Understanding Systemic Racism: Art and Politics | Spring 2021 web series

January 26, 2021 – Topics of Interest

Ambedkar Initiative, Spring 2021
Understanding Systemic Racism: Art and Politics
web series

This series was made possible thanks to the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement.

Read the introductory statement and watch the archive of the Fall 2020 web series here.

Thursday, February 4


“Passing and Personhood: Dalit Writings on Caste Concealment.”
Joel Lee (Williams College) and K. Satyanarayana (CIEFL, Hyderabad) moderated by Balmurli Natarajan (WPUNJ)

Thursday, February 11


“Ambedkarite Aesthetics and Contemporary Art Practice”
Yashadatta Alone (JNU)
and Prabhakar Kamble (Mumbai-based artist and curator)
moderated by Anupama Rao, ICLS Associate Director

Thursday, February 18


“The Dalit Panthers and Literary Insurgence”
Suraj Yengde (Harvard University) and
Yogesh Maitreya (Panther’s Paw Publication)
moderated by Anupama Rao, Barnard College

Thursday, February 25


“The Role of the Radical Writer”
Meena Kandasamy (writer and activist)
moderated by Dhanya Addanki (writer and archivist)

Thursday, March 11


“Between Radical Promise and Despair: Dalit Literature and Movement in Karnataka”
Devanoora Mahadeva (writer) and Prithvi Chandra Shobhi (KREA University) 

Tuesday, March 23
6:00PM-8:00PM EST [Register Here]
Medical Humanities and Pandemic Urbanisms keynote lecture
The Future Repeats Itself:  Historical Roots of Anti-Chinese Animus in the time of COVID
Ari Larissa Heinrich (Australian National University)
with a response from Eugenia Lean (EALAC, Columbia University)
moderated by Lydia H. Liu, ICLS Director
Co-sponsored by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute

The Ambedkar lecture series is cosponsored by the Office of EVP of Arts and Sciences; Barnard Provost’s Office; Office of the Deans of Humanities and Social Sciences; IRAAS; AAADS; IRCPL; MESAAS; CSER; Columbia Committee on Global Thought; CU Libraries; and CU Press

Watch the archive of the Fall 2020 web series here.



 The Heyman Center for the Humanities, Room B-101
74 Morningside Drive
New York, NY, 10027
  (212) 854-4541
  (212) 854-3099