Sikh Beliefs on Campus

Despite being the world’s fifth largest religion and despite having been in the US for more than a century, Sikhism remains relatively unknown in modern America. The distinct physical appearance of Sikhs – including brown skin, turbans, and facial hair – has led them to become frequent targets of discrimination and hate violence. Often in these instances (though not always), the perpetrators attack Sikhs upon wrongly assuming them to be Muslim. Such acts are wrong for a number of reasons, including their motivations and assumptions. 

As a prominent and global tradition, Sikhs hold a special and important place in the spectrum of religious, secular, and spiritual identities in the world. Join Expert in Residence Cody Nielsen alongside preeminent scholar Dr. Simran Jeet Singh for this informative discussion that will unravel some of the mystery surrounding Sikhs and will help professors better support the lives of these students.

Participants in this live briefing can expect to learn much about Sikh beliefs and practices and will be able to better accommodate for their needs on their campuses.  Furthermore, professionals will be encouraged to ask questions during the live briefing and will be able to interact with Dr. Singh, a distinguished scholar and practicing Sikh who has appeared on numerous news shows, including a significant segment on Comedy Central’s Daily Show last year.

Sikh populations may be small in the United States, but the challenges they face are unique and significant. Diversity workers will understand how to support these students and will be better able to create accommodations necessary in recruitment and retention of these students. Professionals who are Sikh, Muslim, or South Asian themselves should be encouraged to participate in the discussion and anyone who is interested in adding to the conversation should feel free to email Cody at j.cody.nielsen@gmail.com for more information.