Valarie Kaur
Valarie Kaur is a celebrated racial justice activist, civil rights lawyer, author and award-winning filmmaker. She burst onto the American consciousness in the wake of the 2016 election when her Watch Night Service address went viral with 30+ million views worldwide. Her question, “What if this darkness is not the darkness of the tomb – but the darkness of the womb?” reframed the political moment and became a mantra for people fighting for change. Valarie now leads the Revolutionary Love Project to reclaim love as a force for justice in America. She is also the founder of Groundswell Movement, Faithful Internet, and Yale’s Visual Law Project.
Valarie’s work has won policy change on hate crimes, racial profiling, immigration detention, solitary confinement, Internet freedom, and more. Her acclaimed documentary, Divided We Fall, on post-9/11 hate crime is the winner of 12 international awards and offers vital historical context to this country’s current crisis of hate and nationalism.
A daughter of Sikh farmers in California’s heartland, Valarie has earned degrees at Stanford University, Harvard Divinity School, and Yale Law School. She was named a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum. She has been a regular commentator on MSNBC and contributor to CNN, NPR, PBS, the Hill, Huffington Post, and the Washington Post.
Valarie’s new book, SEE NO STRANGER: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love, expands on the themes she introduced in her popular TED Talk. It enjoins us to look at others and say: You are a part of me I do not yet know. Starting from that place of wonder, the world begins to change. It can transform a relationship, a community, a culture, even a nation.
Keynote, workshop and training topics include Revolutionary Love: The Call of Our Times; A New Generation of Women’s Leadership and the Meaning of Success; Divided We Fall: Race, Religion, and Ending Hate in America; and more.
“The way we make change is just as important as the change we make.” – Valarie Kaur
“In a world stricken with fear and turmoil, Valarie Kaur shows us how to summon our deepest wisdom.” – Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love
“Valarie Kaur is a prophetic voice of our generation. Her wisdom ignites and inspires me, lighting the way through the darkness.” – America Ferrera, award-winning actress, producer and activist
“Valarie Kaur was one of the most exceptional speakers/ thinkers I have ever heard…one of the most compelling young voices in America today.” – Melissa Harris-Perry
“Valarie gave the best Martin Luther King talk in 27 years at Florida International University. Dr. King would have smiled with delight, as I did!” – MLK Committee member, Florida International University
“life-changing” and “the most enlightening experience of our lives” – Students at the University of Illinois
“Your plenary address was stunning and your words sent people away with a new fire in their hearts.” – Parliament of World’s Religions
“A standout figure…at the forefront of progressive change.” – Center for American Progress
Books, Films & Projects
Clips
The TED Talk: 3 Lessons of Revolutionary Love in a Time of Rage (3 million views)
Poor People’s Campaign Watch Night Service speech (30+ million views)
Book Trailer: 'See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love'
Parliament of World's Religions: Forgiveness is not forgetting, forgiveness is freedom from hate.
News
The wait is over! Valarie Kaur’s debut book, SEE NO STRANGER: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love, is finally here. Read an excerpt.