Participants will assemble for a Day of Action to counter hate and share resources in the Richmond Hill neighborhood
While New York City has the reputation of being among the most diverse cities in the United States, ironically the city has seen a spate of hate crimes and incidents of racism too.
Recently, after a series of incidents of racial slurs and attacks against the Sikhs in the Richmond Hill neighborhood of Queens, some community members have decided to create awareness about the crimes and address how to stop them.
Read: Vigil in Arizona to honor Sikh victim of 9/11 hate crime (September 15, 2021)
Civil rights organization, Sikh Coalition, community members and volunteers — joined by partners from other civil rights and community organizations — will assemble for a Day of Action to counter hate and share resources in the Richmond Hill neighborhood.
Participants will gather at the Gurdwara Sikh Cultural Society on June 24 at 118 Street at 11 AM. They will then travel through Richmond Hill in groups to meet business owners.
The group will distribute flyers, posters, and personal safety equipment, raise awareness about hate crimes and what to do if you experience assault, harassment, or other bias-motivated crimes. After the distribution is complete, everyone will gather for langar.
Some of the recent attacks against the Sikh community included an assault on Nirmal Singh in April this year followed by an attack on two Sikh men in the same month.
Nikki Singh, Sikh Coalition Senior Manager of Policy and Advocacy says, “The NYPD recognized and investigated these cases as hate crimes, and has stated they will be recorded as anti-Sikh incidents.”
Read: Sikh Coalition Joins NY Governor Hochul’s Anti-Hate Crime Rally, Calls for Additional Action to Protect Our Communities (April 13, 2022)
“Swift action in cases like these–action that stems directly from the lived experiences of the community most affected–sends a clear message that no one should be targeted by hate violence,” she says.
The community members also feel that more than anything, this is an opportunity to show positive work being done by the Sikh community and other allied groups to increase knowledge and prevent hate.