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— Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha (Sikh revolutionary Gadaractivist, Berkeley, CA circa 1913)

The Ghadar (revolution) Party was a movement dedicated to fighting for India’s independence and fought against colonialism, racism, and capitalism in the United States. They regularly published papers known as Azadi (freedom). They advocated for racial equality and stood in solidarity with the black community. Part of understanding the South Asians for black lives movement is learning about its history, and how we can continue their legacy today.

We must learn about how the “model minority” myth was used as a weapon against black lives in this country. I had the opportunity to take an American Ethnic and Racial Minorities class in college where we learned about how important it is for South Asians to stand in solidarity. Below, I have included some quotes and links that especially stood out to me:

“Our successes are used to blame black people for poverty, and to justify police profiling of black people. We cannot allow ourselves to be used in this way — and if we remain silent, we are consenting to the daily violence and brutalization of black people.” – Nadia Khastigar

“We need our communities to join us in challenging anti-black racism by talking with family and co-workers, showing up to a protest, or supporting organized direct actions like the one we participated in, to call for an end to the war on black people. Our liberation depends on the liberation of black people. We don’t have a choice — we need to stand up for justice because Black Lives Matter.” – Nadia Khastigar

We must recognize the immense amount of privilege we have as South Asians. We can not allow ourselves to be used as a weapon against other marginalized communities. Sign petitions, have important conversations, and use your voice.

Originally published on https://mongasaumya.wixsite.com/blog/post/for-change-songs-resources-and-south-asians-for-black-lives