During February 2024, volunteers of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA (HSS) engaged with and honored African American community leaders to commemorate Black History Month. HSS chapters in Buffalo Grove, IL, Chandler, AZ, Charlotte, NC, Chicago, IL, Cincinnati, OH, Columbus, IN, Parsippany, NJ, Plainsboro, NJ, Sacramento, CA, and Woodbridge, NJ invited distinguished African American personalities as a part of the Black History Month celebration.

Calisa Horton and Marvin Francis from General Electric’s (GE) African American Forum (AAF) participated in the HSS event in Cincinnati, OH. They shed light on significant milestones in Black History, including the reconstruction era, Civil Rights era, and modern times. They also discussed the impact of the Indian freedom struggle on the Civil Rights movement.

Public Speaking Champion and Author Ant Blair delivered a powerful speech at the HSS event in Columbus, IN. Reflecting on his experience, Blair expressed appreciation for the warm welcome from the local Hindu community, emphasizing the universal language of humanity.

In Chicagoland’s HSS chapter, Aurora City’s diversity, equity, and inclusion, (DEI) officer Clayton Mohammad presented the ‘Annual Black History Month Lecture.’ HSS members found alignment with Mohammad’s emphasis on the importance of authentic cultural connection beyond formal settings. At the Buffalo Grove, IL Chapter, State Senator Adriane Johnson highlighted the significant contributions of the African American community to American society.

Mrs. Twiana Armstrong, a small business owner and community leader, participated in the Black History Month event in Sacramento, CA. She gave a very inspirational speech on Martin Luther King Jr. and how we can take his inspiration into our lives.

Willie Flaming, President of the International Minority Coalition, joined several other Black leaders at the HSS events in Charlotte, NC. Almost everyone from the panel talked about what ‘Black History Month’ meant to them. Some of the keywords from their speeches expressed the common theme of ‘Understanding one’s history is critical to forging a path forward with love, kindness, empathy, peace, belonging for the whole community’.
Pastor Loretta Hall, African American parent support group president, and Board of Education DEI advisor Ms. Latoya engaged in conversations with HSS members at separate Black History Month events held by the HSS New Jersey Chapter.

In the North Phoenix chapter, Ms. Bella Denise, President of Padres Unidos AZ, and Ms. Monika, an independent political consultant, shared insights about the significance of Black History Month in America today. In Chandler, AZ, City Vice-Mayor Honorable OD Harris and Marcel Wright, a leader supporting DEI, were invited as chief guests. Vice Mayor Harris emphasized the importance of celebrating Black History Month and encouraged the younger generation to develop leadership skills and help those in need, drawing on his childhood experiences.

These events served as a platform for celebrating the rich history and achievements of African Americans while fostering understanding and collaboration between the Hindu and African American communities. The focus on dialogue and shared experiences aligns with the spirit of Black History Month, encouraging education, remembrance, and a commitment to building a more inclusive future.

On February 22, 2023, Ohio State Senator by Niraj Antani appreciated Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA (HSS) and its volunteers on the Senate floor for their social work and for organizing the “Darshana – A Glimpse into the Hindu Civilization” exhibition (Darshana) at the Ohio Statehouse rotunda. While reading the proclamation on this special occasion, he also appreciated the richness and diversity of Hindu culture and its contributions to the world. The exhibition and resolution are expected to impact positively, promoting a greater understanding and appreciation of Hinduism and strengthening cultural ties between communities.

The exhibition offered a platform to explore a wide range of topics such as Yoga, Ayurveda, Dharma, Mathematics, Architecture, Arts, Sciences, and the present-day global presence of Hinduism. This exhibition is part of the Hindu Dharma Awareness Campaign and is successfully being displayed and welcomed nationwide. In the last four months, from April 2022, over 200 events have been organized nationwide to educate political, civic, educational, and interfaith leaders about Hindu Dharma, another term for Hinduism. The event is open to all and provides glimpses into the Hindu way of life.

