Valarie Kaur

Valarie Kaur
Born (1981-02-14) February 14, 1981 (age 43)
Clovis, California, U.S.
Alma materStanford University (BA)
Harvard Divinity School (MA)
Yale Law School (JD)
Occupation(s)Documentary filmmaker, activist
SpouseSharat Raju
Websitevalariekaur.com

Valarie Kaur (born February 14, 1981) is an American activist, documentary filmmaker, lawyer, educator, and faith leader.[1] She is the founder of the Revolutionary Love Project. Kaur's debut book, See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love, was published in June 2020.[2] The book expands upon Kaur's TED Talk.

Early life and education

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She was born and raised in an Indian-American Sikh family in Clovis, California, where her family had settled as farmers in 1913.[3]

Kaur earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies and International Relations from Stanford University, a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School, and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School.[4] She is a member of the California Bar.[5]

Career

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When a family friend, Balbir Singh Sodhi, was the first person killed in a hate crime after September 11, 2001, Kaur began to document hate crimes against Sikh and Muslim Americans, which resulted in the award-winning documentary film Divided We Fall: Americans in the Aftermath.[6][7] Since then, she has made films and led story-based campaigns on hate crimes, racial profiling, immigration detention, solitary confinement, marriage equality, and Internet freedom.[8] She is the founder of Groundswell Movement, considered "America's largest multifaith online organizing network", recognized for "dynamically strengthening faith-based organizing in the 21st century."[9][10][11] She is also co-founder of Faithful Internet which organizes people of faith to protect net neutrality.[12] She is the founder and director of the Revolutionary Love Project, a non-profit that produces tools, curricula and mass mobilizations aimed at reclaiming love as a force for justice.[13][6]

Kaur's film making and activism have focused on gun violence prevention, racial profiling, immigration detention and prison practices, and Internet neutrality. Her activism has also included education work to combat hate crimes against Muslim and Sikh Americans. She founded the Yale Visual Law Project to inspire and equip new generations of advocates.[14]

Kaur served as the Media and Justice Fellow at Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society and Senior Fellow at Auburn Theological Seminary.[15] Kaur has given speeches at the White House, The Pentagon, and the Parliament of the World's Religions.[16][17][18]

Kaur has frequently collaborated with her husband and creative partner, Sharat Raju. Together the two have produced several documentary films, including Stigma (2011) about the impact of New York City police's Stop and Frisk policy,[19] Alienation (2011) about immigration raids,[20] The Worst of the Worst: Portrait of a Supermax (2012) about solitary confinement in prison,[21] and Oak Creek: In Memorium (2012) about the Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting.[22]

Shortly after the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Kaur delivered a Watch Night address[23] that went viral with over 30 million views worldwide.[24][25][26] In 2017, she delivered a TED Talk entitled "3 Lessons of Revolutionary Love in a Time of Rage."[27][28]

Books

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In June 2020 Kaur's debut book, See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love was published by One World (an imprint of Penguin Random House).[2] The book expands upon Kaur's TED Talk. Kaur published Sage Warrior: Wake to Oneness, Practice Pleasure, Choose Courage, Become Victory (with Oneworld Publications) in 2024.

Recognition

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The Center for American Progress named Kaur "a standout figure in the world of interfaith organizing and activism."[29] In 2012, she received the American Courage Award by Asian Americans Advancing Justice.[30] In 2013, she was named a "Person of the Year" by India Abroad[31] and one of eight Asian American "Women of Influence" by Audrey Magazine.[32] In 2015, Kaur was recognized as a "Young Global Leader" by the World Economic Forum.[33] In 2016, Harvard Divinity School awarded her the Peter J. Gomes Memorial Honor.[34]

Awards

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ReelWorld Film Festival

  • Won: Outstanding International Documentary (2007) - Divided We Fall: Americans in the Aftermath[35]

Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles

  • Won: Audience Choice: Best Documentary (2007) - Divided We Fall: Americans in the Aftermath[35]

Asian Americans Advancing Justice

  • Won: American Courage Award (2012)[36]

India Abroad

  • Named: Person of the Year (2013)[37]

Audrey Magazine

  • Named: One of eight Asian American "Women of Influence"(2013)[38]

World Economic Forum

  • Named: A "Young Global Leader"(2015)[39]

