SMART’s Meetings with High-ranking Government Officials Yielding Results across the U.S. Washington, DC—Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights R. Alexander Acosta visited a Sikh gurdwara in Atlanta, GA last week to discuss continued collaboration between the federal government and the Sikh American community. The Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), the oldest national Sikh American civil rights organization, arranged the meeting to discuss issues facing the Sikh American community including hate crimes, civil rights violations, and bullying and harassment in schools. “Alex Acosta and his staff have been extremely responsive to many of the civil rights concerns we have brought to them during our monthly meetings,” said SMART National Director Preetmohan Singh. “By visiting with members of the community across the country, government officials at the highest level are gaining a better understanding of Sikh Americans and the contributions our community has been making to this nation for over a century.” In anticipation the new school year, Mr. Acosta recently sent a letter to the all fifty state departments of education regarding the illegality of discrimination and acts of violence against students based on religious or national origin intolerance. His office worked with SMART to include an incident involving a Sikh American student from California in the letter. In the last two months, Mr. Acosta has also met with Sikh Americans to discuss similar issues in Houston, TX and New Orleans, LA. Additionally, Shaarik Zafar, Special Counsel for Post 9-11 National Origin Discrimination in the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, also visited a Gurdwara with SMART’s National Director in Dallas, TX last month.
