South Asians for Black Lives: Caste & Anti-Blackness

This event was held virtually, via an online livestream. 

This event featured Equality Labs, exploring the rise of Hindu nationalism, anti-Blackness and Islamophobia in the South Asian diaspora.

Equality Labs centers the leadership of South Asian caste and religion - oppressed communities in the ongoing redefinition of South Asian identity in the United States, across the diaspora, and in our home countries in South Asia. Our membership includes Dalits (formerly known as the "Untouchable" people), Adivasi (indigenous people of South Asia), Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, and Christian South Asians. 

We believe that all progressive South Asians must work towards the goals of ending white supremacy but crucially, also our internal hegemonies, such as that exemplified by caste. We must create spaces where women, femmes, gender non-binary, and trans leaders lead the way in identifying the problems and creating solutions. In doing so, we can truly ensure all South Asian Americans can create communities with equity.

Participants:

Thenmozhi Soundararajan is a Dalit transmedia artist and Executive Director of Equality Labs.

Sharmin Hossain is a Bangladeshi American queer Muslim and Political Director of Equality Labs. 

Co-hosted by The Poetic Justice Foundation, and organized by the Centre for India and South Asia Research (UBC) with the support of the Interdisciplinary Histories Research Cluster.