September 15, 2026 (Mesa, Arizona) — This evening, the Sodhi family, the Revolutionary Love Project, and the wider Arizona sangat will gather to commemorate the life and legacy of Balbir Singh Sodhi. The Sikh Coalition is deeply honored to be attending the evening’s event in a supporting role.
Thanks to our colleagues at the Revolutionary Love Project, anyone across the nation can join the commemoration via livestream. Programming online is expected to start at 10 PM EST / 7 PM PST; it will include a host of interfaith speakers, musical performances, and more. Aasees Kaur, our Community Development Director, will speak during the program and deliver a ‘call to action’ for attendees. Note that if you are located near Phoenix, Arizona, you can join the memorial in person: We will gather at the Sodhi family’s Chevron gas station in Mesa, and the family and members of the local sangat will begin the evening with prayers starting at roughly 6:30 PM local time.
As a reminder, Balbir ji, aged 52 at the time of his death, was one of the first individuals murdered in the United States in a post-9/11 hate crime. He was shot and killed on September 15, 2001, while planting flowers outside his gas station in Mesa. Balbir ji’s killer had said that he was “going to go out and shoot some towel-heads” in supposed retribution for the terrorist attacks.
In 2021, the Sikh Coalition was grateful for the opportunity to co-host the 20th anniversary memorial of Balbir ji alongside the Sodhi family and the Global Sikh Alliance. This year, we are supporting the Revolutionary Love Project and the Sodhi family with outreach to press and interview coordination, as well as invites for select elected officials.
As always, the Sikh Coalition urges you to practice your faith fearlessly.