Former Seattle City councillor, who was instrumental behind the historic 2023 anti-caste ordinance in Seattle, will be receiving this year’s annual Hands Against Racism award in Surrey on March 30.
Started by Burnaby-based Spice Radio, the anti-racism initiative was launched on the birth anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr in 2015.
Kshama Sawant, a strong advocate for human rights, brought the motion to criminalize discrimination against Dalits or the so-called untouchables in the Indian diaspora. She invited the wrath of the right wing Hindu nationalist government in New Delhi for bringing the ordinance, and was recently denied visa to go and see her ailing mother.
Sawant is among the two recipients shortlisted for this year’s annual awards. The other is Bob Rennie, an art collector who was the brain behind the Chinese museum in Vancouver’s Chinatown.
The very first recipient of the award was former RCMP officer Baltej Singh Dhillon, who had to face a racist backlash from both within and outside the force. Recently appointed as a Senator, Dhillon was presented the award in 2016.
Among others who broke many barriers and did anti-racism work to receive the award were prominent educator Sunera Thobani (2017), anti-racism educator Alan Dutton, journalist Charlie Smith (2018), indigenous activist Cecilia Point, BC’s current Attorney General Niki Sharma (2019), human rights activist Harsha Walia and anti-racism educator Kal Dosanjh (2020), anti-black racism and anti-Asian racism activists Kamika Williams and Tammy Hu (2021), anti-racism educator Annie Ohana and indigenous educator Jennifer Sherif (2022), former B.C. Premier John Horgan for his anti-racism initiatives in 2023, the Grand Chief of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, Stewart Philip and anti-racism advocate Jovan Narwhal (2024).
