Utah and Mississippi schools to include Sikh studies

Utah and Mississippi became the 15th and 16th states in the US to include Sikhi in their state social studies standards earlier this month. This will make it possible for public schoolchildren to learn about Sikh faith, history, and contributions to American life alongside other major world religions. In both states, the Sikh Coalition, an organisation engaged in defending the civil rights of the Sikh community in the US for over two decades, worked with community members, gurdwaras, allied organisations, and state education officials to achieve these victories.
On December 15, the Mississippi State Board of Education (MSBOE) voted in favour of new social studies standards that include Sikhi for the first time ever, according to a press release by the Sikh Coalition. These new standards will give approximately 457,000 students in the state the opportunity to learn about the Sikh community. In January, the Sikh Coalition made an initial request for Sikhi to be included in the new standards, and community members advocated for the same at the first MSBOE meeting of the year. In September, the Sikh Coalition then facilitated a sign-on letter in support of inclusion with three Mississippi gurdwaras, as well as another formal letter of its own. And finally, in November, the organisation assisted more than 125 sangat members in sending individual advocacy emails to the MSBOE, while also working with religious studies faculty at Mississippi State University to advocate for Sikhi’s inclusion in the standards.
Earlier this month, on December 1, the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) also voted in favour of new social studies standards that similarly include Sikhi for the first time ever--reaching another 606,000 students across that state. This success was years in the making; the Sikh Coalition made the initial request for Sikhi to be included in the new standards back in May 2020. “Then, in December 2021, we drafted a sign-on letter advocating for the same with both Utah gurdwaras, submitted another formal request from our organisation, and facilitated the public testimony of multiple Sikh community members and students at a USBE meeting,” the Sikh Coalition said in a press release.
“The Sikh Coalition continues to work alongside sangat members, allies, and education officials to push for more inclusive standards wherever we see the opportunity to do so,” explained Harman Singh, Sikh Coalition senior education manager. “These victories don’t just reduce bullying and bigotry or help Sikh kids feel seen in their classrooms--they also make for a more well-rounded education for students from all backgrounds.”
For more than 10 years, the Sikh Coalition has pursued efforts to ensure Sikh inclusion in social studies standards on a state-by-state basis; as a result of this campaign, more than 24 million students across the United States currently have the opportunity to learn about Sikhi in school, the press release said. “This continued advocacy work--along with professional development for teachers, the creation and dissemination of classroom resources, and pro-bono support in severe bullying cases--is all part of a coordinated push to raise Sikh awareness at a generational level in the United States.”