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RachnaSH

@rachnash.bsky.social
515 followers 239 following 44 posts

👩🏾‍💼professor + lawyer+ disability advocate + ed policy 🤓 + School board member + groupie 4 my kids 🎸workout 👸🏽👟💪 Cal 🐻49er 🪭 travel ✈️ + 👩🏾‍🍳 Love public speaking | studier of history and politics | fighting for the right side of history My personal page. 🇮🇳🇺🇸

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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
Hit the ground running Wednesday starting at 7:30 am - spent the rest of week meeting with county staff and the amazing Braddock office staff who've done yeoman's work keeping the office running. I am so excited to be sworn in Tuesday and serve the residents of Braddock in this new role.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Thank you to Ken Balbuena and Carey Campbell for running in this election. It is never easy to put yourself out there and I appreciate their commitment to serving.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
And thank you to my team because without you, this would not have been possible. Most of all, I thank my family who have supported me and stood by me through three elections in 6 years - without their love and incredible support I would not be here today.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Thank you to everyone who voted, knocked doors, donated, made calls, wrote postcards, especially to those who stood out in the frigid weather handing out sample ballots, told a friend, or sent us good wishes.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Whether voted for me or not, I invite you to build this future with me. I promise to represent you with hard work and responsive leadership.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Thank you, Braddock! This win is ours. Together, we can make Braddock an even better place to live where families can raise their children here and seniors can age in place, with excellent schools and safe, inclusive, and welcoming communities, and good paying jobs everyone can thrive. 🧵
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
Please come out and vote today for Braddock Supervisor! 🗳️ Polls open til 7 pm. Vote at your regular voting place. Don't let a little cold stop you from making your voice heard 😊❄️
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
Thank you for your support!
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
Trying to figure out how to counter the misinformation campaign in red states so come midterms people know who to blame for the tanking of the economy and making the world a more dangerous place for the United States. Despite what Trump thinks, ships and planes and nukes can cross oceans. Ideas?
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
And don’t tell me that you think the “I” in DEI stands for the rights of people with disabilities. Listen to the conversations. To often, that is not what is mentioned. But just think of the great big coalition we could build if we are inclusive in how we talk, organize, and fight back.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
But we don't talk about this. This implicit bias against fully recognizing the attacks on disabled folks has got to stop. If we want to talk to 20% of voting households with people with disabilities in them, we must talk with the same level and amount of urgency about the attacks on them. 🧵
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
Without 504, he would not have the accommodations he needs to have an even playing field at that music school. He would likely not be on the Dean's list, as he is now. He would likely not be releasing original music. His story of success mirrors so many people with disabilities, thanks to IDEA/ 504.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
Without IDEA my son would have the door shut on his future when he was 2. He would not have graduated high school and he would not be where he is now - thriving at one of the best music schools in the country. Before IDEA, students with disabilities were regularly segregated and not educated. 🧵
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
Dismantling the Dept of Ed has already ended grants for some school districts to provide workplace learning and transition services for SWD. Dept of Ed enforces IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Educ Act, which ensures students with disabilities receive a free and fair appropriate education.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
This is used in K-12 and higher education to ensure students with disabilities can have reasonable accommodations. For example, someone with diabetes is able to manage their disease. Someone who is visually impaired being given a screen reader. Accessible medical appointments. And much more. 🧵
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
We should talk about the impact on all marginalized groups. But let's not be exclusive about which marginalized groups are going to get air time and which ones we too often regulate to a “oh yea and…” Because the attacks are real and happening now. 17 states have sued to get rid of Section 504. 🧵
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
I am not saying everyone has done this but it certainly has been much more often than not. Do a scan of headlines, and podcasts titles and substacks. How many of them lament the attack on DEI but actually include the ‘A’?) And yes it should not be an “either/or” which is exactly my point. 🧵
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
It has been disappointing listening to progressives/media and realizing how many have dropped the "A" when talking about the DEI attacks. If I heard ‘A’ mentioned, it was often with an offhand, “oh yea the A stands for accessibility” and then not fully explaining the attacks on disability rights 🧵
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
Fast forward to Trump's attacks on DEIA. As many people have had to explain, the 'A' stands for accessibility, or the laws that require that people with disabilities have reasonable accommodations to access public spaces, education, medical appointments, and employment. Ramps screen readers & more🧵
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
Think of the HUGE coalition that could have been built if we talked about the needs of people with disabilities with the same passion and regularity as others? 20% of all voters have a disability or live in a household with a person with a disability. TWENTY PERCENT OF VOTERS personally impacted. 🧵
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
At that presentation I told them that the nearly event split between party identification was likely because they feel that neither party speaks to them, as evidenced by the fact that amongst 200 presentations at a progressive political conference, mine was the only one on disability inclusion. 🧵
