Raquel Evita Saraswati (born Rachel Elizabeth Seidel and also known as Raquel Evita Seidel) is an American activist.[1][2]

Career

Saraswati gained prominence when she appeared on CNN alongside conservative commentator Glenn Beck in 2007 and later made appearances on Fox News and Newsmax.[2][3][4] In 2013, she worked on a film produced by the Clarion Project, an organization labeled by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a producer of "rabidly anti-Muslim films".[2][3][4] She has also been associated with the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, a group that has faced accusations of promoting Islamophobia.[2][3]

In a shift from her earlier affiliations, Saraswati later engaged in progressive activism, focusing on LGBTQ+ rights and diversity issues.[2] She served as the chair of the commission on LGBT affairs in the Philadelphia mayor's office before her appointment at the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), in June 2021.[2] She served as the chief equity, inclusion, and culture officer at the AFSC until 2023, when she resigned after anonymous allegations were made in a public open letter that included claims she misrepresented her ethnic background.[4][2][5]

In 2019, Saraswati was included in The New Philly Power list.[6]

Saraswati is also the founder of Sacred Justice, an interfaith group.[7][8]

Personal life

According to her mother, Saraswati was born to an Italian father and a mother of German and British descent.[2] Saraswati has claimed to be Latina, South Asian, and Arab.[2] She converted to Islam in high school and identifies as a queer.[2][3][5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Castillo, Amaris (April 17, 2023). "How a Philadelphia Inquirer reporter found nuance in a local 'Rachel Dolezal situation'".
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Speri, Alice (February 16, 2023). "Progressive Group Roiled by Accusations Diversity Leader Misrepresented Her Ethnic Background". The Intercept.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Mikati, Massarah (March 20, 2023). "Raquel Evita Saraswati pretended to be a woman of color. Her deception traumatized the communities she claimed to help". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  4. 1 2 3 "Philly diversity exec, former FOX pundit, resigns amid claims she lied about her race". The News Journal.
  5. 1 2 Mikati, Massarah (September 10, 2023). "Raquel Saraswati denies allegations that she lied about her race". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  6. ↑ "New Philly Power: 38 Philadelphians Shaking Up the Status Quo". March 14, 2019.
  7. ↑ Owens, Ernest (April 7, 2017). "LGBTQ&A: Raquel Evita Saraswati". Philadelphia.
  8. ↑ "CNN.com - Transcripts". edition.cnn.com.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.