Sec 01: Contemplations on Isabel Wilkerson's Caste (2020) by Judi Freeman https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a Post BRIEFLY/SUCCINCTLY on this Padlet: (1) why you think should others read Caste (2) the most powerful story/anecdote/observation/quote that you discovered EITHER in your assigned section OR in one of the summarized sections you looked at during the breakout room session. en-us 2020-12-20 23:03:04 UTC 2025-10-27 15:39:47 UTC hello@padlet.com Paola Meadows-Muriel https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036158728 Others should read Caste to understand the significance behind why America is the way that it is. While reading you can easily see how issues of the past connect to today and why our society gives some people a lot of power over others. While reading pillar 7 something that struck me was how deeply caste can change us. Many African Americans went through psychological degradation that then kept them in the cycle of violence. This torture is still seen today and connects to so many other parts of what it means to be a Black person living in America. For example the use or marijuana helped in calming Black Americans because they are constantly living in fear of their lives, but marijuana was criminalized so they no longer had that outlet that had brought them peace of mine during their turbulent lives. In conclusion it is necessary for people to read Caste because it gives very valubale insight into the past and how it connects to today. ]]> 2020-12-21 15:16:04 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036158728 Jesse Correll jcorrell4 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036159364 Others should read Caste because it offers a unique way of understanding the systems of racial hierarchy in America. It gives in depth analysis how, when and why discriminatory systems were put in place.  Wilkerson is able tie all her points back to the common theme of castes. The section that stood out most to me was my section in which Wilkerson essentially said that the lowest caste is supposed to remain at the bottom and any time they try to create personal success for themselves they're viewed as a threat and pushed down. Unfortunately in the united states this took form in lynchings and abuse against black people whos only crime was trying or being more successful than their white counterparts.]]> 2020-12-21 15:16:22 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036159364 Danny Nguyen dnguyen771 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036162004 Others should read Caste by Isabel Wilkerson because it provides an insightful way to look at the class structure of America and how this is linked to the history of racial stratification. Although the main focus was on the word "caste," Wilkerson uses many analogies especially in Pillar 4 in order to show how this term can be interchangeable with other social class terminology and does not necessarily apply to only India. I found the examples of a "scapegoat" and "omega" subordinate class to be quite interesting since they are terms that originate with animals and have either a cultural or predatory significance. Wilkerson does a great job explaining these comparisons and would then list specific examples of African Americans struggling to leave this lower class. ]]> 2020-12-21 15:17:33 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036162004 Eileen Ledesma https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036163162 Everyone should read caste because of how informative and up to date it is. It brings awareness to all the problems the world refuses to talk about and ties it to a common denominator: caste.   Something that stood out to me from one of the summaries is that if white people went through at least 1% of what black people endured daily, they would be "woke" and understand the injustices that go on because of race. ]]> 2020-12-21 15:18:02 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036163162 Regina Chiem rchiem https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036165602 Wilkerson's Caste puts a microscope on what caste means, its origins, it's relations to the world around us and how it is perceived today, by giving a surrounded report, readers are able to look through caste through many lenses. while reading chapter 3 section 1, Toxins in the Permafrost and Heating Rising All around, a quote about caste's relevancy globally stuck out to me. “I had been writing about a stigmatized people, six million of them, who were seeking freedom from the caste system in the South, only to discover that the hierarchy followed them wherever they went, much in the way that the shadow of caste, I would soon discover, followed Indians in their own global diaspora.”]]> 2020-12-21 15:19:08 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036165602 Aidan Osowiecki https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036167455 Everyone should read Caste because it sheds light on the contradiction between how global society depicts America and what our country's actual actions emphasize. For example, I thought the most powerful observation that anyone made was that the US's racial power structure is similar to that of India's caste system because it is formed by the acceptance and castes of this social order.]]