Indian-origin Manpreet Monica Singh, the first woman Sikh judge in the US, was sworn in as a Harris county judge. With her husband and two children, Singh now resides in Bellaire where she was born and raised.
On Friday, she took the oath of office as a judge in Texas’ Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 4. Early in the 1970s, Singh’s father emigrated to the US. She has 20 years of experience as a trial lawyer and has been active in various local, state, and federal civil rights groups.
“It means a lot to me because I represent H-town (a nickname of Houston) the most, so for it to be us, I’m happy for it,” she said at the oath ceremony. The ceremony was presided over by Indian-American Judge Ravi Sandill, the first South Asian judge in the state, and it took place in a jam-packed courtroom.
Sandill said, “When they see someone of color, someone a little different, they know that possibility is available to them. Manpreet is not only an ambassador for Sikhs, but she’s an ambassador for all women of colour.”
There are 20,000 Sikhs in the Houston region out of an estimated 500,000 in the US. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said, “It was a proud day for the Sikh Community, but also a proud day for all people of Colour who see the Diversity of the City of Houston in the Diversity of the Court”.
