Mission

The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) is the oldest Sikh American civil rights and educational organization. We empower Sikh Americans through advocacy, education and media relations.

SALDEF’s mission is to protect the civil rights of Sikh Americans and ensure a fostering environment in the United States for future generations.

SALDEFs vision is to create an America where:

• Sikh Americans are recognized and respected as an integral part of American society
• Sikh Americans take a leadership role in shaping public policy and strengthening civil rights for all Americans
• Sikh Americans are represented at the highest levels of government and in the media.

Founded as the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART) in 1996, SALDEF began solely as an all-volunteer organization with a primary focus on media analysis and education. Based on the needs of the Sikh American community, SALDEF  began responding to civil rights, legislative, employment, and accommodation issues. Currently, SALDEF maintains a full-time staff in addition to several volunteer local representatives and regional directors. Its pro bono legal team includes several part-time volunteer attorneys who handle legal matters affecting Sikh Americans.

Since 1996, SALDEF has been empowering the Sikh American community and protecting its rights and religious freedoms by:

1. Providing legal services in such matters as workplace and housing discrimination, protecting Sikh articles of faith, public accommodation, and other civil rights and civil liberties issues;
2. Conducting religious awareness training for government, law enforcement agencies and private businesses, including the FBI, U.S. Department of Justice, FAA, TSA, federal counter-terrorism officials, and local law enforcement agencies;
3. Leading the effort to formulate and support legislation directly benefiting the Sikh American community. SALDEF has participated in multiple Congressional hearings and is active in coalitions to pass comprehensive hate crimes, racial profiling, and workplace discrimination legislation and is the only Sikh American organization accepted for membership into the Leadership Conference for Civil Rights, the nation’s oldest and largest umbrella civil rights organization.
4. Creating and distributing publications aimed at educating the media, schools, and government agencies about Sikhs, including the U.S. Department of Education;
5. Conducting of community outreach programs and educational strategy sessions to empower the Sikh American community to help exercise its rights;
6. Monitoring the media and responding to inaccuracies and/or misrepresentations of Sikh Americans and Sikhism.

SALDEF is a national 501(c) 3 non-profit, nonpartisan organization.