Thumbnail image: Lakhpreet Kaur
People
Sikh-American Women's Voices
SONA SIMRAN KAUR
JASBIR KAUR
As an Assistant Professor of Lawyering Skills at Howard University School of Law and a member of the Board of Directors for the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), Jasbir (Jesse) Kaur Bawa writes on how we can advance justice and create a fostering environment for all Americans.
She has written on racism in sports and why we must #ChangetheMascot. Jesse has discussed the types of legal reforms needed after a grand jury on Staten Island in New York City announced that they would not deliver an indictment of Officer Daniel Pantaleo for the killing of Eric Garner.
She wrote on the unfair surveillance of Muslim Americans for ‘Talking Points Memo‘, and she has shared what she experiences as a Sikh mother and wife in ‘Motherhood When Your Child Is Different’ and ‘My Sexy Sikh American Valentine.’
GUNEET KAUR
Guneet Kaur Chawla, a SALDEF SikhLEAD Alum and senior at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, is taking a stand against hate and Islamaphobia after three Muslim students from her community, Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha, and Razan Abu-Salha, were murdered by their neighbor. She is author of “It is Time to Eliminate ‘Otherness.’ “
LAKHPREET KAUR
Lakhpreet Kaur of ‘Kaur Life’ reported passionately about the unfair burden of having to prove her patriotism and the phenomenon of “passing” in an environment that can be hostile to Sikhs, on NBC News.
INDIRA KAUR
During the 2014 celebration of the gurpurab of Guru Nanak at the White House, Indira Kaur Ahluwalia spoke on how Guru Nanak’s feminist and egalitarian principles guide her in a complex world. She is President of Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), a social and economic development consulting firm. She also serves on the SALDEF Board.
SIMRAN KAUR
SALDEF SikhLEADer Simran Kaur channeled her beliefs in equity and respect to speak out against Urban Outfitters’ continuous misappropriation of various cultures. She further explained in The Huffington Post how the company made a grave misstep in the costume rules of their latest holiday party.
SUMEET KAUR
Sumeet Kaur Bal, communications manager at SALDEF, recounted on NBC News how her family combines different traditions in celebrating Thanksgiving. She also wrote on why the process for creating understanding and harmony starts early, in “Why Sikh American Awareness & Appreciation Month Matters.”
She explains: “As a mother, I want to create a better future for my son -- a future where he can not only pursue any career with his turban and beard intact, but also where he is appreciated for what he adds to the fabric of American society. I want Americans to see his turban and smile, letting it stand for freedom and justice rather than suspicion and mistrust. Education empowers individuals to create change …”
[Courtesy: SALDEF. Edited for sikhchic.com]
March 12, 2015
Conversation about this article
1: Amarjit Singh (Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada), March 19, 2015, 3:43 AM.
Sikhism is the voice of humanity. Faith and prayer: both are invisible but they make impossible things possible.