Texas Victory: The True Cost of Change

(June 15, 2010) Austin, TX - Two weeks ago, the curriculum of 4.8 million Texas public school

Do you want to see Sikhi

included in other state curricula?

Do you want your neighbors

to know who Sikhs are?

Hard fought victories like the one in Texas

are only possible because of

your financial support

Please donate to support this work, now!

Read a recent article on the campaign in Texas

students was finalized. For the very first time, Sikhism has been mandated to be taught in the classroom. What does this mean for our community?

It means that Maneera Kaur (Dallas, TX) will not have to make Sikh presentations in her classroom every year, because now her teachers are making them.
It means that Tejinder Singh's (Austin, TX) teacher will no longer ask him to take his "hat" off (referring to his patka), because she will understand the significance of our articles of faith.
This means that students like Jaspreet Singh (Houston, TX), who were constantly bullied, will have a more respectful and understanding environment in school.

What does it take to move America's most conservative Board of Education? Here is a look at the true cost of change:

Advocacy and Community Organizing

4 separate trips from New York to Austin, TX to attend Board of Education Meetings
10 in-person meetings with Texas Board of Education Members to persuade them to include Sikhi in the standards
490 letters and emails sent by Sikh community members to the Board of Education during their public comment periods
1,219 petition signatures from people all over Texas, Sikhs and non-Sikhs, in support of including Sikhism in the standards
10 Sikhs testifying in support of Sikhism being included in the state curriculum
5 trips from New York to Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio to make presentations and rally sangat support for the campaign

Education

30-page professional informational binder created for each Texas Board of Education member on Sikhs and why Sikhi should be added to the curriculum
186 pages of curriculum standards intensely studied to determine the best place for Sikhi to be included in the social studies standards

If you believe this work is important and want to see it happen elsewhere, please donate today: https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=2563.

We need your help to ensure everyone knows who Sikhs are and respects them in their neighborhoods. Please support the Coalition's Education work: https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=2563

It is only with your support that we were able to achieve this victory. Thank you.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

The Sikh Coalition Team

The Sikh Coalition is a community-based organization that works for the realization of civil and human rights for all people. The Coalition serves as a resource on Sikhs and Sikh concerns for government, organizations and individuals.

The Sikh Coalition relies on your tax-deductible financial support to sustain its initiatives and broaden its services. In addition to supporting the Sikh Coalition directly, we encourage you to use matching donation programs offered by many employers. The Sikh Coalition is a 501c (3) non-profit organization. Thank you for your support.

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