> 2020-12-21 15:19:46 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036167455 Deanna Ruelo druelo2 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036168406 Others should read Caste because it offers a much more lateral way of thinking about the hierarchy in America which enables racial prejudice and discrimination, instead of solely thinking about race and class as being the main factors. Wilkerson is able to explain how the caste system, a social construct not only applicable to the U.S. but other parts of the world, gives power to race and class. A particular observation I made in Part 1, chapter 1, was that Wilkerson mentioned how the caste system, although seemingly invisible, is present in our everyday lives, and is timeless. The fact that caste is a "fixed and rigid" concept makes it much harder to observe in real-time and the fact that it is not as easy as something we can name like "race" or "class" is what causes its internalization in American history and our present. ]]> 2020-12-21 15:20:10 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036168406 Greg Rosenkranz grosenkranz1 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036168741 I think Caste is important for people to read because it digs extremely deep into the dark history of race based hierarchy in the United States, providing startling information new to most readers. It also introduces new ways of thinking about the structure of our society as it compares to other systems such as Nazi Germany and the caste system in India, which are important to consider. What I found most powerful was this quote from a Nazi: "I am of the opinion that we need to proceed with the same primitivity that is used by these American states. Such a procedure would be crude but it would suffice.”]]> 2020-12-21 15:20:18 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036168741 Tandin Johnson Ward tjohnsonward https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036169214 Everyone should read Isabel Wilkerson's Caste because it brings attention to the caste systems that still exist in the world and in the country today. We may not like to think that there is a caste system in the United States, but in her book, Wilkerson points out the similarities between the racial hierarchy in this country and caste systems in other countries. The most powerful story I read was about a white police officer who was convicted of killing a black man, and when she was sentenced she was comforted by those in the room and the man’s brother forgave her. It was surprising that members of the “subordinate class” comforted and forgave someone of the “dominant caste” when this would be very unlikely to happen the other way around. 


]]> 2020-12-21 15:20:30 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036169214 Addy Krom akrom https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036169281 Everyone should read Caste because Isabel Wilkerson writes about race and social standings in new way as we are desensitized to how social standings are determined. Wilkerson additionally goes into the intersectionality of how race and all other aspects of our society contribute to and maintain the social order of America. But caste has a much more negative connotation than the term social classes, as it relates to other countries, such as India, where they view the lower classes as being inherently inferior and some even untouchable. It might seem like America is different, but a quote from Caste's 2nd part exposes how America is not so different after all: “The supremacist police chief, Bull Connor, had a favorite in that 1961 race. He decided to secure the election of the man he wanted to win by framing the man he wanted to lose: he paid a black man to shake the opposing candidate’s hand in public as a photographer lay in wait. The story took up a full page in a local newspaper, and the opponent lost the election as Bull Connor knew he would,” (Wilkerson 54). It shows that America does have a caste system, even with its own version of the untouchables. ]]> 2020-12-21 15:20:32 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036169281 Emma Lu elu41 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036170926 I think everyone should read Caste by Isabel Wilkerson because it delves so deeply and through so many areas of how we segregate and classify humans, both in our country, and in relation to the world. It is able to connect big and global patterns of castes, while also capturing specific, moving stories we otherwise might not have heard of. 

I think the most powerful observation from the stories I read, in my section and in Lilah's section, is this issue of "contamination." It's just so visceral, and seeing how Black children could not even touch the water of a swimming pool shared by white people shows just how deeply rooted our prejudices are. Especially in a pandemic or time of real contamination, it seems there really is a fear or disgust that exists, as well as deeply root sense of superiority. This hits home for me, knowing this can even exist in Boston, and not too long ago, in the form of blueberry muffins. ]]> 2020-12-21 15:21:13 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036170926 Rachel Roncka rroncka https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036171566 Others should read Caste because it explores the many ways this caste/racial hierarchy manifests in our society, and provides historical context for how this came to be. The section I read described how after the Civil War, laws, social conditions, and stereotypes contributed to the occupational hierarchy that kept African Americans at the bottom. I was able to connect this to what I now know about the lack of economic mobility in this country, and I believe one could find many more connections throughout the whole book.
