WASHINGTON — During the United We Stand summit Thursday, the Biden administration honored 16 “Uniters,” individuals from across America that the White House recognized as individuals “working to bring their communities together across lines of racial, religious, political and other differences to prevent acts of hate-fueled violence, promote healing where such violence has had devastating consequences, and build unity.”

One such Uniter is Valarie Kaur of Los Angeles.

Kaur is a Sikh American civil rights leader, lawyer, filmmaker and author of the book See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love. Her activism began after a family friend, Balbir Singh Sodhi, was killed days after 9/11.

“I was a kid in college. His murder really turned me into an activist. And for the last two decades, I've been working with the Sikh community and other communities to combat hate in America,” Kaur told Spectrum News during her visit to the White House.

Kaur now leads the Revolutionary Love Project, which “inspires and equips people to build beloved communities where they are.”

“All of us have a role to play, and building an America that is truly safe and free for all of us. And that when we lead with love, love for others, even love for our opponents and love for ourselves. That's how we last,” said Kaur.

“My role is to equip people with the practical tools to lead with wonder, to be brave with our grief, to harness our rage, to listen across lines of difference, and to reimagine solutions for all of us,” she added.

The summit was intended to get to the root of hate crimes — those motivated by racism, white supremacy, or anti-gay prejudices, such as the grocery store shooting in Buffalo earlier this year, and the Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018.

“The United We Stand Summit will present an important opportunity for Americans of all races, religions, regions, political affiliations, and walks of life to take up that cause together,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in August, when the summit was first announced.