COEAC2023: Unveiling the Hidden Caste System in America: Its Impact on TRIO Students and Staff

Originally broadcast on Sunday, September 10, 2023. Caste is the granting or withholding respect, status, honor, attention, privileges, resources, the benefit of the doubt, and human kindness to someone based on their perceived rank or standing in the hierarchy. While the concept of caste is well-known and documented in countries like India, it remains an unspoken yet pervasive influence on life in the United States. As virtually every TRIO student - and every TRIO educator - is affected by this system of social stratification, COE is proud that Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson will serve as the 2023 Annual Conference opening speaker. Drawing from her latest work, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent, Wilkerson compares the caste systems in India, Germany, and the United States and illuminates how we can better understand and address this phenomenon on college campuses and in local communities. COE invites participants to meet Isabel Wilkerson for a book signing event immediately following her opening remarks in the International Terrace on the Terrace Level.