[ Music ]
>>Male: In memory of Dick
Robinson, and sponsored
by the Institute of Museum
and Library Services.
>>Carla Hayden: Good afternoon
I'm Carla Hayden, the Librarian
of Congress, and I am
delighted to be here today
with Representative
Sharice Davids of Kansas.
And I'm excited especially
because I'm a children's
librarian.
And we're here, and welcome
Congresswoman Davids.
Welcome to the 2021 National
Book Festival because we're here
to talk about your new book for
the young and young at heart,
Sharice's Big Voice: A Native
Kid Becomes a Congresswoman.
And welcome to our audience.
And you can start
submitting your questions now.
So could we get started because
this is the one of the books
that I was sharing stories
and inspirational
things with young people.
So you made history in
2018 as one of the first
of two native women elected
to the United States Congress.
So just share with us
what that meant to you.
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Well,
first of all, I just I have
to tell you how excited I am
to get the chance to be here
with you, particularly
Dr. Hayden.
I think you are an amazing
person and inspiration yourself,
and so thank you so
much for doing this.
And you know, when
then congresswoman,
now Secretary Deb Holland
and I got elected in 2018,
I think that there was this
almost like a collective sense
of joy that so many people
across the country felt.
Because, you know, native women
have been certainly amazing
leaders for so long, and
to know that it was 2018
and we hadn't seen a native
woman in the US Congress before,
to get the chance to
be part of that was,
it was pretty surreal actually.
And I'm just so fortunate and
glad to have had the chance
to be able to do this.
>>Carla Hayden: And your book
is called "Sharice's Big Voice".
So you must've had a big voice.
Could you tell us about that?
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Yeah.
So I'm really glad I got to work
on this book because in a lot
of ways, the name "Sharice's Big
Voice" is both an acknowledging
and honoring of a
few different things.
One is that when you read the
book, if you haven't already,
Dr. Hayden, I know you have.
>>Carla Hayden: [Inaudible]
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: But to
the folks who are watching,
you'll see that I talked a lot,
like a lot when I
was growing up.
And you know, sometimes
I got in trouble for it,
but it also helped me
learn a lot of skills.
And it helped me learn
how to listen actually.
And so in some ways, Sharice's
Big Voice is an acknowledgement
of that part of my journey.
But also as a Ho-Chunk Nation
tribal citizen, you know,
the Ho-Chunk language is
we're known as the people
of a sacred voice, and also
people of the big voice.
And so I felt like it was that
just a really great way to honor
that and be able to share that
in a lot of ways with others.
>>Carla Hayden: Now you said
that even though you've talked a
lot, and you sometimes would get
in a little trouble for it,
it also helped you listen.
How do those two things work?
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Yeah.
You know, I think one of the
things I think a lot about,
and particularly as I've
moved through my own path
and my own journey is that
there are a lot of times
where we might feel invisible,
or not seen and not heard.
And I think some of that
is when you're speaking.
Right? Like you have
something to say.
You want to share something.
Especially as a child, you
know, maybe it's you want
to share how you're
feeling or ask questions.
And I think that
growing up, I got to see
that you can ask
questions of other people,
and really learn a lot.
It's a way to connect.
But to be able to do that, you
also have to listen to people.
And so I think that it's
a way to help learn how
to not only be seen, but to
see others, and make sure
that other folks don't feel
unseen or invisible sometimes.
>>Carla Hayden: Now you also
though write about people
about people who I think
that the young people
call them "doubters" --
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Oh.
>>Carla Hayden: -- who doubted
you and didn't think you'd ever,
you know, get elected
to congress,
and even doubted you throughout.
So young people who
face that daily.
So do you have any
advice for them about how
to keep pursuing what you
want to do or feeling good
about yourself with these
doubters and people around you?
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Yeah.
So I think there's something,
in a lot of ways there's
something universal
about feeling like you're kind
of all alone in this experience.
And one of the things that
I wanted to make sure I
when I was sharing, you know,
my path and my journey was
that particularly for young
people or even, you know,
when we're moving through
this life, I think a lot
of times we might look at
others and say, "Oh man,
that person has it
figured out," you know,
or "Grownups have
all the answers.
They know everything."
