Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund
Formerly founded as the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART) in 1996, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) is a national civil rights and educational organization in the United States. SALDEF is a national 501(c) 3 non-profit, nonpartisan, membership-based body.
Mission
SALDEF's mission is to protect the civil rights of Sikh Americans and ensure a fostering environment in the United States for future generations. SALDEF empowers Sikh Americans through legal assistance, educational outreach, legislative advocacy, and media relations.
History
In 1996, SALDEF began as the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), an all-volunteer organization. During its inception years, SALDEF's primary focus was on media analysis and education. However, based on the needs of the Sikh American community, SMART immediately began responding to civil rights, legislative, employment, and accommodation issues. In November 2004, SMART changed its name to SALDEF. SALDEF currently maintains a professionally staffed national office in Washington, DC. Furthermore, SALDEF has several Regional Directors and local representatives across the country. Additionally, SALDEF's office of legal affairs handles legal matters affecting Sikh and other ethnic or religious minority Americans.
Activities
Legal aid
SALDEF's Office of Legal Affairs provides free legal assistance on civil rights and civil liberties issues. The Office of Legal Affairs consists of volunteer attorneys across the U.S., many of whom contribute their pro bono time from their law firms to SALDEF. SALDEF also collaborates with and retains law firms to pursue litigation.
SALDEF's Office of Legal Affairs provides legal assistance for the following issues:
- Workplace racism
- Protecting Sikh articles of faith (such as kirpan and kesh)
- Denial of public accommodation
- Other civil rights and civil liberties issues.
Specifically, the Office of Legal Affairs provides the following assistance:
- Legal assistance line: the SALDEF office is open daily during business hours to field phone calls from Sikh Americans in need of legal advice or assistance on any matter relating to the rights affecting an individual or members of the community.
- Legal referrals: SALDEF maintains a network of attorneys around the country who are willing and able to offer legal assistance to Sikh Americans in every geographic area of the country where a large concentration of Sikhs reside.
- Legal representation: SALDEF, in association with national and local law firms, arranges for legal representation of Sikh Americans in instances where litigation is necessary.
- Legislative policy development: SALDEF's attorneys regularly track new developments in the law as they impact the Sikh community, and also conduct research and writing projects to analyze the current state of the law in these areas and identify areas in which challenges lie ahead.
- Legislative advocacy: In coordination with other members and officers of the organization, SALDEF's attorneys work with local, state and federal officials to advocate changes in regulatory and legislative policies in areas which impact the Sikh community.
- Legal research assistance: SALDEF maintains a Legal Database of judicial opinions affecting the Sikh community for the use of lawyers, scholars, reporters, and other interested persons.
Government Affairs
SALDEF staff and representatives regularly meet with government officials at the local, state, and federal levels. These efforts allow for congruous communication on issues affecting the community at the local and federal levels.
For example, at the federal level, SALDEF has served on a small working group to address civil rights issues with the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights R. Alexander Acosta. As a result, Mr. Acosta visited a Gurdwara in Atlanta to discuss continued collaboration between the federal government and the Sikh American community. Additionally, SALDEF has numerous projects with, and provides consultation to, Federal agencies such as the FBI, CIA, TSA, DOJ, etc.
At the state level, SALDEF has worked with California Assembly Member Judy Chu to organize hearings in Northern and Southern California about hate crime reporting, law enforcement, and bullying and harassment in public schools. Through local representatives and community members, SALDEF delivered testimony at both hearings and provided policy recommendations to constructively deal with these issues.
At the local level, SALDEF has served on the DC Bias Crimes Task Force organized by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia since 2001. Through this effort, SALDEF has worked with a large number of Sikh American cab drivers in the region to report workplace harassment. In addition, SALDEF conducts numerous training sessions with State and local law enforcement.
Legislative advocacy
SALDEF works on legislative issues influencing the ethnic and religious minority American community on the local and federal levels. The issues include support for legislation addressing hate crimes, bullying and harassment in schools, racial profiling, workplace discrimination, civil rights, and immigration.
These important problems are addressed by meeting with elected officials and providing information to policy experts. SALDEF also organizes Sikh Americans to contact their elected members of Congress on specific legislation. As a nonprofit organization, SALDEF is non-partisan and does not support individual candidates through endorsement or finances.
Community Affairs
SALDEF administers outreach to local Sikh American communities through "Know Your Rights" presentations, community forums, voter registration, and other avenues of civic engagement. It uplifts members of the Sikh American community to become active participants in civil society.
SALDEF's national office supports Regional Directors and Local Representatives to address these issues in communities across the country.