Several elected officials and their staff visited the Darshana and appreciated this awareness campaign. State Senator Stephanie Kunze representing the 16th district, enjoyed learning more about healthy eastern ways to care for the body through healthy eating, exercise, and meditation. People visiting the State House on business also took an opportunity to visit the exhibition and learn more. Tod Bowen, Managing Director of External Affairs and Government Relations at Ohio Restaurant Association, appreciated his interaction with students presenting Darshana and the information the exhibition provided about Hindu culture, contributions, and practices.

While thanking the Elected officials of the Ohio State Senate, Mr. Sitaram Koppaka, President of HSS for Ohio, said, “Our idea was to reach out to the local communities across the United States and to bring awareness about Hindu philosophy and culture that the fellow Hindus in their neighborhood practice.” In alignment with Mr. Koppaka’s comment, this exhibition has traveled in 165 cities across the United States since the spring of 2022. It was enthusiastically received by a broad audience, including federal, state, and local government officials, judges, educators, business leaders, and ethnic, religious, and interfaith groups. The exhibition also attracted broad public participation.
 

HIndu Swayamsevak Sangh, Sewa Internation, Gifthealth Pharmancy and Bharatiya Hindu Temple collaborated to conduct a free COVID-19 vaddine drive on November 21, 2021.

The following youtube video has more details on the activity.

Diwali, the festival of lights and holiday celebrated by Hindus and others, was on Nov. 4, 2021. A massive food drive was started at the beginning of October.

Please read further using this link SewaDiwali TV news coverage in Oregon

New Jersey, December 9th, 2021 - This Diwali season, 315 Dharmic-American organizations and communities came together to collect over 590,000 pounds of food, donating to about 240 food distribution centers across the country.  Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA (HSS) coordinated this initiative nationwide.  The effort extended across 31 states and involved over 200 townships. Through Sewa Diwali, communities throughout America which align themselves with the Dharmic values originating in the Indian subcontinent - Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains - channeled their continued dedication to selfless service and shared celebration into a collective, far-reaching initiative involving volunteers across all age groups and serving a wide American demographic.

Mayor John B. Muns of Plano, Texas, while thanking local volunteers, noted, “Your generosity gives hope to folks who have food insecurity. There’s a lot of hard work that goes into giving back to a community.”

Diwali, a festival celebrated by nearly all cultures and traditions that originated in present-day India commemorates triumphant virtue and knowledge. It is commonly celebrated as a festival of lights with community gatherings and feasts. “This festival presents us with an important opportunity to put one of our core Dharmic values into practice: the entire world is a family,” says Krishnamurthy Woonnimani, National Coordinator for Sewa Diwali. “We want to extend our celebration and warmth beyond just our families and friends.”

The distribution centers which received food through Sewa Diwali included food pantries, schools, colleges, and houses of worship. Mark McCormick, President of Middlesex College in Edison, NJ explained, “We have over 10,000 students and many of them experience food insecurity. The food donated today will go a long way toward alleviating that food insecurity and helping them focus on their studies. We’re very grateful.”

Aparna Jujjavarapu, the North America Executive Secretary at Chinmaya Mission added, “We are very glad to be a part of Sewa Diwali and hope to continue to live up to our pledge of producing more than what we consume and giving more than what we take.  May we all continue to stand as one family with love and respect.”

Sewa Diwali also received recognition from several government officials across the United States. “Your partnership with Sewa Diwali to supply the town of Harrisburg’s Community Food Pantry is of great merit,” said State Senator Paul Newton of North Carolina, “and I believe your service to those in need will have a significant impact.”

“We were very happy to see so many children practice and experience something so essential to our culture and to humanity - that is, selfless service, or sewa - on this auspicious occasion,” added Chand Mehta, President of the Rajasthan Association of North America.

About Sewa Diwali

Sewa Diwali strives to make a difference in the lives of those experiencing food insecurity. Driven by the values of Dharma and selfless service, this noble act of giving back is a collective initiative of Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, and Jain communities. This initiative is coordinated nationally by Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA, a non-profit, voluntary service organization.