Bharti Wahi | Not About You Season 2 : Episode 8

“It is difficult to dismantle a system that is invisible
to you.”


Bharti Wahi talks about frequently dealing with the question,
"what are you?" and where that question comes from. She talks
about growing up in rural Minnesota with immigrant parents from
Canada and Southeast Asia. Bharti talks about systemic oppression
and the challenges in the way of changing systems. She talks
about the myth that brown people don't live in the middle of the
country and about being angry but staying hopeful and
focused. 


As the Executive Director of Children’s Defense Fund–Minnesota
office Bharti Wahi brings 20 years of professional experience as
an advocate in the nonprofit world and more than a decade of
experience in education. Prior to joining Children’s Defense
Fund, Ms. Wahi spent three years with Greater Twin Cities United
Way where she oversaw several grant portfolios related to early
childhood education, two-generation interventions and literacy.
Previously, she led the Children and Family Program for the
Minnesota Literacy Council for five years, building the home
visiting program and overseeing two early learning centers.


As an active community member Ms. Wahi serves on the Board of
Directors of the Hale-Field Schools Foundation and Women
Organizing Women. In addition she sits on the McKnight
Foundation’s PreK-Third Grade Design Team and is currently
serving on the Minnesota Department of Education’s ESSA
Accountability Advisory Committee and the Department of Human
Services Parent Aware Advisory Council.


Ms. Wahi holds a Bachelor of Arts from the Saint Catherine
University and a Master of Arts in public policy and nonprofit
management from the University of Chicago.