SMART -
September 11th Endeavor Report

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SMART Strategy Sessions
"Empowering Sikh Americans to Influence Public Policy," was the theme as approximately 100 Sikhs from across the United States participated in the inaugural SMART Strategy Sessions. The event, organized by the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), took place September 20-23 at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

Participants engaged in discussions about topics such as hate crimes legislation, discrimination in the workplace, and racial profiling. These panel discussions were led by some of the most able and influential lobbyists on these issues. Some panelists included Imam Mahdi Bray, President of the Muslim American Society; King Downing, National Director of the ACLU’s Racial Profiling Project; and Tracey St. Pierre, senior policy advocate for the Human Rights Campaign. Following the discussions, participants came up with action plans about how to educate their communities about these issues and foster positive change.

Strategy Sessions' participants also included about 50 Sikh American college student leaders from around the country, including representatives from Columbia, George Washington, Georgetown, Princeton, Rutgers, and the University of California at Berkeley. Discussions topics included conducting effective education campaigns on campuses, launching a Sikh Studies class at the university level, and the benefits of an internship in Washington, DC.

For further information, please visit www.sikhmediawatch.org/strategy_session


Balbir Singh Sodhi Candle-light Vigil
"Embracing Diversity, Embracing Humanity," was the theme as the national capital area Sikh community gathered to commemorate the anniversary of Balbir Singh Sodhi's death on September 15. Despite heavy rain, about 50 Sikh Americans gathered at Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC to participate in a candle-light vigil paying respect to the life of Sodhi, the first post-September 11 hate crime fatality."