Shivanthi Sathanandan is a prominent political figure and activist in Minnesota, who serves as the State Outreach and Inclusion Officer for the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL). She is also a second vice chairwoman of the DFL and a former candidate for the Minneapolis City Council. She recently made headlines after she was brutally attacked and carjacked by four armed men outside her home in north Minneapolis on September 7, 2023.
Early Life, Family & Education
Shivanthi Sathanandan was born in October 1980 in St. Paul, Minnesota, to immigrant parents from Sri Lanka. Her father, Mylvaganam Sathanandan, was a civil engineer who worked for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. He passed away in 2019. Her mother, Rose Sathanandan, is a retired nurse who worked at the Regions Hospital. She has one sister, Sumathira Thevy, who is a lawyer.
Shivanthi attended St. Paul Central High School, where she was involved in various extracurricular activities such as speech team, debate team, student council, and theater. She graduated in 1998 and went on to pursue her higher education at the University of Minnesota. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology in 2002 and her master’s degree in public policy in 2004.
Career & Activism
Shivanthi Sathanandan started her career as a policy analyst for the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2004. She worked on various issues such as health care, education, human services, and civil rights. She also served as a legislative aide for State Representative Carlos Mariani from 2006 to 2008.
In 2008, Shivanthi joined the Minnesota Department of Human Services as a senior policy advisor. She worked on developing and implementing policies and programs related to healthcare reform, health equity, and social justice. She also served as a liaison between the department and various stakeholders such as legislators, advocates, community organizations, and federal agencies.
In 2016, Shivanthi decided to run for the Minneapolis City Council in Ward 5, which covers parts of north Minneapolis. She ran on a platform of improving public safety, affordable housing, economic development, and racial equity. She faced incumbent Blong Yang and four other challengers in the race. She came in third place with 18% of the vote.
In 2018, Shivanthi was elected as the second vice chairwoman of the Minnesota DFL Party. She became the first person of color and the first Asian American to hold this position in the party’s history. She is responsible for overseeing the party’s outreach and inclusion efforts to engage diverse communities across the state.
In 2020, Shivanthi was appointed as the State Outreach and Inclusion Officer for the Minnesota DFL Party by Chairman Ken Martin. She is in charge of developing and implementing strategies to increase the representation and participation of underrepresented groups within the party’s leadership, staff, candidates, delegates, and voters.
Shivanthi is also an active member of various community organizations and boards. She is a founding member of the Asian American Organizing Project (AAOP), a grassroots organization that empowers Asian Americans to advance social justice and civic engagement in Minnesota. She is also a board member of the Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL), a network of Asian American leaders that works to improve the well-being of Asian Minnesotans. She is also involved with Women Winning, a group that supports pro-choice women candidates running for office in Minnesota.
Personal Life & Family
As per dreshare.com, Shivanthi Sathanandan is married to Npib Vaj, who is a Hmong-American educator and community leader. They have two children: Zachary (7) and Zara (4). They live in the Folwell neighborhood of north Minneapolis.
Shivanthi is a proud Minnesotan who loves spending time with her family and friends. She enjoys traveling, reading, cooking, gardening, and watching movies. She is fluent in English and Tamil and can speak some Spanish and Hmong.
Social Media Profiles
| Social Media Platform | Profile URL |
|---|---|
| @shivanthi.sathanandan | |
| @VoteShivanthi | |
| @Shivanthi | |
| Shivanthi Sathanandan | |
| @shivanthi24 | |
| Homepage | Dreshare.com |
Controversy
Shivanthi Sathanandan has been vocal about her progressive views on various social and political issues such as police reform, racial justice, gun violence prevention, immigration rights, health care access, climate change, and women’s rights. She has also been outspoken about her criticism of former President Donald Trump and his policies.
In June 2020, following the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer that sparked nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism, Shivanthi posted on Facebook that she supported dismantling the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). She wrote: “We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department. Say it with me. DISMANTLE […] The […] Minneapolis […] Police […] Department.” She added: “As allies, what can we do right now? LISTEN and LEARN from our Black siblings. And then AMPLIFY this message right now, in this moment. MPD has systematically failed the black community, they have failed ALL OF US.”
