SACRED Co-Founder, Pushkar Sharma, named 2024 Soros Equality Fellow!

On Oct. 30, the Open Society Foundations announced SACRED Co-Founder Pushkar Sharma as a 2024 Soros Equality Fellow. The Soros Equality Fellowship, founded by Open Society-U.S. in 2017, supports leaders across the country who are working to fight systemic racial injustice in new or innovative ways.

Pushkar will use his time as a fellow to continue SACRED’s mission to counter the long-standing alliance of white supremacist and South Asian supremacist movements that promote racial and caste superiority.

“I am honored to receive this fellowship,” Pushkar said following the announcement. “With South Asian Americans visibly serving the incoming administration and propagating its Project 2025 agenda, SACRED’s work to bolster our multifaith, multiracial, anti-caste democracy has never been more urgent.”

Pushkar was named as one of eleven fellows, each of whom will receive grants of $130,000 disbursed over the course of 18 months to support the continuation of their projects. SACRED and its political organizing arm, SACRED Acts, will use the funds to advance multiple projects in the areas of public education and organizing, as well as research projects looking at the impact of extremist money in local elections. Fellows will also have access to networking opportunities and other professional support designed to bring leaders in the space together to strengthen the movement for racial and social justice.

“As we confront evolving challenges in the pursuit of racial justice, we’re honored to back the extraordinary leaders pushing for real, lasting change that reflects the inclusive multiracial democracy we strive to build,” Andrew Maisel, senior program officer at Open Society-U.S, said in the announcement. “This group of Soros Equality Fellows brings the innovation, dedication, and inspiration essential to this important work.”

The 2024 cohort includes organizers, documentary filmmakers, writers, digital specialists, researchers, and artists. A full list of Soros Equality Fellows can be accessed here.