We had a lively discussion of Caste. Many found the work powerful and compelling, but less informative than Wilkerson's earlier The Warmth of Other Suns. We applauded her use of compelling personal stories and analogies that lent force to her analysis. Her comparison of the problem of caste as the weak foundation of the house of American society helped highlight the need to confront and understand systemic racism. And the account of the black schoolboy denied the use of the local swimming pool brought home the thoughtless cruelty of racist culture. Some noted problems with the parallels drawn between the Nazi "final solution", the Indian caste system, and American racism, seeing critical differences between these three systems. Others noted that the term "caste" could equally apply to ethnic distinctions and was used too broadly here. We identified some instances of superficial source material, but agreed that the younger readers could read and learn from Caste. We agreed that all readers could take away valuable lessons and new awareness from this work.
Our next book will be The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. We will meet via Zoom on Wednesday, April 7. Meeting starts at 11 am. However, the Zoom link will be open at 10:30, to make sure everyone can establish a good connection.
Please contact Kathryn DeGraff or Helen Marlborough if you have any questions.
We enjoy catching up with our former colleagues and enjoy welcoming new members to the group. Zoom meetings have provided a great way for colleagues not in the immediate vicinity of the Lincoln Park Campus to participate.
No comments:
Post a Comment