Community activist, civil rights lawyer and writer Arjun Singh Sethi to deliver convocation at Carleton

Sethi works closely with Muslim, Arab, South Asian and Sikh communities.

Luna Schindler-Payne '26 10 May 2023 Posted In:
Headshot of Arjun Singh Sethi
Arjun Singh Sethi

Community activist, civil rights lawyer and writer Arjun Singh Sethi will deliver the convocation address at Carleton on Friday, May 12 from 10:50 to 11:50 a.m. in Skinner Chapel. Sethi works closely with Muslim, Arab, South Asian and Sikh communities and is an expert in policing and counter terrorism reform, racial and religious profiling, and the best practices to combat hate violence. He is also actively involved in domestic and international surveillance issues and pre-arrest police civilian encounters, which include consensual stops, location tracking, predictive policing, biometric data collection and countering violent extremist programs. 

Sethi is co-chair of the American Bar Association’s National Committee on Homeland Security, Terrorism and the Treatment of Enemy Combatants and has served as a legal observer around the world. He previously served on the National Legislative Council for human rights and national security related affairs at the American Civil Liberties Union. Sethi is also an adjunct professor of law at both Georgetown University and Vanderbilt University. He also serves as an adviser for nonprofits and foundations on public policy, advocacy campaigns and rapid-response organizing. 

In 2018, Sethi published “American Hate: Survivors Speak Out,” which documents through testimonials the hate that impacted many people before and after the 2016 presidential election. It was named among the Best Books of 2018 by NPR. 

Sethi’s other works have appeared in many national outlets including CNN, The Guardian, Politico Magazine, USA Today and The Washington Post. He has also been widely quoted on television, radio and in print, including BBC World Radio, NPR, The Independent and The New York Times.

Based in Washington D.C., Sethi is a graduate of New York University and the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. 


This convocation will also be live streamed. Please register in advance to receive information on how to attend via Zoom.

Carleton convocations are free and open to the public. Find upcoming events and archived recordings on the convocations website. For more information, including disability accommodations, call 507-222-5461 or email nponder@carleton.edu.