FATEH! 20th State Victory: Alabama

December 17, 2024 (Montgomery, AL) — After a full year of advocacy efforts, the Alabama State Board of Education has adopted new social studies standards that will include Sikhi as a part of their K-12 curriculum. We are especially proud to share this news because Alabama is now the 20th state to add Sikhi into their standards—a major milestone for our 15-year campaign! 

This significant victory resulted from work by the Sikh Coalition undertaken alongside the Alabama sangat, which includes: 

November 2023: Initiated dialogue with the Alabama Department of Education (ADE).
December 2023: Sent a recorded Sikh Awareness Presentation for the Social Studies Standards Review Committee.
August 2024: Sikhi was included in the proposed draft of 2024 Social Studies Standards in Grade 8 World History & Geography.
November 2024: Sikhi was added to Grades 9-12 Human Geography as a result of additional communication and advocacy.
November 2024: Submitted an additional letter to the ADE advocating for further inclusion of Sikhi.
November 2024: Facilitated a gurdwara letter of support signed by all three gurdwaras in Alabama.
“After a year of engagement with the Alabama Department of Education and the Alabama sangat, we are thrilled for Alabama to become the 20th one to include Sikhi in their social studies curriculum,” said Savleen Singh, Sikh Coalition Senior Education Manager. “While we still have plenty of work to do around the country, ensuring that Sikhi can be taught in American public schools is one of the many ways that we aim to create safer and more inclusive classrooms for Sikh youth and a generational shift in Sikh awareness among all students.”

Local adoption and implementation of these standards will begin in the 2026-2027 school year. The Sikh Coalition will continue to work closely with ADE during this process. 

Because of the Sikh Coalition’s efforts to ensure Sikh inclusion in state social studies standards across the country, more than 26 million students from coast to coast have the possibility of a more inclusive and holistic education. We look forward to adding even more states to this list in the months and years ahead through continued advocacy alongside sangats.

The victories in our state standards, past, present, and future take significant resources, and they would not be possible without the dasvandh of sangat members like you. Donate today to continue to add Sikhi into social studies standards across the country in 2025 and beyond.

As always, the Sikh Coalition urges you to practice your faith fearlessly.