Rep. Sharice Davids Aims to Inspire Youth

New children’s book by Rep. Sharice Davids, Sharice’s Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman

Rep. Sharice Davids may have a full agenda, but she will always make time to inspire today’s youth. 

Davids is another prime example that anything is possible; she made history in 2018 by becoming one of the first two Native-American women elected to Congress and is the first openly LGBTQ person to represent Kansas in Washington. In June, she added children’s author to her list of achievements after her book, Sharice’s Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman, was released. 

Co-authored by Davids and Kansas-based writer Nancy Mays, and illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, the picture book autobiography is a joyful exploration of Davids’ experience growing up Native in Kansas and a love letter to the single mother who raised her. Readers will follow Davids’ triumphant story as she learned that her unremitting desire to be heard had a purpose.

Davids did not intend to release a Pride Month book, but says the timing was a “happy coincidence.” 

OFM had the pleasure of connecting with Davids to talk about why she wanted to write a children’s book, what made her run for political office, and why LGBTQ issues are still politicized today. 

What inspired you to write your new book, Sharice’s Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman?
After I won my election in 2018, but before I got sworn in, I was having tons of conversations with folks about how exciting it is, how much work is ahead of me, and how different this is than what I ever envisioned while growing up. Nancy, my co-author, she and I at some point thought, ‘Oh, I should write a book.’ Through conversations, the idea evolved into not writing a how-to-get-into-Congress book but focusing on the unique journey and the important set of experiences. If you are truly paying attention and truly on that journey, we can do some pretty cool stuff. There’s the idea.

The inspiration, I think all of us know to some extent what it is like to feel kind of invisible, not seen, or not heard. That was something that I felt growing up, and even into adulthood sometimes, I still feel that way. I think some of that stems from not seeing or being inspired by stories when you are a kid. I was and wasn’t surprised to find out that around 1 percent of kids books have Native representation. To think of the difference is being able to feel seen, even if it is just for a little bit, because you are seeing a story similar to yours, and that doesn’t even have to be the exact same story. There are lots of Native kids out there who are raised by a single parent. There are lots of kids who grow up and are first-generation college students. Getting a chance to play some part in that was the inspiration for this book. 

What is the number-one message you hope readers take away from the book?
That is a really good question. I would say that sense of journey and realizing that one of the most important things we can do is be true to the experience that we are in and the path that we are on. Recognize that there will be ups and downs, twists and turns, people who doubt you, and people who support you. Sometimes, we need the people who support us because we doubt ourselves. Know that there is a lot we can learn from our experiences, and there is a lot of power in the choices we make. 

Was there anything you personally learned throughout the process of writing this book?
My mom remembers things sometimes differently than I do. That’s one thing [laughs]. I spent a lot of late nights and some days on this thing, but there were a lot of conversations with her. I talked a lot when I was a kid; I talk a lot now, and there is a bit about that in the book. Let’s just say there are a plethora of stories about me talking too much in certain situations. My mom and I talked about the various stories, and she helped me figure out what things maybe could be or shouldn’t be in the book. In some ways, it was almost like a realization: how I remember things and how my mom remembers things. I felt like I got to have interesting conversations with my mom that I don’t know I would have had otherwise. 

You made history by not only being one of the first two Native American women ever elected to Congress, but also the first LGBTQ Native American elected to Congress. What does this mean to you?
First, I feel like it is important to kind of acknowledge that I am not actually sure if I have had a chance to emotionally process what this means. Occasionally, I do get the chance to feel a little bit of it in a different way. Of course, it was a huge honor and privilege, and it is just really cool to be a part of the freshman class. The 2018 freshman class was, like, the most diverse class in the history of our country. Getting the chance to be elected alongside my dear friend Deb, and so many people who are not very good friends of mine, it’s phenomenal. 

There have been times where, I remember shortly after getting elected, a teenager came up to me at a restaurant, and she told me that about a week after I won my election, she came out to her family. She just felt more comfortable after seeing the way that our community had supported my campaign and elected me to represent our district. I remember being kind of blown away at how important having a more reflective government can be. It’s not just the government, but it is also the message that it sends, and that kind of support people might feel. It is definitely an honor. 

What initially made you want to get involved with politics and run for office?
A couple of things: There is a big picture, and a very specific thing. The big picture is, I had the chance to work in the Obama administration as a White House fellow. That is where I discovered my passion for infrastructure, and while I was a White House fellow, I got the chance to be in rooms with some of the highest-level decision makers in the federal government on the executive side. I literally saw examples of one different voice in the room asking a set of questions that might not have been asked, how big of a difference that can make in policy. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do after I got done with that fellowship, but I did know it was very important for us to have more diverse voices in the decision-making positions in Washington, D.C. 

I am from the Kansas 3rd, and I felt like my predecessor was not doing a good job of representing our district. This is a great thing about our country: If you like stuff that your government is doing, you can be supportive of that; if you don’t like stuff that your government or your representatives are doing, you can do something about it. For me, it meant running against my predecessor [laughs]. Those are the two big reasons why I decided to run for office. 

What are some of the biggest goals you would like to accomplish throughout this term?
I kind of already mentioned, but I am an infrastructure nerd. Now that we have gotten the American Rescue Plan passed, and it is being implemented, that COVID relief package is helping us get more vaccines out—it’s helping to make sure that folks who need relief are able to get it, and I think it is getting us on the path to more jobs and getting the economy back up and going. 

Now that we are through that, I am very excited about passing an infrastructure bill. During my time as a White House fellow, I was at the Department of Transportation, and I left that experience calling myself a born-again transportation enthusiast. It’s my thing now, and I serve on that committee. I am really looking forward to getting that done in this Congress. 

Do you plan to run for a third term in 2022, or do you have your sights set on a higher political office?
I am running for re-election in the 3rd District. We’ve got redistricting coming up, which is going to be across the country, but in Kansas, the redistricting issue is maybe the subject of a whole different interview. 

Why do you think LGBTQ issues are still so politicized today?
There are different views of it, but there are two lines of thought that I have about that. One, I feel like we have a whole new level of understanding of LGBTQ issues. They have, in a lot of ways, come to the forefront, and then a lot of folks maybe do not realize exactly where we are at in terms of protections and in terms of discriminatory practices, that sort of thing. 

I think a lot of folks are often shocked when I share that I can be the representative for the 3rd District in Kansas to the United States House, but if I wanted to get an apartment, if I were seeking access to healthcare, I could legitimately be turned away in the state of Kansas for those things because I am an out member of the LGBTQ community. I think there is often a lack of understanding about just how prevalent the legality is. It’s not right, but it is legal for those things to happen. 

In some ways, it is not as politicized as it used to be in terms of democrats, republicans, that sort of thing. Like, the Equality Act. The Equality Act has passed the House twice. I voted for it my first term; I voted for it again this term. Both times in the House, but the Senate did not take it up last time. I am a little more optimistic that they will this time, but republicans voted for that bill both times in the House, and I think that, in some ways, demonstrates the recognition across the country that discriminating against people who are part of the LGBTQ community is not OK.

I also recognize that we have seen, especially in state legislatures this year, horrible anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ bills popping up across the country. In no way do I think that our work is done, but I do think that we are moving in the right direction. We are just going to have to keep pushing.

*Images courtesy of Sharice Davids