Attorney General Gurbir Grewal To Speak At Rider

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal will discuss Rider University’s 2018-19 Shared Read, “How Does it Feel to Be a Problem? Being Young and Arab in America,” during an event later this month at the university.

He will also discuss his own obstacles in life and politics during “An Evening with Hon. Gurbir Grewal” on Monday, Oct. 29.

He will share his experiences of growing up in New Jersey as the son of Indian immigrants, and how he deals with routine death threats and hate. In July, he was singled out by two radio hosts who singled him out for observing his faith by wearing a turban. The NJ 101.5 hosts were temporarily suspended for their comments.

He will also discuss his vision for New Jersey to lead the nation in protecting the civil rights of all people.
Grewal is the first Sikh-American Attorney General in New Jersey history. Previously he served as county prosecutor in Bergen County, where he was the first Sikh American in the country to be named a county prosecutor.

The book focuses on Arab Americans, but Rebovich Institute Director Micah Rasmussen thought Grewal would be a good fit to discuss the issues presented in the book.

“I sent him a copy of the book to ask him if he would be interested in coming to campus, and he generously agreed,” Rasmussen said. “I'm incredibly excited for the evening. He is so widely admired for the grace with which he talks about his own experiences of growing up as a Sikh-American in New Jersey. It will be a tremendous learning experience for all of us.”

Rider’s Shared Read program is designed for incoming freshmen and open to the entire campus community. Each freshman is given a book to read over the summer and must complete assignments related to it at orientation. Throughout the school year, there are also additional events tied into the Shared Read, such as Grewal's visit. The book's author, Moustafa Bayoumi, spoke at the university on Oct. 2.

This event is free and open to the public and campus community. The opening reception begins at 6:30 p.m. in North Hall 202 with the program and Q&A session starting at 7 p.m.

Advance reservations to attend are requested by visiting rider.edu/grewal. Questions about the program should be directed to Susan Cuccia at 609-896-5350 or scuccia@rider.edu.

The Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University will host the event.

RSVP for An Evening with Hon. Gurbir Grewal

Patch file photo