Harvard Divinity School

Meadville Lombard Theological School

  • Named: Honorary Doctor of Divinity(2022)[41]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Valarie Kaur - SheSource Expert - Women's Media Center". www.womensmediacenter.com. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  2. ^ a b ""See No Stranger": To Comfort the Afflicted and Afflict the Comfortable - Ms. Magazine". msmagazine.com. 12 July 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  3. ^ "What Does Revolutionary Love Look Like? (part 1)". The Middle Project. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  4. ^ "Valarie Kaur". cyberlaw.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  5. ^ California, The State Bar of. "Attorney Search : The State Bar of California". members.calbar.ca.gov. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  6. ^ a b "In an era of 'enormous rage,' I'm still finding love in America". Public Radio International. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  7. ^ "Divided We Fall: Americans in the Aftermath". www.dwf-film.com. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  8. ^ "Valarie Kaur | SikhNet". SikhNet. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  9. ^ "13 Progressive Faith Leaders to Watch in 2013 - Center for American Progress". Center for American Progress. 2013-02-27. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  10. ^ "New England Interfaith Student Summit with Valarie Kaur - Humanities Center". Humanities Center. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  11. ^ "Groundswell". action.groundswell-mvmt.org. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  12. ^ "Faithful Internet | Many Beliefs. One Internet". Faithful Internet. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  13. ^ "We Declare Revolutionary Love as the Call of Our Times". Revolutionary Love. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  14. ^ "Yale Law School - Visual Law Project | The Video Law Journal of Yale Law School". yalevisuallawproject.org. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  15. ^ "Auburn Seminary launches nation's first multifaith leadership program for justice: Auburn Senior Fellows - Auburn Seminary". Auburn Seminary. 2015-05-19. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  16. ^ "Valarie Kaur Delivers Parliament Keynote Address | Parliament of the World's Religions". parliamentofreligions.org. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  17. ^ "White House Celebrates Guru Nanak's Gurpurab". India Journal. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  18. ^ Craig, Jonathan (9 May 2015). "Commemorating the Sikh Faith at the Pentagon". stateofbelief.com. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  19. ^ "Stigma". yalevisuallawproject.org. Archived from the original on 2016-06-27. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  20. ^ "Alienation". yalevisuallawproject.org. Archived from the original on 2012-12-12. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  21. ^ "The Worst of the Worst". yalevisuallawproject.org. Archived from the original on 2016-05-20. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  22. ^ "Remembering The Oak Creek Tragedy In Film". The Huffington Post. 2013-02-05. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  23. ^ "Perspective | 'Breathe! Push!' Watch this Sikh activist's powerful prayer for America". Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
  24. ^ "Scroll". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
  25. ^ "Groundswell Movement". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
  26. ^ Trinath Gundavaram (2017-02-26), Against Racism, retrieved 2019-03-22
  27. ^ Kaur, Valarie (9 February 2018), 3 lessons of revolutionary love in a time of rage, retrieved 2019-03-22
  28. ^ Freedman, Samuel G. (2016-08-27). "For Hillary Clinton and Democrats, a Public Shift Toward 'God-Talk'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-03-01.
  29. ^ "13 Progressive Faith Leaders to Watch in 2013 - Center for American Progress". Center for American Progress. 2013-02-27. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  30. ^ "Jones Day | Jones Day hosts Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) Awards Luncheon". jonesday.com. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  31. ^ "India Abroad - June 28, 2013 - 131". www.indiaabroad-digital.com. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  32. ^ "Which Asian American Women Influence You? | Audrey's 8 Picks for Our Inaugural Women of Influence Series". Kore Asian Media. 2013-09-04. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  33. ^ "Young Global Leaders: the class of 2015 - The new generation of leaders". widgets.weforum.org. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  34. ^ "Beyond 'Us and Them'". hds.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  35. ^ a b "Divided we fall Americans in the aftermath". Indiana University. Retrieved 2017-03-01.
  36. ^ "Jones Day | Jones Day hosts Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) Awards Luncheon". www.jonesday.com. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
  37. ^ "India Abroad - June 28, 2013 - 131". www.indiaabroad-digital.com. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
  38. ^ "Which Asian American Women Influence You? | Audrey's 8 Picks for Our Inaugural Women of Influence Series". Kore Asian Media. 2013-09-04. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
  39. ^ "Young Global Leaders: the class of 2015 - The new generation of leaders". widgets.weforum.org. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
  40. ^ "Beyond 'Us and Them'". hds.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
  41. ^ "2022 Honorary Degree Recipients". Retrieved 2022-05-17.
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