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
In 2018 I presented "Disability Inclusion In Political Movements" at Netroots Nation, the only presentation on disability that year at this progressive political conference, despite 1 out of 4 Americans have a disability. Half of disabled people are Republican and half Democrats. Surprised? 🧵
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Dems need to fight, for sure. Maybe follow Mitch McConnell's playbook when Obama was in office. But *we* have to stop blaming the Dems. Blame the Republicans. Loudly. Play the "what about ism" game. And better message where people are listening. But don't let Dems get blamed for this mess.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
Also this
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
They did. Too many people dismiss things women say.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
We need to get better at going on the offensive. Like right now. We need to become the master of "what about isms". Don't let them or the media control the narrative. We need to control the narrative
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
There are unnamed people downloading sensitive information and now have the ability to raid the treasury. This is the coup. Pay attention to what they are doing, not just what they are saying. Trump is deflection master - that's why he announced tariffs and blamed the plane crash on DEI.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
This is what we all need to be screaming from the rooftops! Musk is staging a coup of our government by taking over key computer and payment systems that handle trillions of dollars, downloading sensitive information into private servers. Where is the media? Where are the democrats??
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
"When they own the information, they can bend it all they want." 🎶 -John Mayer
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Reposted by RachnaSH
Jon Cooper @joncooper-us.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
A number of the J6 prisoners who Trump pardoned or commuted on Monday had been given terrorism enhancements when sentenced. So, Trump is literally letting terrorists free. Remember that.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
So let me get this straight. Trump and his supporters want to end the ability of people to seek asylum from horrific conditions and also to deport undocumented people but are okay with pardoning people who raided the Capitol and beat police? What happened to "back the blue" and "thin blue line?"
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Reposted by RachnaSH
Lee West @whodat35.bsky.social · 18/01/2025
Police officer who survived Jan. 6 has a warning for the country. #CriminalJustice #J6 wisconsinexaminer.com/2024/04/10/p...
wisconsinexaminer.com
Police officer who survived Jan. 6 has a warning for the country • Wisconsin Examiner
Injured in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack, former police officer Michael Fanone warns people about what happened that day.
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Reposted by RachnaSH
🌊🏄BlueWaveSurfer🏄🌊 @bluewavesurfer.bsky.social · 17/01/2025
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 14/12/2024
Kind of how I feel.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 01/12/2024
For decades we have underfunded and privatized public education (K-12 and higher ed,) so why are we surprised we have many voters who can't tell truth from falsehood and who voted for a charlatan whose policies are counter to what they are actually voting for (ie better economy vs impact of tariffs)
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
When you've had a rough couple of weeks that end with attending the funeral of a 20 year old, and then upon leaving the funeral, walk by this beautiful tree on the way home as if it's a message from that beautiful 20 year old who is gone too soon, it really puts all the other stuff into perspective.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
I hear you. What you said is how I feel. I'm just seeing a lot of people post things like this article and I'm honestly curious what folks think.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
My son has autism. Too often we ask him to come into our world. So I decided it was only fair to go into his world. I took drums lessons so I could jam with him. BTW, he's also a brilliant musician. Same lesson here. We need to go into their world - their media ecosystem- to be heard and seen.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 17/11/2024
I think we also need to be clear from the get go who is responsible for the fallout. They are really good at pointing the finger at us.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 17/11/2024
Yes I agree. I think the only thing we can do is try to protect as much as we can and make sure we message that it's their policies that are causing such harm.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
Interesting Article: "Democrats should allow voters to experience the full impact (his) extremist policies. By playing the long game, they could expose the destructiveness of Trump’s agenda and regain the votes of America's working class." Thoughts? www.project-syndicate.org/onpoint/let-...
project-syndicate.org
To Win Back Voters, Democrats Should Let Trump Be Trump | by Yasheng Huang - Project Syndicate
Yasheng Huang urges the party to adopt a long-term strategy aimed at discrediting the MAGA ideology once and for all.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 14/11/2024
Welcome Sue! Great to see you here.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 13/11/2024
At a school today, a student asked what we were going to do to protect immigrants like himself. I told him we we were going to fight for him with everything we have. And then I saw this sign. We are all going to have to find our inner Batman for the next 4 years bc what is it come will be bad.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 12/11/2024
Folks, the critical thing we need to do right now is figure out where people are getting their information, how to message, and start talking now. Trump can do all sorts of bad things but we can't count on people knowing it unless we can share the info in the spaces in which they are listening.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 10/11/2024
I'm probably gonna do it all here but right now I'm trying to focus on breathing and catching up on work and life.
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RachnaSH @rachnash.bsky.social · 10/11/2024
For my first post here, I chose beauty. Especially because I fear the ugliness that will arrive after January 20.
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