Oprah’s Book Club Caste: Pillar One
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Sep 10, 2020 
Isabel Wilkerson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author known for her groundbreaking work on social issues, joins Oprah to delve into her book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. They discuss the insidious nature of the caste system in the U.S. and its historical roots, exploring how religion has been manipulated to justify social hierarchies. The conversation highlights the emotional weight of conversations about race and the need for honest dialogue, while also reflecting on personal experiences that illuminate the pervasive impact of systemic inequality.
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Defining Caste
- Caste is an artificial ranking of human value, determining one's standing and access to resources.
- It's the infrastructure of our divisions, with race as the skin and class as the accent.
British Vogue Editor
- British Vogue's editor, despite his high status, was instructed to use the freight elevator.
- This illustrates how caste can override class and achievement in an instant.
Oprah's Experience with Bias
- Oprah shares an experience where she was denied service based on assumptions about her skin color.
- This highlights how caste-based biases operate subtly and unconsciously.
