Sec 04: Contemplating Isabel Wilkerson's Caste (2020) by Judi Freeman https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol 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 23:08:06 UTC 2021-05-13 01:20:24 UTC hello@padlet.com Leah Prizant lprizant https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035951957 1.  People need to read Caste to understand how similar the American social hierarchy is to the Indian caste system in its blatant dehumanization of African Americans over the course of 4 centuries. 
2. The most powerful story in my Chapter, Chapter 3, was when Martin Luther King Jr. travelled to India to speak to the Untouchables, the lowest caste. After being called an American Untouchable by an Indian official, he realized how similar the treatment of African Americans is to the Untouchables in India.

]]> 2020-12-21 13:49:19 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035951957 Tiffany Trinh https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035952472 I believe that "Caste" can be categorized into the "100 Must-Reads Before You Die"or some other category along those lines because I do think that this is really important for everyone to know and understand. Caste systems have historically changed many people's lives and has made a large impact on the way we see other people, and ourselves. It dives deep into the foundation of castes and how starting from there, it ranks people based off of "importance." One very powerful quote from my chapter is "The United States alone create a system based on racial absolutism, the idea that a single drop of African blood, or.... Asian or Native American blood, could taint the purity of someone who might otherwise be...European, a stain that would thus disqualify the person from admittance to the dominant caste.”]]> 2020-12-21 13:49:34 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035952472 Sophia Ahearn sahearn4 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035953136 1. I think the most important reason why people should read caste is because it is not a news outlet. citizens today need to understand how non-political racism (caste) are. And by reading a source separate from the news they will be able to understand the severity of this situation. 
2. The most powerful quote that I heard was on Leah's section. The quote compares DNA to the caste system. This is so scary because our DNA is just something that is rooted in us and we really has no effect on how it codes and what it does to our body. And so this means we have no way to change this system and it is just embedded in us. Which to me is very scary.]]> 2020-12-21 13:49:55 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035953136 Josie Bailey https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035953312 I believe that people should read Caste because it is very eye opening and it gave me better insight into our country and the way power works in it. My particular section discussed the racism that plagued America during Obama's presidency and how his election into office shook the power dynamic of the country. There is one particular quote I found interesting that describe the "shift" in power in the country's caste. “This was something that no one in the dominant caste, or any other group in the country, for that matter, had ever had to contemplate. It meant that people who had always been first now had to consider the potential loss of their centrality. For many, “the ability of a black person to supplant the racial caste system,” wrote the political scientist Andra Gillespie of Emory University, was “the manifestation of a nightmare which would need to be resisted."]]> 2020-12-21 13:50:00 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035953312 Shamir Remy https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035953788 1. Isabel Wilkerson's Caste provides the reader with an in-depth look on the American social hierarchy that exists in today's society. She educates the reader on many aspects of the caste system in America, and provides us with comparisons to help us better understand why it is imperative that we bring up the hierarchy that exists today. Chances are, those who read this book are either going to have a completely new perspective on some of the issues that face our nation today, or they'll be dumbfounded by how much information is presented in the book. 
2. The most powerful observation I made while reading my section was learning about the curse of Ham. Until now, I wasn't fully aware of how Europeans used the Bible as a justification for their treatment of black people. I never knew that the social hierarchy was formed in part by that story in the Bible]]> 2020-12-21 13:50:14 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035953788 Samuel Ringrose sringrose1 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035954095 1. People should read Caste because it tells a very complex and serious story in language that most people will be able to understand. The book skillfully intertwines various concepts with real world examples of those same concepts, meaning that readers are able to recognize examples of such concepts in their own communities. 
2.The most powerful story that I read was about how in America, slave owners and confederate soldiers are often praised and are immortalized in statues and in the names of official buildings, whereas in other countries, people on the same level of evil are certainly not praised, and the victims of such atrocities receive the recognition that they deserve.]]> 2020-12-21 13:50:24 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035954095 Willa Davis wdavis36 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035954317 I definitely agree with Grace Connolly when she says that Caste provides a unique perspective on racism and discrimination in the United States. I have read multiple books on race and systemic oppression, and this has been the most influential by far. Caste is eye opening, and real. Wilkerson gives perspectives and connections that many wouldn't think to make. An example of this, and also one of the most eye opening stories I read was from my section (though there were many). This story recounts the 2nd Word War, while France and The U.S. were fighting alongside each other. The French treated soldiers based on rank, not race, so they were very friendly/respectful with all the black soldiers. The U.S. literally had to tell them to stop treating black men as equals, and that they must discriminate against/segregate them. This blew my mind. It really put into perspective how disgusting and unique America's racism is. It really gave perspective on how other countries view us, and how it is much more like a caste than we would like to admit.]]> 2020-12-21 13:50:31 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035954317 Xinyan Chen xchen25 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035954385 1. I believe that others should read Caste because it gives an insight on where the caste system and social hierarchy stems from and how it is continuing to affect the society today. The book raises many important issues in America that is not often discussed in mainstream media. I think that as a citizen of this country, it is critical that people know the problems surrounding them so that they can help make change.
2. The most powerful quote in my assigned chapter was at the end of the chapter where the German students acknowledge that it is important to remember history and it's their responsibility to educate the future generations on what happened during the Holocaust.]]> 2020-12-21 13:50:33 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035954385 Michael Lee mlee228 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035956455 1. Other people should read caste because it isn't something people hear about in everyday news, yet it's like the unspoken social foundation of America.

