Summary
Isabel Wilkerson explores the concept of caste as a fundamental power structure in American society, arguing that caste provides a more comprehensive framework for understanding historical hierarchies than race. Drawing from her research on the Jim Crow era and global caste systems, she reveals how social stratification operates through deeply entrenched mechanisms of power, resource allocation, and systemic marginalization. Her work challenges traditional historical narratives by examining how dominant and subordinated groups are positioned within a complex social infrastructure that predetermines access, respect, and opportunity. Ultimately, Wilkerson's analysis invites a deeper, more structural understanding of social inequity that goes beyond individual prejudice to illuminate the systemic foundations of discrimination.