Editing:2020.07.03 Winty announcement*

July 3, 2020 (Sacramento, CA) -- The Sikh Coalition is excited to share that long-time Social Justice Fellow, Rupinder (“Winty”) Singh has transitioned into the new Advocacy and Community Engagement Fellow position in Sacramento, California.

This new part-time position is designed to provide additional direct resources and support to the Sikh community in Sacramento County, while also being another Sikh Coalition liaison to the broader Northern California Sikh community.

“Winty has been a vital part of the Sikh Coalition’s efforts to protect Sikh civil rights, raise Sikh awareness, and empower the community for years,” said Sikh Coalition Executive Director Satjeet Kaur. “His new role reflects the Sikh Coalition’s commitment to deepening our support for the wider California sangat.”

Winty began with the Sikh Coalition as a volunteer Sikh Awareness Presenter through the Sikh Presenter’s Course. In 2012, he graduated from the Sikh Advocate Academy and provided vital support on initiatives such as the passage of the Workplace Religious Freedom Act of California; he also acted as a media resource in the aftermath of the Oak Creek gurdwara attack and effectively engaged government officials on various Sikh civil rights issues. More recently, Winty’s local work in Sacramento has included providing support in response to the Orangevale hate crime, testifying in favor of stronger hate crime reporting at the California State Capitol, and joining Governor Gavin Newsom’s Creating Safer Communities Task Force.

“The Sikh community in Sacramento is a vibrant, engaged, and growing community in the heart of the capital of America’s largest state,” said Winty. “I’m excited to serve in this role to provide direct support to this sangat and beyond.”

Over the next few months, Winty will be mobilizing the Sacramento-area sangat to ensure that our community members are registered to vote and that your voices are heard in the upcoming election. He will provide direct support to local gurdwara leadership and sangat members on Back-to-School resources, Know-Your-Rights information, Sikh Awareness initiatives, and the Sikh Coalition’s free legal resources. Winty will also serve as the primary person of contact for community hate crime task force meetings and engage local sangat in taking action around pertinent legislation related to religious rights, hate crimes, employment discrimination, and more. Lastly, he will provide rapid response assistance when crises emerge in Sacramento County.

To date, Winty’s voice has also been featured in a variety of media outlets, including: NPR, The Huffington Post, CNN, and The Sacramento Bee; he was also featured in the Sikh-focused episode of CNN’s United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell. He has also written for Sikh blogs, including The Langar Hall and American Turban.

The Sikh Coalition is a national community based civil rights organization working to combat and prevent hate crimes, end employment discrimination, create safer schools, empower the community, and raise the Sikh profile. In response to the recent anti-Sikh hate crime that occurred at the Guru Maneyo Granth Gurdwara Sahib in Orangevale, the Sikh Coalition provided free legal aid and communications resources. The Sikh Coalition also continues to partner with The Jakara Movement this year on a statewide campaign to ensure that Sikhism is meaningfully included in California’s new Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum.

As always, the Sikh Coalition urges you to practice your faith fearlessly.

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