Editing:2020.09.16 CA Ethnic Studies new p2a 2*

September 16, 2020 (Sacramento, California) -- The Sikh Coalition and the Jakara Movement are writing with a simple question: Have you emailed and called the California Department of Education and told them to #StopIgnoringSikhs? Your public comment on the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (ESMC) is due this month!

The most recent draft of the ESMC not only excluded the Sikh community in any meaningful, positive form--it stripped out or diluted many of California’s different underrepresented communities, too. This effort, which was intended to help children like ours see their history and culture reflected in the classroom, is coming up short. That’s why we need you to take action today to demand that California’s Department of Education #StopIgnoringSikhs and ensure an Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum that tells the stories of too-often marginalized communities like ours.

WE NEED THOUSANDS OF CALIFORNIA SIKHS TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION NOW:

Take 30 seconds to enter your name, email, and address to send an email to the California Department of Education and the Instructional Quality Commission demanding that they teach about the Sikh community by including a lesson plan in the final draft of the ESMC.
Take 90 more seconds to make a phone call to the California Department of Education, where they are also taking note of public comments.
After you’ve sent your email and made your phone call, forward this message to your family and friends in California and post the above graphic on social media and WhatsApp groups to ensure that everyone you know in California sends the same strong message.

While fighting for positive Sikh representation, the Sikh Coalition and the Jakara Movement also support efforts by other communities to be specifically represented in the ESMC in order to advance anti-racist education. This includes reconvening a representative ESMC committee and promoting specific lesson plans from a range of other underrepresented California communities, in keeping with the recommendations of leading scholars in the Ethnic Studies field. We will continue to fight for this holistic approach alongside other groups working on this issue.

Since March, the Sikh Coalition and the Jakara Movement have helped more than 25 Sikh Californians prepare to give their personal testimony to state education officials, recruited 52 gurdwaras to sign a letter of support for Sikh stories in Ethnic Studies, and gathered more than 1,200 petition signers for the same. It’s up to you to make your voices heard today, because the opportunity to provide public comment and tell the authorities to #StopIgnoringSikhs only lasts until the end of the month.

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

Have You Spoken Up for Sikhi in California?