Lori Saroya began experiencing racism at a very young age. Extensive racial and cultural discrimination during her childhood—combined with the climate in the U.S. following the September 11 attacks—led directly to Saroya’s anti-racism work in the community. “When I was growing up, the most difficult part of discrimination wasn’t the acts themselves, but the feeling of disempowerment. My family didn’t know how to make it stop,” Saroya says. 

Today, she chairs the Board of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a nonprofit she co-founded in 2007. It is the only Muslim civil rights organization in the state. 

Saroya is dedicated to fighting discrimination, defamation and hate crimes against Muslims and other minority groups. She facilitates community dialogues to support those who might lack the necessary resources or knowledge about their legal rights, and also spends time educating others about Muslim culture and practices. 

“Doing this work has shown me how widespread racism really is,” said Saroya. “It makes me realize how important it is for people who have the skills and knowledge to use those skills to give back to the community.”