2. The most powerful quote I found was "If there is anything that distinguishes caste, however, it is, first, the policing of roles expected of people based on what they look like, and, second, the monitoring of boundaries…” (P. 216)]]> 2020-12-21 13:51:38 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035956455 Esli Rosenthal erosenthal21 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035957244 1. People should read Caste because it shows a perspective that is not often talked about. The book shows the similarities between the Caste system in India, and segregation and discrimination in the United States. 
2. The most powerful quote from my section was, “As cataclysmic as the Nuremberg Laws were, the Nazi’s had not gone as far with the legislation as their research into America had taken them.” (88). This quote shows that American race related laws were so severe, the Nazi's didn't even adopt all of them.

]]> 2020-12-21 13:52:01 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035957244 Lilah Conroy https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035957368 (1) I believe that people should read Caste because it opens peoples eyes to how people act with this caste system and how it effects every aspect of out lives. It makes you think harder and longer about the society we live in today. 
(2) One powerful quote I found  in my section was “She had been radicalized in a matter of minutes” because it really shows how a person can change within minutes because they finally see how others are being treated differently than themselves and realize how horrible it is and what to do something about it. In the story, you can see how disgusted that woman feels because of how she is being treated because of the skin color of her friend and gets very very angry about it. That shows how fast a person can change their mind about something just because of one experience.]]> 2020-12-21 13:52:04 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035957368 Maianh Tran mtran60 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035957710 1. Others should read Caste because it gives a very clear perspective and explanation on the caste system and how it works in our world. It makes connections that you would have never thought of, linking it to things that you can easily understand.

2. One of the most powerful observation that I discovered was about how scapegoating is practiced by placing all the blame on the lower caste. The lower caste exists to play this role and the dominant caste is able to use this to their advantage by reaping the benefits of these divisions that are created. ]]> 2020-12-21 13:52:13 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035957710 Gabi Vasquez Rosado https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035958056 I think that everyone should read this book because It's very important to understand why our society works the way it does and why people carry their place in society. Something that was really interesting to me was how the author compared our caste system to a play with preassigned roles.]]> 2020-12-21 13:52:23 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035958056 Azalea Thompson https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035958197 1. I think others should read Caste because of the connections it draws and how it analyzes them. It helps you understand issues in a new way, and shows relationships between things you didn't even consider were related.
2. [The US healthcare system's issues, incl. disproportionate death toll among minorities] "'are reminiscent of a poor, developing country, not the most powerful, influential nation on earth.’” (Page 357)]]> 2020-12-21 13:52:27 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035958197 Serena Tirrell stirrell https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035958690 1. I believe that others should read Caste because it provides a new perspective on how racism and social hierarchy work in the United States.
2. A part of Caste that I've read about that stood out to me was when the author met a man from Bengal who told her all about his experiences with caste in India. She notes that both of them were living proof that being born into a certain caste or place in the social hierarchy is artificial.]]> 2020-12-21 13:52:41 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035958690 Grace Connolly gconnolly9 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035958923 1. Caste provides a unique perspective on racism in the United States, which ultimately allows it to offer more effective and far-reaching solutions to combat systemic racism and inequality in the United States.
2. The most powerful story I read about was how Einstein repeatedly advocated for the rights of Black people in the United States. It was such an important part of who he was, but one almost never hears about it.]]> 2020-12-21 13:52:48 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035958923 Greta Grygalis https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035960452 1. Providing a new perspective on the racism and inequality in America, Caste is a must read. I have never read a book that explained so well, with not just thoughts but also facts and interviews, the horrible "caste" system hidden but also clear in the United States. 
2. The most powerful quote I found in the text was “‘So the real question would be,’ he said finally, ‘if people were given the choice between democracy and whiteness, how many would choose whiteness?’” (Page 352). This quote stood out to me because I went into a deeper thought about it and the rest of the book. It posed a question that I have never seen put into better words regarding the caste system and the inequalities in the United States, and even the world.]]> 2020-12-21 13:53:30 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035960452 Sydney Hanlon shanlon9 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035961306 1. I believe that everyone should read Caste due to its importance today and throughout history. Wilkerson remains honest throughout to make the information even more eye-opening.
2. The most powerful quote I read was in Sophia's section. Wilkerson brought up the point that all humans are 99.9% the same and we could've been divided up by another arbitrary trait such as height.]]> 2020-12-21 13:53:55 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035961306 Douglas Griffiths https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035962759 1. Others should read Caste because it is a collection of facts that everyone should be aware of, this might sound like I'm diminishing it but I'm not trying to, I think because of it's accessibility makes it a must read for really anyone living in America to learn about the history of this country and the world that history books leave out
2. I thought the story of the Japanese man trying to gain citizenship because he was paler than most white people was interesting not only for the fact that that actually happened but for the fact that (at least) Japanese people couldn't get citizenship in the U.S.]]> 2020-12-21 13:54:31 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035962759 Astrid Wilder astrid_wilder https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035962813 1. I believe that everyone should read Caste because it gives a different perspective on caste / racism that is normally not shown as much in the media.
2. One powerful anecdote was when Wilkerson was in India and someone from a higher class interrupted the conversation that she was having with someone of a lower class and started berating that person in front of everyone for no reason and the person of the lower class just went along with it and did not stand up for themselves. ]]> 2020-12-21 13:54:33 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035962813 Colin McCarthy https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035966618 1) I think everyone should read Caste because it shows  how people act on this Caste system and how it impacts our lives and its importance in history. It includes information in history that is eye-opening. 
2) I thought a powerful or important point was in Azelea's caste because it was honest and truthful about our society as a whole today. It explained how the Caste system disadvantages our society as a whole because people are willing to sacrifice achievement to keep up with the charade of superiority.