The most upsetting section that I read about was the one on experiments done on African Americans during slavery. Scientists went as far as to cut open a Black baby's head for the sake of research. They treated Black women as if they were just lab specimens to dissect, and it's troubling to think that these forced procedures are the foundation of modern life saving treatments. This history of experimentation also shines a light on the current distrust of vaccines within some African American communities. Wilkerson includes many other examples like this that help us to better understand the current state of our society, and to confront our own short sighted perception of it.]]> 2020-12-21 15:21:29 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036171566 Elisa Marco https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036173104 Others should read Caste because it gives insight into the specifics of this American caste system. It dives into the hard truths of our country, and uncovers surprising facts that the average person may not have been aware of. I found that it used hard facts to show the racial and political divide that currently resides in America. One interesting observation that I made was the fact that white Americans were willing to give up their own comfort for the sake keeping their position in the caste system. It's shocking how far a certain group of people will go in order to be superior to another race. ]]> 2020-12-21 15:22:10 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036173104 Lilah Gutlerner lgutlerner https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036174336 Everyone should read Caste because of how it uncovers the truths of American society. Most people think that we have nothing like the caste system that is in place in India, when in reality our country is built on layers of racism that are very similar. After reading any section of Caste, there is no way to deny that there is extreme racism and segregation that still really exists today]]> 2020-12-21 15:22:40 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036174336 Vanessa Coreas https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036174467 Everyone should read Caste because Isabel Wilkerson goes into depth about the foundations of the caste system that is/was enforced in society in America. The section I found most interesting was “The human meaning of caste for those who live it is power and vulnerability, privilege and oppression, honor and denigration, plenty and want, reward and deprivation, security and anxiety”. I thought this pretty much summed up the lives of the upper and lower caste people in that the upper caste always had positive and glorified lives, while the lower caste lived unfair lives and it was unfortunately based on their skin color. This book is very informative because it educates the reader on the deeply rooted racism in America's history and how it is still relevant today.]]> 2020-12-21 15:22:44 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036174467 Silvia Guarnotta sguarnotta https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036177902 Others should read Caste because it provides information about the racial inequities within the Caste system throughout history. It sheds light on the issues society has hidden and the injustice within the hierarchical structure. Through stories of groups that were discriminated against, she illustrates the deep rooted problems in the world. One story that really stood out to me was in 2015, a picture was taken of a black boy hugging a police officer. The boy had been adopted by two white women who abused and manipulated him by exploiting their higher status. When they were about to get caught they took the children and drove off of a cliff. This was a horrific story to read about and truly reveals how unjust the class system is.


]]> 2020-12-21 15:24:14 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036177902 Everybody should read Caste because it provides a very different way of looking at American racism than we are used to and explains how and why racism is so pervasive. The most powerful story I read was that of the "Brown Eyes vs. Blue Eyes" experiement, as I found it powerful and shocking to see how quickly children internalized assigned prejudice bgillespie8 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036178156 2020-12-21 15:24:19 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036178156 Brendan Mullen bmullen11 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036178347 Everyone should read Caste because Isabel Wilkerson gives insight on the class hierarchy in the U.S. which is seldom discussed in our society. Caste also addresses how the class hierarchy is inseparable from race in America, and connects that fact to other historically significant caste systems around the world]]> 2020-12-21 15:24:24 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036178347 Jack Trapanick jtrapanick https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036179613 Caste is so important because it almost takes an "outsider's," or at least globa/objective perspective, to American racism. We're so used to hearing about racism within a domestic context, and in this way we've grown very used to its horrors, but by comparing to other systems and applying a new term to it, Wilkerson forces us to consider the realities of racism and helps us break free of how accustomed we are to American racism, and see it in all its evil. Most powerful thing for me was how much the Nazis admired American racist legal system... it makes perfect sense but you would never think of it before, and it reinforces just how bad Jim Crow was.]]> 2020-12-21 15:24:57 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036179613 Grace Pham gpham21 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036185721 Everyone should read Caste because it details very well the connections between the caste system in India and our own system in America. It explains how the caste system is translated in our society and culture. The book highlights the issues of discrimination and racism, especially towards African Americans, are still present today. It helps us realize that we learn to internalize stereotypes, prejudices, and social hierarchies at a very young age. A powerful anecdote that stood out to me was when Tushar asked her what “American caste” she would be in, not being aware of the assumptions about her background.]]