By Sister Denise Curry, SNDdeN
Following an invitation from Sister Cathy Waldron, SNDdeN to join an anti-racist book club, Sisters and Associates from across the province, East to West, formed the ZOOM Group. We did not all know each other at first, but now, we’re on a mission!
Our recent read was “Caste, The Origins of our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson. It took about a year to meticulously go through this bestseller. To think of a caste system is to think of India’s treatment of the Dalits, where an individual’s social condition at birth is a determinant of life. As schoolchildren, didn’t we think that was horrible? To read “Caste” is to learn that the most egregious application is found in the U.S. It reminds us of savage surgeries performed on African Americans without their consent or anesthesia. Equally appalling are the system of laws and continued efforts of gerrymandering, stereotyping and disenfranchising that reinforce this social system. Wilkerson is a thorough scholar, and her research spans centuries. But “Caste” is not a dry tome; it is visceral.
We want everyone to read this book. But we are thinking most of our students in Notre Dame schools. Those of a certain age can probably conjure the famous 1936 photo of a German crowd saluting the Fuhrer, except for one person engulfed by the mass of loyalists, with his arms folded across his chest. We want our students to be that one person against the crowd. “Unless we know our history, we will be condemned to repeat it.” Our young people must understand their privilege and stand against U.S. caste laws and culture.
“Caste” is not about shame and blame. Neither we nor our students should be burdened by who we were— what good is that? Let’s work toward who we can be. And young people have fresh eyes to imagine where to begin.
Read Sowing Goodness – Summer 2024
Read more stories from our summer magazine about the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur from the East-West Province, who are bonded in heart and spirit and strong in shared vision.