We did it! After almost a decade of organizing, Seattle City Council voted Yes on Councilmember Kshama Sawant’s historic legislation to ban caste discrimination in the city of Seattle. Thank you for joining us in taking action to advance caste equity and making your voices heard. This is a culmination of years of Dalit feminist organizing and research that has broken the silence on caste oppression in our communities and found ways to heal from this violent system in our diasporic networks and in our homelands. We are confident that this bill will be the first of many to ensure caste discrimination is not tolerated here.
This legislation is driven by a powerful intercaste, interfaith, and multiracial movement wherein South Asians are finally willing to reconcile with our shared intergenerational trauma related to caste. And with your continued support, we have been able to build power to fight against bigotry. In order for us to truly bring healing to our community, we must first ban caste entirely. We thank Councilmember Sawant for her bravery and hard work—her bill is a groundbreaking step toward healing from caste.
The path to this landmark Seattle ordinance was the result of a years-long collaboration between Equality Labs and many grassroots organizations, including API Chaya, the Ambedkar Association of North America, the Coalition of Seattle Indian Americans, the Indian American Muslim Council, National Academic Coalition for Caste Equity as well as a network of over 30 anti-caste Ambedkarite organizations such as Ambedkar King Study Circle, Ambedkar International Center, Ambedkarite Buddhist Association of Texas, Boston Study Group, Ravidassia and Sikh gurdwaras from throughout the northwest and many more who helped usher in this historic win.
We are thrilled to have made history together! With your support, we have fought for so long for the passage of legislation that will advance caste equity. We congratulate Councilmember Sawant for taking bold action and standing up for equity for caste-oppressed peoples in Seattle and across the country. Please consider supporting Equality Labs so we can work together to bring caste equity to every city in the country. First Seattle, next the nation!
JAI BHIM
Read more about our historic win banning caste discrimination in Seattle
- Seattle becomes the first city in the US to ban caste discrimination
Harmeet Kaur, CNN - Seattle becomes first US city to ban caste discrimination
Deepa Bharath, Washington Post - Seattle bans caste-based discrimination, becoming first U.S. city to do so
Sarah Grace Taylor, Seattle Times - Dalits are winning against caste discrimination in the US, too
Thenmozhi Soundararajan, Maya Kamble, and Shahira Bhangar, Aljazeera - In the US, a big step against caste discrimination
Prachi Patankar, Kshama Sawant, The Indian Express - Seattle council to vote on law banning caste discrimination
Raqib Hameed Naik, Aljazeera - Caste should not be part of the “American Dream”
Gaurav J. Pathania, Boston Globe - A Historic Ordinance Could Ban Caste Discrimination
Thenmozhi Soundararajan, Yes! - We Fled India to Escape the Nightmare of Caste Oppression. To Our Horror, We Found it in America, Too
Pooja Singh, American Kahani - Seattle Must Ban Caste Discrimination
Samir Khobragade, The Stranger - Dr. Cornel West Urges Seattle City Council to Vote Yes to Ban Caste Discrimination
Dr. Cornel West - I am a Dalit Sikh Woman. Here’s an Account of My Journey to Healing in the Campaign to Ban Caste Discrimination in America
Shahira Bangar, American Kahani - Statement from Alphabet Workers Union-CWA in support of Seattle ordinance to ban caste discrimination
Alphabet Workers Union - Tech Workers for Caste Equity supports Seattle ordinance to ban caste discrimination
Tech Workers for Caste Equity - Untouchable! Say NO To Caste Discrimination In Seattle
Prem Pariyar, IndiaCurrents - Seattle considers historic law barring caste discrimination
Deepa Bharath, AP - The Caste Contagion: Who are These Indians Opposed to Seattle Legislation to Ban Caste-based Discrimination?
Sanjeev Kumar, American Kahani - Seattle could become the first city to ban caste discrimination
Lilly Ana Fowler, KNKX