Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Rep. Ilhan Omar join SACRED Acts for a sold-out event during DNC week in Chicago

SACRED Acts hosted a sold-out side event during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 20, 2024, featuring global civil rights icons Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MN-05). Nearly 70 attendees from across the country came together in a multiracial, multifaith coalition for a discussion about how anti-caste activists are working to support a just and inclusive democracy.

Ellison––renowned for prosecuting the former police officers that killed George Floyd––lauded SACRED Acts’ leadership in building upon the historic connection between the nonviolent Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. and the nonviolent movement to end colonial rule in South Asia.

“The Civil Rights Movement looked for an example… How do you get yourself free? We looked to South Asia. You should be enormously proud of this,” Ellison said to roaring applause in the room. Ellison’s keynote address backed SACRED Acts’ mission to continue building upon these connections in the work to end caste discrimination and strengthen the United States’ democracy for all people.

“What you’re doing is the right thing to be doing right now,” Ellison said. “America cannot be a place that just has another self-interested ethnic group. …What we need is some people who have a sense of the common good, who want to see the prosperity and rights of all. And that is what SACRED Acts is about. That’s why I’m proud to be with you today.”

Ellison’s remarks carried unique weight, having previously served as deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee as well as a co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. And as the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress, Ellison’s insights on building a multifaith democracy were particularly meaningful. 

Ellison was introduced by Rep. Omar who commended SACRED Acts’ commitment to pushing back against supremacist actors seeking to undermine U.S. democracy.

“I want to thank the board of SACRED Acts. I think [their work] is really, significantly important – as we see democracy not just eroding here, but across the world,” said Omar. “It has been really hard over the years, as we see the kind of supremacy and religious bigotry and discrimination that has created so much violence.”

She highlighted the need for action in the U.S., sharing that “it is my mission and hope that we continue to fight for change here to make sure communities are living safely – that we push back against that supremacy.” Omar reiterated her support for SACRED Acts’ work, emphasizing that “it is really good to see you guys organizing yourselves in this way.”

“South Asian Americans deeply understand some of the most pressing issues facing our democracy right now. In our bones, we know what it takes to build a secular, unified nation out of many cultures, faiths, and languages and how to push back against authoritarianism that extracts our labor for its own ends and challenges our personhood. That knowledge and leadership can preserve American democracy. We need to share it with confidence and urgency,” said Denali Dasgupta, SACRED Acts Board Member.

Denali commended the diverse coalition of officeholders and candidates in Illinois who have taken SACRED Acts’ nonviolence pledge. As a candidate for Chicago City Council, Denali took SACRED Acts’ pledge to reject funding from the extremist ideology behind Gandhi’s assassination and anti-equality groups such as the Steve Bannon co-chaired, MAGA-aligned, Republican Hindu Coalition based in Illinois.