Lexington, KY: As per a release issued by the Sikh Coalition [f]rom gurdwara security to youth empowerment, the Sikh Coalition is focused on promoting the resilience of the Sikh American community.
“Last month, the Sikh Coalition facilitated a free security consultation for the gurdwara in Lexington, Kentucky. Offered through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, these consultations give houses of worship practical advice on strengthening physical security and protecting their communities. Due to continual hate crime threats and incidents, we have contacted gurdwaras USA-wide to better protect the sangat”, a release by the diaspora Sikh activist body reads further.
In addition to hate crimes, school bullying continues to impact our communities. Earlier in June, the Sikh Coalition visited Kentucky and presented an interactive anti-bullying workshop to 15 students at a local Sikh youth camp. “I have done many bullying prevention trainings, but this was really interesting because it was from a Sikhi lens,” said workshop participant Kanika Kaur. “As a Sikh, our situation is not like every other kid at school and this was focused on our experiences.”
The Sikh Coalition is conducting additional anti-bullying and empowerment workshops at Sikh youth camps throughout the country to give children the resources and skills to combat bias-based harassment, the release reads further.
The Sikh Coalition also provided a Know Your Rights presentation at the Lexington gurdwara to highlight our free legal services. These are steps we are taking to protect our community against hate crime, employment discrimination, school bullying, and discrimination by law enforcement agencies.
“We are grateful to Sudha Chopra, Patty Chattha and the board of the Lexington gurdwara for their hospitality and for taking proactive steps toward strengthening their sangats”, said the Sikh Coalition.