Oprah’s Book Club

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Oprah Winfrey and author Isabel Wilkerson, take listeners through the 8 Pillars of Caste, featured in the Oprah’s Book Club selection "Caste: The Origins of our Discontents."

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Episodes

Caste: Pillar 8

In this part of Oprah's Book Club, Isabel Wilkerson and readers discuss Pillar 8 of "Caste," focusing on the deeply embedded belief in inherent superiority and inferiority. Guests share powerful personal anecdotes illustrating how this caste system manifests in daily life and limits opportunities. The conversation explores the systemic inequalities perpetuated by caste and the collective responsibility to educate, acknowledge truths, and work towards dismantling these divisions for a more just society.

Oct 01, 2020•49 min•Ep. 8

Caste: Pillars 6 & 7

Part six of Oprah’s discussion with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Isabel Wilkerson and readers of the book,  Caste: The Origins of our Discontents . The sixth episode in the eight-part series focuses on the sixth pillar of Caste, “Dehumanization and Stigma” and the seventh pillar, “Terror as Enforcement, Cruelty as a Means of Control.”  Isabel explains how dehumanization is the fundamental leveler that allows everything else in the caste system to occur.&n...

Sep 29, 2020•31 min•Ep. 7

Caste: Pillar Five

This episode of Oprah's Book Club delves into "Occupational Hierarchy," the fifth pillar of Isabel Wilkerson's Caste. The discussion traces the historical origins of forced labor in America and its lasting impact on Black Americans, particularly highlighting their disproportionate vulnerability during crises like COVID-19. Guests share their personal and professional experiences with inherent biases and the exhaustion of constantly proving competence. The conversation ultimately explores strategies for resilience, emphasizing education, radical empathy, and viewing personal success as a form of powerful resistance against systemic barriers.

Sep 24, 2020•36 min•Ep. 6

Caste: Pillar Four

Part four of Oprah’s discussion with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Isabel Wilkerson and readers of the book,  Caste: The Origins of our Discontents . The fourth episode in the eight-part series focuses on the fourth pillar of Caste, “Purity Versus Pollution.” Isabel explains how the caste system keeps groups separate for the protection of the “purity” of the dominant caste against the pollution of the “subordinate” caste. Oprah, Isabel and guests talk about the...

Sep 22, 2020•52 min•Ep. 5

Caste: Pillar Three

Part three of Oprah’s discussion with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Isabel Wilkerson and readers of the book,  Caste: The Origins of our Discontents.  The third episode in the eight-part series focuses on the third pillar of Caste, "Endogamy and the Control of Marriage and Mating." Isabel explores America’s violent history of keeping romantic relationships and family systems within the confines of a given caste as a means of control. We hear ques...

Sep 17, 2020•30 min•Ep. 4

Caste: Pillar Two

Part two of Oprah’s discussion with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Isabel Wilkerson and readers about the book,  Caste: The Origins of our Discontents.  The second episode in the eight-part series focuses on the second pillar of Caste, “Heritability”; the idea that permanent rank in society is inherited and passed down through ancestry. Special guest Academy Award winning actor Forest Whitaker joins the conversation. Oprah and Isabel respond to questions an...

Sep 15, 2020•36 min•Ep. 3

Caste: Pillar One

Oprah and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Isabel Wilkerson discuss her newest work and Oprah’s Book Club pick,  Caste: The Origins of our Discontents . In episode one of the eight part series, Oprah and Isabel consider the first pillar of Caste as outlined in the book, "Divine Will and the Laws of Nature.” Seventeen readers from all walks of life join in the discussion as Isabel answers questions about how God and religion were used to justify the caste system in the United States....

Sep 10, 2020•34 min•Ep. 2

Caste: Isabel Wilkerson

Oprah Winfrey and Isabel Wilkerson discuss Wilkerson's book, "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents," Oprah's latest Book Club selection. Wilkerson explains why she felt compelled to write the book, offering new language and analogies like the "old house" to understand societal divisions beyond race. They discuss reader reactions, the book's personal impact on Wilkerson, and her exploration of caste systems in the US, India, and Nazi Germany, emphasizing the need for radical empathy.

Sep 08, 2020•36 min•Ep. 1

Introducing: Oprah's Book Club

Oprah Winfrey introduces the new Oprah's Book Club podcast, highlighting "Caste" by Isabel Wilkerson as the most important book selection. She explains the podcast will dive deep into critical topics from the book with the author, facilitating conversations about American society, individual growth, and shaping the world.

Sep 08, 2020•48 sec

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