Namasha Schelling, a Pound Ridge resident, is a 2023 Democratic candidate for Pound Ridge Town Board. She is running with Kevin Hansan who is running for re-election as Town Supervisor and Alison Boak who is running for re-election to the Town Board & Erin Trostle who is running for re-election as Town Clerk. They are the Pound Ridge Democratic Committee-endorsed candidates. If elected, Namasha will be the first African-American woman to serve on the Pound Ridge Town Board.
Despite running with a slate of three other candidates, Namsha is the only candidate of the party-endorsed slate who is being targeted with hate rhetoric and signs that are popping up all across Pound Ridge, like the one below. The Co-Chair of the Human Rights Advisory Committee of Pound Ridge vows she will not allow hate and the short-mindedness of a few to derail her campaign.
Namasha, who is a member of the Westchester Black Women’s Political Caucus—Greater Bedford Chapter, joined us for a special edition of the People Before Politics Radio Show to discuss her candidacy and the coordinated hate-filled attacks she is receiving from those who do not know. We discuss race and politics, systemic racism in Westchester County, why she is running to serve on the Town Board, the fear of the browning of America, and much more. You can watch the powerful discussion in the video below.
Namasha Schelling is a five-year resident of Pound Ridge, where she lives with her husband, Tristan, an entrepreneur, and her four-year-old daughter.
Namasha is Co-Chair of the Human Rights Advisory Committee of Pound Ridge, which was officially launched in 2022. She is a member of the Pound Ridge Housing Board and has participated in the process of updating the town’s Comprehensive Plan since 2021. She was also a member of the Criminal Justice Reform Committee, which was mandated for each police department in the state in 2020.
Namasha has fifteen years of professional experience in nonprofit communications, operations, and fundraising. She graduated from Harvard Extension with a Masters of Liberal Arts in Environmental Management
For more information on Namasha Schelling visit her website and follow her on Instagram and LinkedIn
Namasha. Stop playing the victim card. You did not lose the BOE election because of “racism”. You lost the election because of your beliefs. You believe all white people are inherently racist. It is wrong to blanket statement an entire race of people. Also, the Bedford police officer did not take your posts out of context. He simply shared your Facebook posts. Your posts showed who you really are, and what you really believe in. You only represent yourself and your beliefs. You are literally obsessed with race. On June 16th, 2020, on your fb page, you shared an image stating “if you are a white person in America, social justice educator Robin DeAngelo has a message for you: You are racist, pure and simple and without a lifetime of conscious effort, you always will be”. June 25th 2020 – FB – “If you’re white, and consider yourself a friend of mine, please read this book. – White fragility”. Do you see the pattern? It’s all you care about and represent. How can anyone vote for you and expect you to represent ALL the people of this community? You seem like a nice person, but its your beliefs that people are turned off by. It’s literally that simple.