“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced”
- James Baldwin
The South Asian Solidarity Movement (SASM) is a volunteer-powered community led by a multigenerational team of justice-oriented South Asians working to advance inclusion, anti-oppression, and cross-racial solidarity in Chicago.
Through educational programs and community gatherings, we create opportunities to learn, unlearn, and practice anti-oppression together — encouraging us to decolonize our minds, challenge inherited systems of harm, and move toward collective liberation.
While rooted in the South Asian diaspora, our community is proudly multiethnic, multilingual, multiracial, and multicultural. You do not have to be South Asian to join us. We believe our struggles are interconnected and our liberation is bound together.
New Year, New Beat: Finding Joy in Justice
JANURARY 23, 2026
6:30 PM
Healthy Hood Chicago
2242 South Damen Avenue
Chicago, IL 60608
As we step into 2026, the South Asian Solidarity Movement invites you to our first gathering of the new year—a night where community, culture, and collective liberation take center stage.
Join us for New Year, New Beat: Finding Joy in Justice, an immersive evening of reflection, rhythm, and resistance. Together, we’ll explore what it means to root ourselves in joy—not as an escape, but as a strategy for sustaining our movements and one another.
We are thrilled to partner with Healthy Hood and Bombay Eats to bring this experience to life. And we’re especially excited that SASM team member, Rahul Sharma, will be leading us in a transformative drum circle and dialogue on social justice, self-care, compassion fatigue, and the power of community rhythm.
Rahul is a musician, psychologist, and inclusion strategist who blends artistry and activism through his music and facilitation.
Join us on Friday, January 23rd for an evening rooted in connection, creativity, and collective care. Come ready to drum, reflect, release, and recommit to justice—using rhythm as our guide and community as our heartbeat. This gathering is open to anyone dedicated to building a more inclusive and just Chicago.
Let’s start 2026 with intention and rise together. 🔥🥁
Our Non-Profit Partners
The South Asian American diaspora is one of the fastest immigrant groups in the United States. Additionally, South Asians hold the highest percentage of wealth and educational attainment when compared to other racially minoritized communities in the United States. SASM’s social impact pillar was born out of the realization that as a collective community, we have an opportunity and responsibility to use our privilege to help create pathways towards the sense of belonging, success, and upward mobility of racially minoritized communities who have endured long standing systemic racism and discrimination.
The money raised through each of our activations goes directly towards supporting the work of non-profit organizations who work tirelessly to help create social change and social impact for historically excluded Chicago communities. Click the icons below to learn more about the non-profit partners we support.
Our Sponsors and Brand Partners
SASM is a 100% volunteer and grass roots effort. Our events are made possible by the generous brand partners and sponsors who contribute their skills, talents, and resources to support and amplify our mission. Click the icons below to learn more about these amazing organizations.
