ACRU and GAPP Summer Book Study: "Caste, The Origins of our Discontents"

“As we go about our daily lives, caste is the wordless usher in a darkened theater, flashlight cast down in the aisles, guiding us to our assigned seats for a performance. The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power—which groups have it and which do not.”

Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and the nation’s fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting true stories, she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. She discusses why the cruel logic of caste requires that there be a bottom rung for those in the middle to measure themselves against; she writes about the surprising health costs of caste, in depression and life expectancy, and the effects of this hierarchy on our culture and politics. Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity.

NOTE: This book discussion is available both in-person and online. Registrants will receive the optional link 2 days before the program begins.

Three ways to experience the content of thebook:

1. Read the original version
2. Read the abbreviated, but equally informative, young adult version
3. Watch the film "Origin," now streaming, that documents Wilkerson's personal journey as she researches her book. (Streaming harges may apply)

Host or Publisher GAPP (Greater Anderson Promotes Peace)