Shivanthi’s post drew mixed reactions from the public. Some praised her for her courage and leadership, while others criticized her for being radical and unrealistic. Some also accused her of being hypocritical and opportunistic, given that she had previously sought the endorsement of the police union when she ran for the city council in 2016.
Carjacking Incident
On September 7, 2023, Shivanthi became a victim of a violent carjacking outside her home in north Minneapolis. She was returning from picking up her kids from school when four young men carrying guns approached her in her driveway and demanded her keys. When she refused, they beat her to the ground and took her car. Her kids witnessed the attack and screamed for help. Her neighbors also tried to intervene but were held at gunpoint by the assailants.
Shivanthi suffered a broken leg, deep cuts on her head and body, and bruises from the attack. She was taken to the hospital for treatment and later released. Her car was found abandoned by the police a few blocks away. The suspects have not been identified or arrested yet.
Shivanthi shared her ordeal on Facebook on September 8, 2023, along with a photo of her bloodied face. She wrote:
“This is the face of a mother who just had the s— beaten out of her. A mother whose only thought was, ‘let me run far enough and fight hard enough so that my kids have a chance to get away’.”
She also called for action against the rising crime and violence in the city, especially involving illegal guns and young offenders. She wrote: “We need to get illegal guns off the street, catch these young people who are running wild creating chaos across our city and hold them in custody and prosecute them. Period.”
Shivanthi’s post went viral and sparked a heated debate among the public. Some expressed sympathy and support for her, while others blamed her for contributing to the problem by advocating for defunding and dismantling the police. Some also questioned her sincerity and credibility, given that she thanked the police and other officials for their assistance after the incident.
Shivanthi has not responded to the criticism or clarified her stance on police reform since the incident. She has said that she is focused on recovering from her injuries and trauma and taking care of her family. She has also said that she will continue to fight for justice and equity for all Minnesotans.
Wikipedia, BIO
| Name | Shivanthi Sathanandan |
| Age | 42 years old (as of 2023) |
| Birth Date | October 1980 |
| Birth Place | St. Paul, Minnesota, America |
| Lives in | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States |
| Gender | Female |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac | Scorpio |
| Ethnicities | Asian |
| In News | Got Carjacked |
| Weight | Kg: 59.6 Pounds: 131.3 lbs |
| Height | In feet: 5’ 6″ In centimeters: 167.6 cm In meters: 1.676 m |
| Eyes | Brown |
| Hair | Brown |
| Works As | State Outreach and Inclusion Officer |
| Works At | Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor |
| Net worth | $1.24 Million |
| School | St. Paul Central High School |
| College | University of Minnesota |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Husband | Npib Vaj |
| Kids | Zachary Zara |
| Parents | Mother: Rose Sathanandan Father: Late Mylvaganam Sathanandan |
| Siblings | Sumathira Thevy |
Facts About Shivanthi Sathanandan
- Shivanthi Sathanandan is a prominent political figure and activist in Minnesota, who serves as the State Outreach and Inclusion Officer for the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL).
- Shivanthi is also a second vice chairwoman of the DFL and a former candidate for the Minneapolis City Council.
- She was born in October 1980 in St. Paul, Minnesota, to immigrant parents from Sri Lanka.
- Shivanthi graduated from St. Paul Central High School in 1998 and earned her bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology in 2002 and her master’s degree in public policy in 2004 from the University of Minnesota.
- She started her career as a policy analyst for the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2004 and later worked as a senior policy advisor for the Minnesota Department of Human Services from 2008 to 2016.
- She ran for the Minneapolis City Council in Ward 5 in 2016 but came in third place with 18% of the vote.
- Sathanandan was elected as the second vice chairwoman of the Minnesota DFL Party in 2018 and became the first person of color and the first Asian American to hold this position in the party’s history.
- She was appointed as the State Outreach and Inclusion Officer for the Minnesota DFL Party by Chairman Ken Martin in 2020 and is in charge of developing and implementing strategies to increase the representation and participation of underrepresented groups within the party.
- Sathanandan is a founding member of the Asian American Organizing Project (AAOP), a board member of the Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL), and a member of Women Winning, among other community organizations and boards.
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