Dialogue on Race Louisiana’s Staff Meet-up to Watch Origin, a film by Ava DuVernay based on Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste
Author: Jasmine Pogue, Dialogue on Race Facilitator Coordinator
As the Facilitator Coordinator at Dialogue on Race Louisiana, Jasmine plays a pivotal role in recruiting, training, and supporting Dialogue on Race trained facilitators who lead the Dialogue on Race conversations across the United States and beyond. Jasmine brings knowledge, empathy, and a deep commitment to fostering open and honest dialogue.
The Dialogue on Race Louisiana staff gathered to experience "Origin," a cinematic creation by Ava DuVernay, inspired by Isabel Wilkerson's profound exploration of the connection of hierarchal systems across India, Nazi Germany, and the United States in her book, "Caste." The decision to watch the film together was initiated by Maxine Crump, President and CEO of Dialogue on Race Louisiana. A quarter of the Dialogue on Race staff are remote, located on both coasts, and with me in town from Massachusetts, seeing the movie was an excellent opportunity for us to get together.
I entered the film with little prior knowledge about Origin. I had not heard of the film until Maxine suggested we watch it together. I deliberately avoided reviews and trailers leading up to the showing, opting for a pure, unfiltered encounter with the film.
The movie was an enthralling journey from the first frame to the closing credits. The meticulously chosen caste embodied their roles with a palpable understanding of the narrative's gravity. Each actor contributed to the film's impact, making it a mesmerizing visual and emotional experience.
Watching Origin with the Dialogue on Race staff, in the mission of ending racism through dialogue’s education process that offers a way of talking about race that can lead to understanding and change, enhanced its significance. The parallel between the film's exploration of societal structures aligned with the ongoing work at Dialogue on Race Louisiana, which resonated with me. The struggles and triumphs of each person in the film mirror the dialogues we facilitate.
One constant I noticed was that Isabel Wilkerson approached her exploration by asking questions. This aligns with Dialogue on Race conversations, which supports participants in the dialogue by offering questions to help them unpack the flawed and false narrative and make connections between today and accurate history that affect today’s society. Isabel went from Germany to India to see the connection of racism in the United States. During her explorations, she referred to the conversations as dialogue.
Piper, Maxine, Michael, and Jasmine at their dinner and dialogue
Reflecting on the film, Maxine shared, "My highest praises are for both Isabel Wilkerson and Ava Duvernay. It's exciting to be in a time when unapologetic honesty in narratives about the experiences and impact of the race construct in American Society can be accepted as normal in the mainstream. Neither of them was waiting for acceptance; they pioneered the space to present this entertaining, honest account of history and its significance through their respective storytelling media that so vividly shows its relevance to current society.”
Michael Dours, Dialogue on Race Louisiana’s Proposal Coordinator, offered, "What I witnessed was shocking to me. I realized how little I know about Indian culture, specifically the plight of Dalits, the lowest caste in India, and how their treatment mirrors the treatment of Black people in America historically and today. I can't remember how long it's been since I've seen a movie filled with characters acted in such a way that it felt as though I was experiencing the actual events firsthand. Their emotions were so real; multiple times, I wondered if the actors were cameos of the real-life people the movie portrayed.
“I feel like I've learned a great deal about a perspective on racism in America that I hadn't thought about before. It was incredibly meaningful to watch Origin with others at DORLA who are educated in understanding racism and to discuss our thoughts together after we watched."
Piper Naudin, Dialogue on Race Louisiana’s Outreach Coordinator, emphasized, "Origin beautifully narrates author Isabel Wilkerson's journey in processing loss as well as discrimination. This movie and the book it is based on connect discrimination worldwide with caste. I thought that this movie and what happens in it does what DORLA aims to do: eliminate racism through education, action, and transformation.
“I cannot recommend this movie more. It puts racism in the United States in a different perspective and in a global context. Anyone who has questions or grey areas around discrimination and what it means should see Origin.”
Origin wasn't just a film; it showed the shared experience that began to unpack our understanding of the intricate web of societal structures worldwide.
As Dialogue on Race Louisiana continues its mission to end racism in the United States, the film reverberates in the dialogues shared throughout the year with the National Conversation on Race.
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