#1402 Racism or Classism? Caste Explains that it is Both

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy

Air Date 3/6/2021

Today we take a look at the origins of race and the building of a caste system in the US based largely on the lessons from Isabel Wilkerson, author of "Caste: The Origins of our Discontent"

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Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: John Biewen: The lie that invented racism - TED - Air Date 11-1-20

To understand and eradicate racist thinking, start at the beginning. That's what journalist and documentarian John Biewen did, leading to a trove of surprising and thought-provoking information on the "origins" of race.

Ch. 2: Made in America (Seeing White, Part 3) - Scene on Radio - Air Date 3-16-17

Chattel slavery in the US, with its distinctive · and strikingly cruel · laws and structures, took shape over many decades in colonial America. The innovations that built American slavery are inseparable from the construction of Whiteness as we know it.

Ch. 3: The Invention of Race - Throughline - Air Date 11-19-20

During a time when race-based science and the eugenics movement were becoming mainstream, anthropologist Franz Boas actively sought to prove that race was a social construct, not a biological fact.

Ch. 4: Caste in America with Isabel Wilkerson - Why Is This Happening? with Chris Hayes - Air Date 8-11-20

Does the United States have a caste system? In her research on the Jim Crow South, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist/author Isabel Wilkerson found that the word ·racism· fell far short in capturing the depth and totality of oppression people existed under

Ch. 5: It's More Than Racism Isabel Wilkerson Explains America's 'Caste' System - Fresh Air - Air Date 8-4-20

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson says racism is an insufficient term for the systemic oppression of Black people in America. Instead, she prefers to refer to America as having a "caste" system.

Ch. 6: “Theodore W. Allen -- Theses on ‘The Invention of the White Race’ and Lessons from Three Crises” - Jeffrey B. Perry - Air Date 12-18-14

This brief video presents three of Theodore W. Allen’s theses related to the invention of the “white race” and his important analysis of the white supremacy’s role in beating back struggles from below in three great crises in U.S. history.

Ch. 7: Isabel Wilkerson wants to change how we understand race in America - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 8-24-20

A new way of thinking about race and class with Isabel Wilkerson.

MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 8: The Invention of Race Part 2 - Throughline - Air Date 11-19-20

During a time when race-based science and the eugenics movement were becoming mainstream, anthropologist Franz Boas actively sought to prove that race was a social construct, not a biological fact.

Ch. 9: It's More Than Racism Isabel Wilkerson Explains America's 'Caste' System Part 2 - Fresh Air - Air Date 8-4-20

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson says racism is an insufficient term for the systemic oppression of Black people in America. Instead, she prefers to refer to America as having a "caste" system.

VOICEMAILS

Ch. 10: Thoughts on the bonus material - Kim from Montana

FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 11: Final comments

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Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman

MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):

• Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr
• Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
• Activism Music: This Fickle World by Theo Bard
• Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent

SHOW IMAGE:

Description: Black chalkboard background with the word "CASTE" written in white

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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