Foucault says if we put discipline into our lives and practice, whatever it is that we identify as our values, that practice will develop not just in terms of the skill that we're practicing. And what that does is it strengthens your inner fortitude, what he calls your ethical character. For me, years of dealing with racism because of how I look has really developed my ability to respond with grace.
Being a Sikh in America gives Simran Jeet Singh a very particular insight into the divisions that run between us: on one hand, his visible differences have made him a target for racism; on the other, his religion emphasises the connectedness of all humans, and urges him towards compassion, forgiveness and love.
In this thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation, Katherine and Simran explore building empathy, seeing the divine in everyone, and how being forced to confront white supremacy has helped Simran to develop a language to challenge those who would attack him. The Sikh value of Chardi Kala is hard to miss here: the sense of everlasting optimism that propels him forward.
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Katherine's new book, Enchantment, is released in March 2023. Pre-order now: US/CAN and UK
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