Vermont needs. How do we meet all of our needs on rural and urban public works issues? And how do we find those openings? That's what I've been doing for 10 years in the legislature. And then, you know, finally, this is what I learned to do from President Obama when he came and visited and encouraged me to run for office, which is a great leader sees the good work people are doing and they lift it up. And they lift up their hopes and dreams and what they can do for the country because a leader doesn't mean you're sort of on your own, sitting in your office, like planning, you know, how to solve the world's problems. It means you're looking at people who are already doing that work in the community and making sure they're being heard and they're being celebrated so that they can continue that good work. And it's what I've always tried to do as a legislator and it's what I hope to do as Vermont's congresswoman. You're going to be one phenomenal congresswoman. No, no, no, I don't want to write it. No, I don't want to read it. I totally appreciate it. I'm honored just to, you know, I'm honored just to be running and, you know, considering being in Congress. So wow, or anything you want to do, I'm down with you. I'm down with you because I know, I know it's not, you know, we have a lot of, in my program now, and probably got to have sponsors for this and that. And I don't, because they say Bruce here's $1,000, don't mean that I care about the $1,000. You know, it's just the work, you know, oh, I care about you fishers. I care about education. And I care about, you know, safe environments, you know, healthy outlets. And so for that for me, yeah, I'll take your $1,000. I mean, so same as you, you know what I'm saying? Like I just don't support a person or want feel proud or smiling right now. It's because, because you running for congresswoman, congresswoman. I know what you have done, you know, for years. I'm running for, I don't know, 15 years. Yeah. And so I know the work. And so that's what makes me proud. And I'm happy that you're doing this work. I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't see nobody, you know, we just, we just need to get you there, you know, see the money coming, you know what I'm saying, to your organization. But I don't, I just, nobody else have, no one else have that information. You know, you, you could, if you felt like it, you can rebuttal anything somebody was, any other person would say, like, like, or any other candidate or whatever. She can rebuttal it at the highest level. You know, right there, like Obama through, you know, Leah or Bernie, you know what I mean? Anybody, you know, or Malin Cunan, you can, you've been there, I mean, like, wholeheartedly on the boosts on the ground, not for just one day. I mean, for like, tireless. So I know this, you know what I'm saying? I know this. And some others, you know, who's just wanted, I don't, I don't know what their goal is, why they want to be, I don't know what, why they want to be in Congress or whatever. I don't know why. I don't know what their goals and aspirations are being in the Congress. But I think their goals and aspirations, because they feel like they just want to be there. I think that's what it is. But when you come down the boosts on the ground, they can name names, they can name a lot of names, people they know, and done some clerkship or some internships with, but that, you know, working with the people who you serve and actually making outcomes, like helping that person get in there, doing the things you did for that person in the house and the different things who come to you and ask you for, please help me. And you helped and you helped them. And then you're like, you know, that's, you move, you know, like drop them, you make sure it's good. And they come back and say, it's good. And you just continue to do the work you do. And this is the humbling piece about you and this wisdom you have, you know what I'm saying? That's important. That's very important. You got to really love the people who you, everybody, and you got to have, be humble, you know. And like I said, you know, if you be humble, humble brings, being humble brings wisdom and wisdom brings long life, first and foremost. And it's all about self. It's not even about the few. That's number one. And you got all of that. And so I don't know. I don't, maybe the other ones do, but you know, you got to feel that from those people, first of all. You know, you got to feel it, just like I said, like equity and inclusion in the university and justice. If you don't feel what a person who looks like me is saying, you can't feel it, then you really don't, you don't get it, you know what I'm saying? And you just understand what you understand. You know what justice means, you know what equity means, you know what diversity means, you know what it means. You know what it means. We can Google right now and they'll tell you what it means, you know, in theory, you know what I mean. But not really, not really. But you, some special, you know what I mean, for that. I mean, just who you are. And it's not many people who, like Keisha, you know, I don't really know what we're wanting from her. That's right, I'm on team Keisha. But I only know one, really. I'm not just, you know, people know me. Like, I know I work with the governors, you know, she'll tell you every senators and all they all know me, you know. And they know that I'm like, I say what I say. I mean it. I said in front of whoever, because I mean it, you know what I'm saying? And, you know, it's so funny. Leahy, who's, you know, who's retired, you know, he's the funniest guy. I'll like say some thank God for Leahy, who's, you know, and his wife. They are awesome people. I used to see Leahy of places. Last time or something, I think it was in Costco or something. He, you know, he had always like a little secret service. He was like, who's that guy talking? He's like, Bruce, Bruce, come over here. You know, every time I see him, it's what he do. Come over here, you know. And he opened up, he's like, look, look at my grandson. Look how big his guy, you know. His grandson is, you know, a black person, you know. And then he always, look at my grandson. He ain't even getting big, you know, he's all. I've always known that's what he's gonna say to me, you know, when he, when I see him, you know. And, you know, Marcel, you know, who's never left his side. God was his companion, his strong lady. You know, and she don't say nothing, but you bet she's got a lot to say. Yeah. Well, thanks, Bruce, so much for having me. Thank you for all your reflections. And thank you for your kind words. Oh, no. It's always an honor and a privilege. Oh, no. I want, you know. Thanks to him. Thank you. Thank you for this opportunity, Bruce. No doubt about it, yeah. And so, thank you. State, honorable state, similar. Keisha around. Here's Del, with the bling-bling, huh? Come on our show and let the people know your platform and how you feel about Vermont and what your goals and aspirations are. And, and I guess you can tell them how they can help you right here. Yeah, yeah. About you. Yes. So, right. Thank you for my team would have been mad. So my website is keishaforvermont.com K-E-S-H-A. For VermontAllSpelledOut.com You can learn more and get involved and support our effort to meet the moment. So really appreciate that. And thank you for having me. No, you're welcome. Thank you for tuning in to Street Talk Vermont's show and I'll see you next time.