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leekaufman 's review for:
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
by Isabel Wilkerson
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Murder
Wilkerson makes a compelling argument for the consideration of North America as a caste system. She draws parallels between two other infamous caste systems: the millenia-old Indian caste system, and Nazi Germany. Backed by historical research, statistics, anecdotal evidence, and peppered with her own personal experiences, this book is factual, yet personal; informative, yet emotional.
I was especially fascinated by the section on the pillars of caste. I was completely convinced by Wilkerson's argument quite early on, so for me, the last third of this book dragged a little as it becomes mostly anecdotal. But I can see that for many readers, these final modern day life examples might be what clinches the argument.