Kshama sawant biography of rory

1. Early Life and Education
2. Activism and Political Career
3. Election to Seattle City Council
4. Progressive Policies
5. Recent Developments

Early Life and Education

Kshama Sawant was born into an Indian intellectual family. Her father, an engineer, was killed by a drunk driver. Her leftist political views were shaped by her experiences with poverty and the caste system in India.

Sawant earned a computer science degree from the University of Mumbai in 1994. After immigrating to the US with her first husband, a Microsoft programmer, she pursued graduate studies in economics and earned a PhD from North Carolina State University.

Activism and Political Career

In Seattle, Sawant became a professor of economics, teaching at Seattle Central College, Seattle University, and the University of Washington. She joined Socialist Alternative, a radical left-wing party.

Her involvement in the Occupy Wall Street movement in Seattle brought her into the political spotlight. She helped introduce concepts of class, capitalism, and socialism into the public discourse.

Election to Seattle City Council

In 2013, Sawant was elected to the Seattle City Council, becoming the first socialist to hold the position since 1877. Her campaign was supported by grassroots organizations and celebrities such as Serj Tankian of System of a Down. She was re-elected in 2015 with 55.7% of the vote.

Progressive Policies

Sawant has been a vocal advocate for progressive policies. She played a significant role in Seattle becoming the first US city to raise its minimum wage to $15. She has also pushed for a millionaire's tax and transportation reforms.

Sawant believes in transcending the two-party system and building an independent working-class party. She advocates for nationalizing major corporations, public ownership of the means of production, and democratic socialism. She endorsed Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign and later Jill Stein of the Green Party.

Recent Developments

Sawant is a member of the American Federation of Teachers union. In 2020, she became one of the leaders of the self-proclaimed Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone in Seattle during the George Floyd protests.