]]> 2020-12-21 13:56:27 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035966618 Katie Rouse https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035967061 Others should read Caste because it presents a new, eye-opening perspective on the history of race and caste in America to which readers might not otherwise be exposed. This history is extremely relevant today, and it would benefit every American to understand it. 

The most powerful story I discovered was one about a little girl during the Holocaust. She felt so pressured to fit the standards imposed upon her by society that she actually took a measuring tape and measured her face to see if she could pass as non-Jewish, even though she had no Jewish connections. 
]]> 2020-12-21 13:56:38 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035967061 Fiona McCleary fmccleary2 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035968728 1. I believe everyone should read Caste because just from reading my very small 8 page section I learned a lot. From reading what other people wrote I learned even more. Before I read sections from this book I didn't really understand exactly what caste is, but now that I do understand it I think that everyone should.
2. The most powerful thing that I learned is about the intense things that people do to make sure they are above others. In particular, the whippings and the torture that was so normalized towards the African American community. ]]> 2020-12-21 13:57:28 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035968728 Zoe Price zprice2 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035968790 1.Everyone should read Caste because puts what we regard as problems of race in a new light. Wilkerson reminds us that race is a social construct and shares her own personal encounters with racism in conjunction with others’ stories to make you really think about the problems in society today and think about what each of us personally can do to recognize fix them. 
2.the most powerful story I read was in chapter 23 about how Wilkerson was traveling first class on a flight and was assaulted by being pushed and pinned by a white man in an overcrowded compartment. While this was happening, absolutely no one tried to help her after she pleaded. Though this type of story is not uncommon, it was powerful to read about how many bystanders there are among us, and how important it is to just help others, despite what society wants us to do.
]]> 2020-12-21 13:57:30 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035968790 Katy Kelley https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035968795 I think everyone should read Caste because it is eyeopening, with topics that people haven't heard of before. Along with shocking information and quotes, this should be something that people know, and from what I read the book did a great job explaining it
The most powerful quote I discovered was “Casteism is the investment in keeping the hierarchy as it is in order to maintain your own ranking, advantage, privilege, or to elevate yourself above others or keep others beneath you” (Wilkerson, 70).]]> 2020-12-21 13:57:30 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035968795 Lila Curran lcurran31 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035973557 I think that Caste is a necessary read because it puts the way we live as Americans into perspective. It gives us two main perspectives. One is reflecting on our own pasts and current situation of "caste" in America, but also as an outsider zooming into to other countries with similar pasts. This book digs into some of the most heart wrenching times in our history. It talks about how people react in situations of oppression and how they all connect. 
The quote that stood out to me the most was,"The caste system shape-shifted to keep the upper caste pure by its own terms,” (P.127) because it reiterated the point that people who are in power will do absolutely anything to make sure they stay there.]]> 2020-12-21 13:59:46 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035973557 Xixin Liao xliao3 https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035982907 1. I believe that people should read Caste because of the insight that Isabel Wilkerson gives on how similarly the hierarchy of America operates to the Indian caste system and how necessary it is to the existence of some. 

2. The most powerful quote in my chapter, chapter 11, was “Working-class whites, the preeminent social economist Gunnar Myrdal wrote, ‘need the demarcations of caste more than upper class whites. They are the people likely to stress aggressively that no Negro can ever attain the status of even the lowest white”. People of the higher caste are threatened by the rising social mobility of the lower caste especially the people at the very bottom of the higher caste because positions dominated by them at birth are now attainable by the lower caste through other means.]]> 2020-12-21 14:04:07 UTC https://padlet.com/freemanjud/i7w43v437o22q8ol/wish/1035982907