And then you realize
as you get older,
for any of the kids watching,
you realize as you get
older, that's not true.
You know, we're all just trying
to figure everything out,
and we're all trying to figure
out how to move through this.
And being able to
share that, you know,
not only did sometimes,
you know, people doubt
that I could do, reach my goals,
or, you know, particularly
when I ran for Congress,
not necessarily believe
that I could do it, but also
sometimes we doubt ourselves
because we aren't
sure if we have,
if we're on the right path, if
we're making the right choices.
And I think that it's
important for people to see
that that you're
not alone in that.
A lot of us feel that way.
And that's why I wanted
to share that piece of,
piece of my journey
so that other --
so maybe some of us can
feel a little less lonely
in that experience.
>>Carla Hayden: Right.
And it can continue no
matter how old you are.
There's still that.
And another thing, you had
one person that you talk
about in your book who played an
important role they didn't doubt
you and was a role model, and
that's your mom, your mother.
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Yeah.
>>Carla Hayden: Can you
talk about her a little bit
because it's wonderful
to have that?
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Yeah.
Absolutely.
And I want to show my
favorite picture --
>>Carla Hayden: Oh, good.
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: -- in
the book here in a second.
But, you know, my mom was,
somehow she is like the nicest
and also the toughest
person that I know.
And, you know, she would
always like listen to me,
even though I talked a
lot, answer my questions,
encourage me when I would
bring things up, and you know,
different ideas that I had.
She never told me I
couldn't do something if I,
you know, had some wild idea.
She would just, you know,
make sure that I was
being realistic about it.
You know, "Oh, you
want to do that?
It's going to take
a lot of work.
You're going to have to
work really hard," you know,
and that sort of thing.
But she never discouraged
me from trying things.
And I feel like that helped me,
it just helped me become a
person who is that martial arts,
which I think we'll talk about,
helped me become a person
that is willing to
try things even
if I don't know what the
outcome is going to be.
And if you don't mind,
I'd love to show love --
>>Carla Hayden: Oh.
Oh, we'd love to
because I don't want
to move my book [inaudible]
see the cover
because the cover is so cool.
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Yeah.
>>Carla Hayden: So if you
could share [inaudible]
because the illustrations
in your book.
You had a wonderful
collaboration.
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Yes.
It's so amazing.
So this picture right
here, which is a picture
of basically just me talking
a whole bunch, and my mom,
like this feels like it
embodies what it was like for me
as a little, you know, a
little Sharice just talking
and talking and talking.
And you know, here it's,
you know, when I was young,
I talked a lot, like a lot.
You know, I talked to my family,
and my friends, my
friends' families.
I talked to neighbors, and
people shopping in the store,
people working in the store.
I wanted to know
things about people.
And, you know, I think
that this picture embodies
like how much my mom just
like let me embrace kind
of who I was growing up.
And for that, I'm just,
you know, I'm so grateful
because I think sometimes we,
you know, we can feel stifled
in our experience, and to
get the chance to have a mom
that that just really
embraces who I was.
>>Carla Hayden: Do you think
that some of that interest
and people and she was
letting you talk to the people
that worked in a grocery store,
and the people along the way
and all that, has translated
and evolved into you're wanting
to represent people, and
helped them and know them.
It seems like there's a
direct almost line to that.
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Yeah.
I think, I definitely
think there's,
like I think that's absolutely
a piece of it for sure.
I think it's that, you
know, learning to connect
with people at a young age.
And also the fact that my, you
know, my mom was in the army
when I was growing up.
My mom was in the army for 20
years from before I was born
until after I got
out of high school.
And because we moved
a lot, you know,
while she was getting
stationed in different places,
I ended up making new
friends quite a bit.
You know, and all of us want to
be able to connect with people
when we get to a new place.
So I learned how to kind of
get comfortable with that.
And then also just seeing
that my mom had a career
of service, you know.
And when she got done being in
the army, she ended up working
at the post office for 20 years.
So, you know, my mom has been,
like she's dedicated her career
to service, and that has
definitely played a role
in just my view of how,
like how we can help
like move things along,
and you know, participate.
My way is like participating
in the government,
but I think there are lots
of ways that we can be
of service to our communities.
