WBD Black Affinity Group Film Discussion Recap: Origin and the Eight Pillars of Caste

On February 15th, the WBD Black Affinity Group hosted a film discussion on the new movie Origin, directed by Ava DuVernay and based on the book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. The movie explores the connections between the caste systems in the United States, India, and Nazi Germany, and how they shape our lives and society.

The group moderated a lively and respectful discussion on attendees' reactions to the film.

Read the full recap.

Transcript

Welcome to Womble Perspectives, where we explore a wide range of topics, from the latest legal updates to industry trends to the business of law. Our team of lawyers, professionals and occasional outside guests will take you through the most pressing issues facing businesses today and provide practical and actionable advice to help you navigate the ever changing legal landscape.

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Over the past few Saturdays, we’ve brought you personal stories from our attorneys covering everything from their career trajectories to what they enjoy doing in their time out of the office. 

We heard from Britt Biles during her time as General Counsel at the Small Business Administration during COVID 19 and what it was like for her team to administer PPP loans during a time of near complete lockdown.

Preston Heard talked about his love of playing and coaching team sports and how it informs his approach to litigation. And not only did we hear about Jed Nosal’s time as an intern with the Boston police department, but we also found out why you’ll always see him wearing a bowtie.

Over the next month, we’re excited to bring you even more stories of our attorneys. Stay tuned to hear more about their lives and discover just what helps them give our clients a point of view like no other.

For today’s episode, we want to turn toward Black History Month and talk a bit about one of the discussions held around one of the films in our Black History Month film series.

Just last week on February 15, WBD’s Black Affinity Group hosted a discussion on Ava DuVairnay's new film, Origin, based on the book "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents," by Isabel Wilkerson. 

The film explores the intricate connections between the caste systems in the United States, India, and Nazi Germany, and how they mold our lives and society's fabric.

Black Affinity Group leaders were on hand to moderate the discussion which was attended by both lawyers and staff from across the firm. During this time, participants were encouraged to share their thoughts and feelings on the movie as well as their personal experiences on race and caste, resulting in a thought-provoking, lively and respectful dialogue.

Delving deeper, the discussion also touched on the eight pillars of caste as identified by Isabel Wilkerson in her book. From the belief in divine will and heritability to dehumanization and cruelty, attendees dissected the complexities of these themes.

After the movie, attendees collaborated to create a word cloud of their feelings while watching the film, showcasing the spectrum and intensity of emotions triggered by the movie. 

We’d like to thank all WBD team members who were able to attend the film, and we’d like to encourage you, our listeners, to reflect on your own experiences on race and caste. For a full list of the eight pillars of caste, please follow the link in our show notes.

Thank you for listening to Womble Perspectives. If you want to learn more about the topics discussed in this episode, please visit The Show Notes, where you can find links to related resources mentioned today. The Show Notes also have more information about our attorneys who provided today's insights, including ways to reach out to them.

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