SAAPRI participated in a three-day series of workshops at Northwestern University, spearheaded by undergraduate student Sanjana Lakshmi, on confronting anti-blackness in the South Asian American community and discussing how we can be more effective allies to Black folks as people of color. The workshops covered three topics: colorism in the South Asian community, racial profiling, and the model minority myth, all addressing how these topics are based in and continue to facilitate anti-blackness. It is imperative, especially in the age of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, that all communities of color unpack anti-blackness in their own communities and work on standing in solidarity with the black community.
SAAPRI’s Executive Director Reema Kapur presented on the history of South Asians in Illinois and the position of South Asians within the larger Asian-American landscape, the development of the model minority myth, and why it is detrimental for South Asians’ realization of themselves as well as their relationships with other communities of color. The workshops were attended by Northwestern University students and resulted in meaningful, inspiring discussions.