Racial Justice Series - Caste: #5 Occupational Hierarchy

Occupational Hierarchy  "In all social systems, there must be a class to do the menial duties, to perform the drudgery of life. That is a class requiring but a low order of intellect and but little skill. Its requisites are vigor, docility, fidelity. Such a class you must have. It constitutes the very mud-sill of society." Sen. James Henry Hammond, quoted by Isabel Wilkerson

Pittsburgh Freethought Community, First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, and Sunday Assembly Pittsburgh are co-sponsoring weekly discussions based on the new book by Isabel Wilkerson, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. There will be eight sessions, each focusing on one of the eight Pillars of Caste which Wilkerson identified by researching commonalities among the Hindu caste system in India, Anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany, and Anti-Black racism in the U.S. Each session will begin with a brief explanation of the selected Pillar and a discussion focusing on how these characteristics are manifested in our society and how we can dismantle those policies and practices that maintain White supremacy. It will not be necessary to have read the book in order to participate. Sessions will be held October 11, 18, 25, November 1, 22, 29 and December 6 and 13. Please register for each session individually.