>>Carla Hayden: Well, you have
service with a twist, too,
because you mentioned
the martial arts.
And I have to tell you, and
I hope you can show some
of the illustrations showing
you with your martial arts
about three or four
pages, just wow.
>>Rep. Sharice Davids:
Well, it's so funny
>>Carla Hayden: [Inaudible]
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Yeah, so
since getting, since starting,
this is a very busy job
just so everybody knows.
And so now I haven't been doing
as much martial arts training
as kind of your regular working
out, but some of that is also
because of the pandemic and
just trying to, you know,
in the same way we're doing
this virtual, I'm trying to,
you know, be as safe
as possible.
But absolutely martial arts
will be a part of my life
for the rest of my life.
I particularly love
Brazilian jujitsu
for anybody who's watching,
and also love marital arts.
Yeah, so when I was younger --
>>Carla Hayden: Those
action pages.
Wow. Look at that.
[Inaudible]
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Yeah.
I got the chance to start
learning a little bit
of taekwondo, and then I
started learning Capoeira,
which is a Brazilian
martial art.
And then I started to
learn Brazilian jujitsu.
>>Carla Hayden: [Inaudible] I
mean that's almost an instruct,
"Don't try this unless
you're in class [inaudible]."
>>Rep. Sharice Davids:
And then --
>>Carla Hayden: But they're
such cool, cool pictures.
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: And
then I got the chance to --
so I am a person
who just loves to,
loves the process of learning.
And in jujitsu and martial
arts, that's in a lot of ways,
you know, I didn't start
really learning martial arts
until I was an adult.
But in a lot of ways, you
have to almost open yourself
up to learning like a child
again because, you know,
you're moving your
body in new ways
that you haven't
ever tried before.
You have to be ready
to do something over
and over, and get it wrong.
You know when we were
first learning how
to walk, we fall over a lot.
And so I think that being in
that mindset of being willing
to try, and try, and try.
And you might not
see the benefit
or you won't see exactly
what it is you're learning
in the moment, but over
time, you really get to see
that like all the,
like all those steps
that you've been taking just
like when you're a little kid,
you know, when you watch a kid
that starting to first walk,
and then next thing you
know they're running
and you're running after them,
I think that it's so interesting
to be kind of back
in that mindset.
And that's what martial
arts has brought
to my life is a willingness to
learn in a way that I don't know
if I would have had that if
I hadn't started learning
martial arts.
>>Carla Hayden: When did you --
do you remember how old you were
when you first got
introduced to martial arts.
Were you about eight?
>>Rep. Sharice Davids:
[Inaudible] Bruce Lee.
So I was obsessed with
Bruce Lee was growing up.
Yeah, I must've been about
seven or so when I --
>>Carla Hayden: Seven or eight?
>>Rep. Sharice Davids:
Yeah, seven or eight
when I first learned
who Bruce Lee was.
And I just remember like just
absorbing everything I could
about martial arts
when I was growing up.
And actually my mom, when
she was stationed in Germany,
there was a -- one of the
other service members there was
teaching at a taekwondo class,
but then he ended up moving.
And so once he moved,
there wasn't another martial
arts class for me to take.
And when we moved back to the
United States after she was done
in Germany, it was
just so expensive.
And so when I was an adult
and I started, you know,
working while I was in college,
it dawned on me, wait a minute,
I can pay for martial
arts classes now.
And so I started taking
classes when I was like 19.
>>Carla Hayden: Wow.
That's a lot.
Now you seem to have had
a lot of things going
on at the same time, and
I could use some advice
on this one, too.
How do you balance that?
Or do you give yourself
a break sometimes
and say, "You know what?
It's okay if it's
not like perfect."
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Yes.
That's a really good question.
I think that.
There is something about
learning how to recognize
that things are not
going to be perfect.
Because like we can't be good
at every single thing, you know.
And I think that it really
helped me when I started to see
that when I was, when
I realized, you know,
like martial arts is a
good example actually,
where at different
times in my life,
I was able to dedicate
more time to martial arts.
Or because of things like my
work schedule, I wasn't able
to dedicate as much
time to martial arts.
And that's okay.
Like I remember getting
upset with myself sometimes
for not going to class
as often as I wanted to,
or felt like I needed to.
