I thought it was really great to get a chance to hear from people who were making a real difference and affecting change. As an Indian-American myself, it was inspiring to hear from other Indian-Americans about their role in politics and public service. Overall, the event gave me a better understanding of the intersections of race and politics, and a renewed sense of the importance of activism.

A lot of times, MLK Day focuses solely on black and white issues. By talking about the Indian American political activism and the Indian American fight to be American, we hoped we could expand conversations about race to include all races and focus on MLK’s larger goal – a voice for all in our democracy.

The Indian American Forum for Political Education is doing fantastic work in helping to bring a large, vibrant, and active community more and more into the political sphere. Members of the Indian American community comprise such a large portion of residents in Shrewsbury and Westborough, and I was pleased to be part of the first-ever candidate forum in our district to focus specifically on this community.

I am extremely grateful to The India Society of Worcester and IAFPE for allowing myself and Jason the opportunity to discuss issues and hear directly from the Indian American Community. Shrewsbury and Westborough are communities rich with diversity and it was wonderful to see so many people taking an interest in this race and the impact its outcome will have on our community and the Commonwealth. By offering forums for open debate and discussion their organizations are making significant strides in educating and empowering people in our community to participate fully in American democracy.

IAFPE is an organization that needs to help our community maintain and assert its voice politically and be heard just like other influential cultural groups. We don’t want to wait for a Ferguson MO or an Oak Creek Gurudwara incident to occur here in Massachusetts. Forum is a presence that forges political alliances and ensures there is an existing infrastructure to battle injustice for years to come!