The Revolutionary Love Project envisions a world where love is a public ethic and wellspring for social change.
what we do
We produce stories, tools, curricula, conferences, films, TV moments, and mass mobilizations that equip and inspire people to practice the ethic of love. Our current projects focus on racism, nationalism, and hate against Sikh, Muslim, Arab, and South Asian American communities. We are a national initiative based at the University of Southern California, Office of Religious Life.
what is revolutionary love
We believe it’s time to reclaim love as a public ethic. Love has been captured by greeting cards and pop songs as personal and romantic — too fickle and sentimental to be a revolutionary force. But the greatest social reformers in history grounded entire movements in the ethic of love. When we reclaim love through a feminist lens, then love is a form of sweet labor — fierce, bloody, imperfect, and life-giving. That means love can be taught, modeled, and practiced. Revolutionary Love is the choice to labor for others, our opponents, and ourselves.
why now
We believe Revolutionary Love is the call of our times. In an era of enormous rage, we must resist dangerous policies and acts of hate that threaten our most vulnerable communities. But resistance alone will not deliver us: We will burn out or even start to mirror the rage we are resisting. So we are staging a cultural intervention to birth a new future. Our mission: to equip our movements and communities with tools to labor in love — love for others, our opponents, and ourselves. When we pour love in these three directions, then love becomes revolutionary.
“The future is dark — Is this the darkness of the tomb, or the darkness of the womb? Is our nation dead or still waiting to be born? We choose to believe that our nation is in Transition. We are in labor. Labor requires pain — and love. Revolutionary Love is the call of our times.” – Valarie Kaur, civil rights activist and founder of the Revolutionary Love Project
here is what we have done together:
1+ million views of TED talk
on "3 Lessons of Revolutionary Love in an Era of Rage" by founder Valarie Kaur
14 million+ people reached online
in our annual Valentine's Day campaign to
#reclaimlove as a force for justice, mobilizing...
550 PARTNERS + 120 THOUGHT LEADERS
+ 60,000 FOLLOWERS
inspiring panels with thought leaders
on Revolutionary Love, including Parker Palmer,
America Ferrera, Rabbi Sharon Brous, and Van Jones
the day of revolutionary love, day of rising
to reclaim love as a public ethic with V-Day, Women's March & Love Army and... 50 PARTNERS + 120 THOUGHT LEADERS + 60,000 FOLLOWERS
exclusive panel for nbc
to get underrepresented stories on TV with our partner Harness, resulting in first-ever TV moment with a Sikh on THIS IS US + more to be announced
thousands of dollars raised
to support visionary candidates in local elections, including the first Sikh mayor of a major US city
45,000 GOTV calls
to get out the vote and protect Muslim Americans from voter suppression in the 2016 election
emmy win!
for a groundbreaking episode on Sikhs in America
we helped make possible on CNN's United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell
200+ watch parties and dialogues
on how to practice Revolutionary Love
in the face of hate and white nationalism,
based on Kaur's TED talk
first-ever Revolutionary Love concert
featuring Ani di Franco, Ari Afsar, and more
producing music to root our movement in joy
320 grassroots leaders + 50,000 more online
equipped at the annual Revolutionary Love conferences hosted by Rev. Jacqui Lewis at Middle Church with Rev. William Barber, Van Jones & Bill Moyers
100 film screenings, workshops, & keynotes
to combat hate against Sikh & Muslim Americans, equipping 5000+ college students
hundreds of calls to congress
to defend threats to healthcare, economic justice, and net neutrality + to declare #NoMuslimBanEver and #FamiliesBelongTogether
first-ever leadership retreats
for Sikh American women justice leaders, with partners Auburn Seminary & The Sikh Coalition, providing support for 20 Sikh women leaders
and here’s where we’re going:
a tv series in development at nbc
a book with random house + curriculum
mai bhago retreat for sikh women leaders
#reclaimlove campaign
2/2019
