The Young Lawyers Division and the Labor & Employment Law Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association is presenting A Crash Course on Caste on August 7, 2024 from 4:00 PM-5:00 PM Eastern. This program is co-hosted by SABA of Philadelphia. 

Have you heard of caste but never really understood what it is? Is caste religious? Is it about occupations? What is the difference between race and caste? Does federal employment law cover caste?

This crash course will be a primer on caste where you can learn about terms, caste discrimination in South Asia and in the US, and activism to end caste apartheid. We will discuss how caste is systemic, dispel commonly held myths about caste, and learn about caste fragility--the reasons why some Indian Americans (with caste privilege) are threatening to bring lawsuits if caste is recognized as a protected category. This crash course is roughly 40 minutes long giving ample time for Q&A/discussion.

The discussion will feature Professor Sonja Thomas. Sonja Thomas is an associate professor of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at Colby College, where she teaches courses on South Asian feminisms, transnational feminisms, gender and human rights, feminist theory, and postcolonial and native feminisms.

She is the author of Privileged Minorities: Syrian Christianity, Gender, and Minority Rights in Postcolonial India. The book examines the Syrian Christian community in Kerala, India—a dominant caste Christian community named “Syrian” because of the Syriac language inherent in its traditions.  At Colby, she worked to add caste to the non-discrimination policy.

Event Rates

FREE  Member
$15.00  Non-Member