In 2020, Isabel Wilkerson published the Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times best-selling book, Caste: The Origins of our Discontents. In 2023, the Oscar-nominated film director Ava DuVernay made a movie based on this book. DuVernay’s docudrama is not a lecture on race and class but rather the story of Wilkerson’s life and how and why she wrote Caste. This film encompasses decades and spans continents, moving from the Jim Crow South to early 20th century India to Nazi Germany. It visualizes in a powerful way how our artificial construct of race is all about power—which groups have it and which do not.
Prior to the discussion, attendees are encouraged to see the movie. It can be seen for free with Hulu and Disney+ subscriptions, or rented for $3.99 on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, YouTube, and On Demand. To view some suggested questions that may help you watch the movie and prepare you to participate in an engaging, dynamic conversation click here (you will need to be logged into your Penn's Village account).
Two members of the Penn’s Village Inclusiveness and Diversity Committee, Wanda Mitchell and Mike Pulsifer, will lead this conversation.
Wanda Mitchell serves as a Penn’s Village Board Member and a member of the Penn’s Village Inclusiveness and Diversity Committee. She has worked at Philadelphia Corporation for Aging for 26 years, currently serving as the Director of Community Engagement, providing leadership and direction to multiple operations within the department. During her tenure at PCA, Wanda has gained extensive knowledge and experience, developed key relationships while working with internal and external customers.
Mike Pulsifer is a charter member of Penn’s Village and a member of the Penn’s Village Inclusiveness and Diversity Committee. He is a retired pastor who has served churches in Oklahoma, Iowa, Southern California, and New Jersey before moving to Philadelphia 18 years ago. For the last 13 years of his ministry, he served a multiracial congregation in Center City Philadelphia.
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