This August, sangats nationwide will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the August 5, 2012 shooting in Oak Creek, WI. We continue to honor the seven Sikh community members who ultimately lost their lives and those who were critically injured in the shooting. These individuals, their families, and the sangat remain forever in our prayers as we near this important anniversary.
In the immediate response to the Oak Creek shooting and in the decade since, sangats from coast to coast have exemplified the spirit of chardi kala through consistent action and commitment towards preventing and combating hate in our communities. This year, sangats nationwide are encouraged to lead events during the weekend of August 5-7, 2022 to remember and honor the victims and survivors of the 2012 Oak Creek mass shooting.
If you live near Oak Creek, WI, we encourage you to join the Oak Creek sangat in-person during their commemorative events, which are scheduled for the weekend of August 5-7, 2022. For those sangat members that cannot make it to Oak Creek, learn how you can still engage your sangats and communities to #RememberOakCreek.
Get Involved – National Day of Seva:
Organize a seva project in your community. Ask your sangat and non-Sikh neighbors alike to take part in seva and celebrate the resilience of the Sikh community.
To organize a project in your area, follow the steps below.
STEP 1: Pick a Seva Project
There are numerous projects that you can organize for your local community during the weekend of August 5-7, 2022. Here are a few ideas to get you started
STEP 2: Recruit volunteers and get the word out
With hate crimes on the rise across the United States, Day of Seva is an incredible opportunity for the Sikh community to show leadership in combating hate, educating the public through the media, and building bridges with other local communities.
We are here to help you recruit volunteers for your project! Please send the details (contact information, date, time, place, other relevant details) for your seva project via email to dayofseva@sikhcoalition.org.
For more outreach ideas, click here for our toolkit Have a seva project? Add it to our mapSTEP 3: Engage the media to cover Day of Seva
Day of Seva is also a way to share our stories with our neighbors. The sooner you confirm your project, the sooner we can help you reach out to local media in your area. We will assist with news engagement on select Day of Seva projects
Get Involved – National Night of Vigil:
Organize an evening vigil at your local gurdwara. Invite elected officials, interfaith partners, allies, and neighbors to attend, speak, pray, and stand with Sikhs in solidarity against hate and violence.
If you need help planning your vigil, email us at community@sikhcoalition.org.
Get Involved – Support Policy Asks:
The Sikh Coalition has partnered with the Revolutionary Love Project and the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund to launch an advocacy tool that will help all Americans–Sikh and non-Sikh alike, to tell their members of Congress to move three critical pieces of legislation forward.
Mobilize your sangat to take concrete actions to combat hate and prevent discrimination. Take two minutes to fill in your information and contact your elected officials automatically today!
Find an event near you:
To find a Day of Seva or Night of Vigil in your area, view our map below.