#BeProud

The Foundation history connects #BeProud to the 2012 attack on the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The violence reopened the founder's childhood memories of discrimination for wearing a patka and reinforced the belief that silence was not enough.

The campaign called for a society where religion, culture, nationality, race, gender, and appearance do not determine whether a person can live safely and openly.

The original page described happiness and a better life as shared human aspirations. #BeProud asked people to move beyond tolerance toward solidarity: stop hate, build hope, accept others for who they are, and set a better standard for future generations.

That message remains central to the current safety and justice work, where anti-discrimination is treated as a durable mission rather than a one-time campaign.

• Name hate and discrimination instead of normalizing them.
• Stand with communities targeted because of identity or belief.
• Use public storytelling to replace fear with understanding.
• Turn awareness into constructive civic and community action.

#BeProud launched nationally on November 11, 2012 through television and social media. Public figures including Deepak Chopra, Jay Sean, Priyanka Chopra, and members of the Nelson Mandela family helped amplify the movement.

Their participation helped carry a message of dignity, identity, and solidarity to a wider audience.

#BeProud became the starting point for a wider Foundation mission spanning anti-discrimination, education, child protection, food security, emergency response, and gun-violence prevention.

The current anti-discrimination page carries the campaign forward with issue context, participation paths, and links to the broader safety and justice mission.