The Education Department of the Sikh Coalition: a nonprofit organization based out of New York City, launched its first film competition – entitled the Diversity Video Competition.
Today in the United States, especially since the events of 9/11, the turban has been often associated with terrorist groups, including Osama Bin Laden, the Taliban, and others. However, the vast majority of people who wear turbans in the US are not terrorists, but Sikhs – and their appearance, although similar, often marks them for discrimination. Because of this appearance, Sikhs, as well as many minority groups in America have had to struggle to impart the message: you can’t judge a book by its cover.
Referencing Sikh American and other minority experiences, please create a 5 minute video (or less) that explores the statement, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”
The purpose of the Diversity Video Competition is to provide the public a space in which they may engage in an artistic dialogue on civil rights issues, stereotypes, and myths surrounding minority groups (with a particular anchor in the Sikh experience). It is in this space that submitters may explore, interpret, and express their takes on a specific struggle facing minorities, as highlighted by the prompt. (more…)