But like over time, I got to see
that, you know, I'm learning.
Even if I go two
times a week instead
of three times a week,
I'm still learning.
I'm still putting in the effort.
And also I'm getting to
do something that I love.
And now as a member of Congress,
I think this is the most
busy I've ever been for sure.
>>Carla Hayden: Busy.
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Yeah.
And you know, and even
with, I was excited to work
on this book, on
Sharice's Big Voice.
But it took longer than I would
have liked, but that's okay.
You know, I mean it's just
important to me that I like,
one, take care of myself
as much as I can, you know,
and that's things like
getting sleep, eating,
working out when I can.
That sort of stuff,
spending time with my family.
And doing those things
because, you know,
I can't always get all the work
done unless I do that, you know.
And so I think it's
important for us to recognize
that like the standard can't
be perfection with everything.
>>Carla Hayden: Yeah.
And it's hard.
And then you had
to be so flexible.
And there are some young people
that have difficulty
making friends.
And you've had to learn
how to make friends
with moving different places,
even different countries.
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Mm-hmm.
Yeah, and I think you know
what's so interesting is even
when I was older, so I
didn't, it took me eight years
to get my bachelor's degree.
I took four years to get
my associate's degree,
and then four years to
get my bachelor's degree.
And so when I got to law school,
I was already, you know, 27.
And I remember walking around
the first couple of days
of school and feeling like
very awkward, you know.
And I think probably a lot
of folks know what this feels
like when you get to a new
place, and it feels awkward,
and you don't really
know who, like you kind
of scan the room looking for
somebody who you might be able
to go say hi to you
or just stand next to.
And I remember thinking,
you know what,
all of us feel this
way right now.
And so I decided that I was just
going to go and find somebody
and try to make sure
that they felt welcome,
that they felt good about
being at this new school.
And once I started thinking
about how we can help
each other feel welcome,
and in the right place, then
it helped me feel welcome
and in the right place.
And so I try to remember
that when I go to new places,
and also, you know,
when I'm doing things
like public speaking.
>>Carla Hayden: Well,
you've got that voice
because questions
are coming in now.
They want to hear from you.
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Cool.
>>Carla Hayden: And we have
a question coming right away
from Julie.
Julie wants to know: "For
kids just getting started
on their journey, and just
thinking about what they want
to be when they grow up, do
you have any advice for them?"
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Yes.
Can I -- I'm going to
reference my book --
>>Carla Hayden: Go ahead.
>>Rep. Sharice Davids:
-- one more time.
So I don't know if, actually
don't think it's going
to be in here.
There's one that's not in
here that I'll give you
after I tell you what this says.
This page says: "Everyone's
path is different.
Wherever yours takes you,
maybe the lessons I learned
along the way can be helpful.
Be open to challenges.
Work hard and you'll
learn a lot.
Listen to people,
but not the doubters.
Use your big voice to
fight for your beliefs,
and always remember that you
deserve to be seen and heard."
So I feel like those lessons
that I learned are
probably the best advice
that I could give is, you know,
things aren't always going
to turn out perfectly and
they're going to be hard.
And for some people, things
are, you know, they're just,
there are obstacles that
get in people's way that,
and some people have more
obstacles than others.
But at the end of the day,
you know, like keep in mind
that you deserve to
be seen and heard.
That if you're open
to challenges,
if you're working
hard, you're going
to be learning the whole time.
And then the piece of advice
that I also would give
that is not in the book, and
I don't know why I didn't --
I think it's in the letter.
If you read the letter
at the end that I wrote.
Take naps.
So especially for the young
people, like live it up.
Take all the naps.
I know it feels like you're
going to miss out on something,
but probably if you're
sitting there with an adult,
they're saying, "Yeah,
take the naps."
Also it takes a lot of energy
when you're learning to be you
and changing the world.
>>Carla Hayden: Right.
Well, more advice.
People really want to hear
it because there's a question
from Teresa, but she
also has a comment.
"You are such an
inspiration for my daughters.
Thank you.
And what advice do
you have for children
who were afraid to
use their voices?"
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Oh.
