Jagdish A. Singh, Chesapeake, term expires, 6/30/11
Jagdish was born on August 17, 1936, in a small village - Haveli Chobdar, Punjab, India, the second of seven children. She was reared in a multi-generational family of parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and lots of cousins. She is happily married to Dr. Amarjit Singh and is blessed with five daughters and five grandchildren. She became a naturalized citizen of the United States of America in 1970.
Mrs.Singh earned a Bachelors Degree from Baring Union Christian College in Batala, Punjab, India in 1957. She earned a B.Ed degree in Physical Ed and Health 1962 from the YMCA College in Madras, India. She furthered her education with a Master of Science in Education from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia in 1974.
Achievements, Community Work, Honors and Awards
Mrs. Singh is dedicated to sharing the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with all of society. Her daily life is a living example of love, compassion, and friendship. She actively supports human rights, social justice, peace, harmony throughout the world. The Virginia Beach Commission of Human Rights awarded her a Human Rights Award for her contributions to recognition of diversity within communities and cultures for the Multi Cultural Programs in the school curriculum. She was instrumental in persuading seven Mayors and the Governor of Virginia to recognize and observe the annual season for non-violence from January 30 th to April 4 th.
Mrs. Singh is active in numerous organizations and has been recognized as an effective leader in American main stream society. She is Chairperson of the Hampton Roads Chapter of the Indian American Forum for Political Education, Founder and President of the Punjabi Society of Hampton Roads whose membership includes Pakistan and Asian Indian People from the State of Punjab India. She is a founding member and President of the Guru Nanak Foundation of Tidewater, a Sikh Religious Organization; President of the Citizens First Network, Non-Profit Advocacy Organization; Founding member and President of the Asian Indian Association of Tidewater; Founding member of the Women’s Alliance of Virginia; President of Asian Indians of Hampton Roads, 2005 – Present; Chair of the Education Committee in the Multi Cultural Alliance of Virginia, 2000 – Present; Chair of the Organizing Committee of the Asian Pacific American Heritage Organization, 2005; Chair of the Public Relations Committee in Sangeet Sargam, an Indian American Music Society of Hampton Roads and a member of the Art and Music Society of Hampton Roads.
Governor Mark Warner appointed Mrs. Singh to the Virginia Council on Human Rights. She was a member of the Virginia Beach Diversity Task Force. She was a member of the Organizing Committee, Media Forum to cover Diversity News in Virginia.
Mrs. Singh was the recipient of the ''Implement the King Dream'' Award on January 16, 2001.
Following September 11, 2001 Mrs. Singh organized an Interfaith Prayer Meeting and Candlelight Vigil with other communities to honor the victims and their families. Christmas, 2001, she organized a ''Christmas Tree Lighting'' ceremony to honor the Children of the World who lost their parents in the terrorist attacks.
She organized a Forum for the Patriot Act to create awareness in the Hampton Roads Community about rights and privileges in the wake of Homeland Security and implications of its laws.
Mrs. Singh was commended by the Virginia Senate and the House of Delegates, by Joint Resolution 288, for selfless activism for fairness, justice and decency, 2003.
Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf proclaimed February 16, 2003 as “Singh Day″ in recognition of her outstanding community services.
She was awarded the YMCA ''Mary Helen Thomas Award for Social Justice'' in 2002 and in 2003 was recognized as the Woman of the Year by the Norfolk Chapter of the Islamic Political Party of America.
She attended the first Bhartya Pravasi Divas, New Delhi, India in 2004 and was recognized with a Human Rights Award by the Virginia Beach Human Rights Commission in 2004. She organized a Sikh Prayer in the Joint Session of the Virginia Senate and the House of Delegates, 2004.
Mrs. Singh adopted a children’s school in India and continues to assist with the financial resources required to operate the school. She made a special trip to India to help victims of the Gujarat earthquake. She was an instrumental part of passing a resolution to bring the NRIs and the PIOs together to work with their counterparts in India including the Indian Administration.
Complaints of possible violations of the Act may be filed with:
Human Rights Council
Sandra D. Norman, Director
1220 Bank Street
Jefferson Building, 3rd floor
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 225-2292
The HR Study and the Submit a Complaint form are in .pdf format and require Adobe Acrobat Reader.
To obtain a free copy of the Reader, visit the Adobe website.