Sonali Kolhatkar is a columnist for Truthdig. She also is the founder, host and executive producer of "Rising Up With Sonali," a television and radio show that airs on Free Speech TV (Dish Network,...
Sonali Kolhatkar is a columnist for Truthdig. She also is the founder, host and executive producer of "Rising Up With Sonali," a television and radio show that airs on Free Speech TV (Dish Network, DirecTV, Roku) and Pacifica stations KPFK, KPFA and affiliates. She is the founder and former host and producer of KPFK Pacifica’s popular morning drive-time program “Uprising." She is also co-director of the Afghan Women’s Mission, a U.S.-based nonprofit solidarity organization that funds the social, political and humanitarian projects of RAWA.
Kolhatkar is the author, with James Ingalls, of "Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords, and the Propaganda of Silence" (2006). She has also contributed to “September 11, 2001: Feminist Perspectives” and “Stop the Next War Now! Effective Responses to Violence & Terrorism.” She has spoken at hundreds of college campuses and community centers about media, women’s rights, foreign policy and more.
Kolhatkar has been recognized for her work by a number of community organizations including Hunger Action LA, South Asian Network, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance and Sunset Hall. In 2004 she received the Phenomenal Woman Award from the Cal State Northridge Women’s Studies Department. She won Los Angeles Press Club awards for best TV anchor in 2015 and best election-related columnist in 2017.
Kolhatkar's educational background is as interesting as it is diverse: She holds a Master of Science in astrophysics from the University of Hawaii and a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Bachelor of Arts in astronomy from the University of Texas. She was born and raised in the United Arab Emirates to Indian parents and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2009. She is also an artist who has exhibited her works numerous times and sells her crafts at farmers markets. She lives with her spouse and two children in Pasadena, Calif.
Sonali Kolhatkar endorses Truthdig
Please support Truthdig as an oasis of journalism at a time when press freedom is rapidly eroding.
What I appreciate most about Truthdig, where I've been a regular writer for the last few years, is the editorial freedom it gives me and the respect with which its owners, editors and staff treat me. It's not easy being a journalist these days and even less so as a woman of color with strongly progressive views considered radical in the corporate media realm. In Truthdig I have found a wonderful home for my views and analysis. It is an outlet that treats its readers with dignity -- a rare quality in online print media these days. Please support Truthdig as an oasis of journalism at a time when press freedom is rapidly eroding. Our democracy depends on it!
Sonali Kolhatkar / TruthdigJan 4, 2014
In 2014, legislation and labor actions could narrow the gap between the rich and the poor. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )
Sonali Kolhatkar / TruthdigDec 6, 2013
Over the past 50 years, the city of Los Angeles has made great strides to curb its smog problems by cutting vehicle emissions. But now, the emerging "fracking" industry threatens to undo much of that progress by wantonly spewing toxic chemicals into the air.By wantonly spewing toxic chemicals into the air, the emerging "fracking" industry threatens to undo much of the progress Los Angeles has made to curb smog pollution over the past 50 years. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Sonali Kolhatkar / TruthdigNov 29, 2013
The United States' vast and indiscriminate worldwide surveillance of ordinary people and heads of state has no historical precedent. Now countries around the world are fighting back using the United Nations as a vehicle for change.Countries around the world are fighting back against surveillance using the United Nations as a vehicle for change. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Sonali Kolhatkar / TruthdigNov 21, 2013
Lobbyists for military contractors are swarming all over Capitol Hill these days in a frenzy to stave off automatic budget cuts as part of the second wave of sequestration, due in January.Lobbyists for military contractors are swarming all over Capitol Hill these days in a frenzy to stave off automatic budget cuts. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )
Sonali Kolhatkar / TruthdigNov 15, 2013
The Philippines, which is one of the poorest and least developed nations on the planet, has had little hand in creating the conditions that nurtured Typhoon Haiyan (or Yolanda, as it's known locally), possibly the worst storm in recorded human history.The Philippines, which is one of the poorest and least developed nations on the planet, had little hand in creating the conditions that nurtured Typhoon Haiyan. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )
Sonali Kolhatkar / TruthdigNov 8, 2013
Perhaps seeing gun violence as part of the pattern of domestic terrorism will do more to move the needle on gun control. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )
Sonali Kolhatkar / TruthdigOct 31, 2013
Costumes for little girls are now firmly part of the trend toward an overly sexualized Halloween celebration. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Sonali Kolhatkar / TruthdigOct 18, 2013
I asked Ayers, the man many Americans know as the “unrepentant domestic terrorist,” to share his advice for young Americans today. He had three basic tenets. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )
Sonali Kolhatkar / TruthdigOct 11, 2013
Contrary to her small stature, Afghan activist Malalai Joya is a towering figure among ordinary Afghans. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Sonali Kolhatkar / TruthdigOct 9, 2013
Undocumented students use a bold new strategy in their pursuit of documents, diplomas and immigration reform. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )
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