Yeah, I think that --
-- I don't know if it helps
to know this, but there are,
like you're not the only one
who feels nervous, or you know,
you get that knot in your
stomach, or sometimes depending,
sometimes it can be like
almost like a little ball
in your throat, where you
want to say something,
but you don't know
if you should,
or you don't know how
somebody else is going
to react or respond.
And it can be really scary.
That happens to me even
now and, and I'm 41.
So I think that I
hope it helps to know
that you're not alone
in that experience.
And more often than not,
people want you to do well,
and want you to be successful,
and want to be supportive.
And I think that, you know,
sometimes saying I'm kind
of scared to say this, or
I'm kind of scared to speak
in public, but I want to try it.
And I think you'll be, I think
you'll be surprised how many
people really, like really
deep down want you to succeed.
>>Carla Hayden: Well,
Maria has a comment,
too, and then a question.
"My daughter checked out your
book out of my local library,
and didn't want to return it
because she loved it so much."
I can relate to that.
I had one too.
"Did libraries play a
role in your childhood?"
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Oh,
that's a good question.
You know, actually I think one
of the conversations that --
so Nancy, Nancy K. Mays,
who's the coauthor here,
one of the really
interesting things
about writing a children's
book is
that I realized how little I
read when I was growing up.
And then I found out, which
I didn't know before this,
but I found out while
we were, you know,
talking about me writing
a children's book is
that there's only, like native
characters only represent 1%
of the --
>>Carla Hayden: Right.
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: --
characters and in native --
I'm sorry, in children's books.
And you know, I think that,
I can't say for certain,
but I might have spent a
little bit more time connecting
with books if I had
had like kind
of a wider variety
of books growing up.
I don't know that for sure.
But now that we're
seeing a lot more,
a lot bigger variety of books.
I'm hoping that that's the case.
But I didn't spend as much
time in the library growing
up as my current self
probably would like to.
>>Carla Hayden: Right.
Well, congresswoman, I'm so glad
that Maria asked that question
and you had that answer
because I hope that you plan
to write more books
and share it.
Because books can be windows to
the world, but they also need
to be need to be mirrors.
And if we say books
are so important,
and you never see
yourself in a book,
that's sending a message too.
So thank you for letting
young people see themselves.
Because the last question
is from Hannah, who says:
"What's your advice to women
of color in White spaces
who feel discouraged," and this
can be women and children --
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Mm-hmm.
>>Carla Hayden: -- "from
expressing their voice,
and being the only
person of color
and reluctant to speak up?"
>>Rep. Sharice Davids: Yeah.
Man, that's hard
to be in that spot.
And I think there's probably,
you know, there's probably a lot
of folks who are watching
who know what it's
like to be the only,
and I'm sure both of us.
>>Carla Hayden: Yeah.
>>Rep. Sharice Davids:
Knowing what it's
like to be the only
person with your experience
in a room can be
really, really hard.
It feels lonely and isolating,
and can sometimes
feel disempowering.
But it also sometimes
can feel empowering.
And I think that for me, one of
the things that I do when I feel
that twinge of doubt, you know,
it's something that sneaks
up on you, like should
I say something?
Do I ask a question?
Do I make my point?
Like that sort of thing.
Like I try to look at it
as I have the opportunity
to share a perspective
that other people might
never have thought of.
And that's really powerful.
You get to be the person in
the room who is an expert
on something that no one
else is an expert on.
And you get to share stuff
that no one else might
have thought of before.
And that is so valuable.
And you should know that
that's valuable even
if the other people in the room
might not recognize the value
in it in that moment.
>>Carla Hayden: Well,
Congresswoman Davids,
thank you so much for taking the
time to talk to your readers.
You see you've got
a fan base already.
With your book, you've
helped inspire young people
and older people, too,
to overcome obstacles
and become who they want to be.
So thank you to the audience.
We had many more
great questions,
and I wish we had time for them.
And just everyone thank you for
being part of the 2021 Library
of Congress National
Book Festival.
And you've been listening to
Representative Sharice Davids
of Kansas talk about her new
book, Sharice's Big Voice:
A Native Kid Becomes
a Congresswoman.
Thanks to our audience.
Yea! And please continue
to enjoy the festival.
>>Rep. Sharice Davids:
Thanks, everybody.
[ Music ]