The Accidental Activist

The present article tells the story of Amardeep Singh, the co-founder of the Sikh Coalition, and other young, Sikh professionals who were propelled to take action as countless numbers of Sikhs were victimized after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Although Singh and his colleagues united to create and provide leadership to the Sikh Coalition, the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the United States, most of these individuals were as he describes them, “accidental activists.” Now as leaders of the Sikh Coalition, they are convinced that their activism is critical to guaranteeing the rights of Sikhs within America’s borders. The lack of continued organized struggle, Singh argues, will mean that the struggles and the rights of Sikhs will be ignored.