> 2020-12-21 15:27:46 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036185721 Aidan Chen achen332 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036189569 Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste is unique, not in how it highlights the rigid hierarchy of American society, but rather how it does so in terms of a system which many people associate with foreign countries. Caste terminology is rarely touched upon within the history of the United States, yet Wilkerson utilizes poignant analogies and direct comparisons to American historical events in order to depict her point of view. The redefining of the American social hierarchy as a caste is a momentous action, given the context behind that label; Wilkerson’s novel is a must-read as it tears away our preconceived notions about race within American culture and reveals the truth behind it. A quote from Caste’s second chapter perfectly encapsulates her message: “We in the developed world are like homeowners who inherited a house on a piece of land that is beautiful on the outside, but whose soil is unstable loam and rock, heaving and contracting over generations, cracks patched but the deeper ruptures waved away for decades, centuries even. Many people may rightly say, “I had nothing to do with how this all started. I had nothing to do with the sins of the past. My ancestors never attacked indigenous people, never owned slaves.” And yes. Not one of us was here when this house was built. Our immediate ancestors may have had nothing to do with it, but here we are, the current occupants of a property with stress cracks and bowed walls and fissures built into the foundation. We are heirs to whatever is right or wrong with it. We did not erect the uneven pillars or joists, but they are ours to deal with now. And any further deterioration is, in fact, on our hands.” (p. 16) 


]]> 2020-12-21 15:29:26 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036189569 Ziqi Zhen zzhen https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036214558 Caste is an important work to read through because it lays out important observations that we as society might have thought or seen or learned, but have never looked at it in such a comprehensive way in order to analyze the reasoning and the effects of a "caste" system, especially in a place like America which regards itself as being superior to the archaic systems in other places. Wilkerson isn't arguing which country has it worse, instead she wants to show the how the idea of a caste transcends , time, culture and society.
I think one of the most fascinating and shocking thing that I noticed is how the perceived imbalance of the caste can cause a group of people, in this case poor middle-aged white men, doubt their sense of worth and push them into death or circumstances that will ultimately lead them into death. The structure of a caste keeps not just those who are the very bottom in their place, it also keeps those in  the middle or just above the very bottom feel a sense of worth and strength. They want the system to keep existing if nothing else just to feel some sort of power, which most of the time is power that is perceived only through the mind.]]> 2020-12-21 15:39:54 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036214558 mia chow mchow7 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036215916 Others should read Caste by Isabel Wilkerson because it offers a complete dissection of the racial hierarchies in America through the lens of a caste system. By comparing race in America to the caste system found in India, Wilkerson effectively ties racial hierarchies to our society. Instead of it merely being a negative aspect, racial hierarchies, or castes, are almost like the building blocks of the society we live in. Wilkerson dives into the construction of the caste system in America, and effectively connects it to global patterns and historical events. 
 One of the most powerful stories I read was Jane Elliot’s experiment “Brown Eyes vs. Blue Eyes” It was so shocking to see how quickly her students internalized prejudice, and how quickly those of the upper caste (children with blue eyes in this case) were able to weaponize the power they were assigned.


]]> 2020-12-21 15:40:32 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036215916 dnguyen821 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036929319 Others should read Caste because it presents the reality of American and it's landscape. It portrays the US in a accurate way, showing that the lives lived by different races will have completely different experiences. The most powerful quote I've seen was "The [2016 Presidential] election would set the United States on a course toward isolationism, tribalism, the walling in and protecting of one's own, the worship of wealth and acquisition at the expense of others, even of the planet itself. After the votes have been counted and the billionaire declared the winner, to the shock of the world [...] a man on a golf course in Georgia could feel freer to express himself. He was a son of the Confederacy [...] The election was a victory for him and the social order he had been born to." This was so powerful as Trump's nomination in 2016 did set the course for how America would change.]]> 2020-12-21 23:29:18 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1036929319 rmook https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1037965296 I think it is important for everyone to read Isabel Wilkerson's Caste because it explains the effects that slavery and racist hierarchies still  have on America today. It goes into how they are still in place (though our mindsets). One thing that I found extremely shocking was the fact that Nazi Germany acquired their ideas by studying the U.S.]]> 2020-12-22 13:26:45 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/18h7jmhokldirz8a/wish/1037965296