ARE INDIA AND THE U.S. GOING DOWN THE SAME ROAD? A Conversation About Race, Caste, Democracy and Human Rights
6:30pm
Suraj Milind Yengde grew up in a Dalit slum in India among the people once called Untouchables. But through unflinching determination he has emerged as a lawyer and scholar of caste and color.
Showing slides of his experience in India and around the world, Suraj will reflect on the pitfalls of identity politics that have paved the way for the rise of right-wing movements. The political takeover of the state and civic institutions by ideological forces in India and the US offer striking parallels. At the same time, a new politics based on models of Dalit social and spiritual engagement can help us recover the promises of equality and freedom.
About the Speaker: Dr. Suraj Yengde is a W.E.B. Du Bois Fellow at Harvard University. He has published nearly 200 articles and the best-seller Caste Matters, on the struggle for human rights in India. His forthcoming book, Caste: A Global Story, documents the power of prejudice in 15 countries in North America, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia – and the Dalit and Black activism that is pushing back. Website: https://www.surajyengde.com/about/biography/
(Contact Chris Queen, 978-544-0216, csqueen@outlook.com.)