Thenmozhi Sound

So excited to share the Trailer for @traumaofcaste . Much thanks to @freedom.makes for being a partner in crime on this creative experiment. There are many difficult themes in the book that we tried to create a visual language for. I hope you enjoy it and look forward to hearing from you about what you think. For folks that need the script here it is: Caste It's one of the oldest systems of exclusion in the world Despite the ban on untouchability seventy years ago It impacts 1/9 Billion people Every 15 minutes a crime is perpertrated against a Dalit The average age of death for Dalit women is just 39 And wreckages of caste are replicated here in the United States too Erupting online with rape and death threats Showing up at work And forcing countless Dalits to live in fear of being outed It's easy to fear overwhelmed By caste pain And the Polarization Hatred and bigotry That has arisen from caste And yet in the face of all of this violence I chose to follow the example of the buddha And to sit To take this terrible moment of the pandemic as a time to reflect On how we got here And what we can do to heal from thousands of years of oppression The result is my book the Trauma of Caste A Dalit Feminist Meditation on Survivorship, Healing, and Abolition I wrote this book so that we could finallly address the Soul wound that is caste Acknowledge its historical and intergenerational harms But also so that we can tend to And let it be a teacher So we never allow such dehumanization again It ties Dalit movements to liberation movements around the world Including historical solidarities with Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian, Feminist, and Queer movements around the world. Laying bare the grief, rage, and stolen futures inflicted on all of us by caste It is a love letter to all who would heal from violence and are committed to a Visionary future that frees all of us This book is rooted in the commitment that the opposite of genocide is to fight for life And i hope this book is one light out of many to help us out of the darkness The Trauma of Caste coming November 15, 2022

A powerful night is coming to EBMC.⁣ ⁣ Join us this Sunday, Dec 7, for the official book launch of Yoga as Embodied Resistance by Anjali Rao — a South Asian feminist exploration of yoga, caste, gender, and liberation.⁣ ⁣ We’re gathering an incredible South Asian panel — Anjali Rao, Anjali Sawhney, and Thenmozhi Soundararajan - plus live music from vocalist Deepti Warrier, and samosas + chai afterward. ☕️ 🥟⁣ ⁣ If you believe yoga is more than poses…⁣ If you care about lineage, justice, and healing…⁣ If you want to support South Asian authors + culture-bearers…⁣ ⁣ ✨ Show up. Be part of this moment.⁣ ⁣ RSVP link in bio!⁣ Let’s fill the room with EBMC community warmth.⁣ ⁣ #AnjaliRao #YogaAsEmbodiedResistance #BookLaunch #SouthAsianAuthors #CasteAbolition #DecolonizingYoga #YogaJustice #SouthAsianVoices #CollectiveLiberation #OaklandEvents #EastBayEvents #EBMC #EastBayMeditationCenter #MindfulCommunity #BIPOCHealing #BIPOCWellness #SocialJusticeEducation #SouthAsianFeminism

More than ever we need spaces that offer solace, community, and healing, that can cultivate capacity to hold complexity and disrupt ongoing and past oppressions. As we look toward building these spaces, we might consider the following questions: ✨What does yoga have to do with caste, gender, and power? ✨Why is a feminist and a critical lens on yoga history relevant during these times? ✨How can we re-envision yoga spaces that are truly welcoming and liberatory for all? So looking forward to this conversation with Thenmozhi Soundararajan, co-founder of @equalitylabs , author of Trauma of Caste and moderated by Anjali Sawhney, Integrative life coach and EBMC Board member. Please join us for a generative discussion that explores core questions from the book, Yoga As Embodied Resistance. This discussion sheds light on ways in which we can build authentic and embodied solidarities across differences. We begin with a musical performance by Deepti Warrier @deeptidoubleyoo . The discussion will be followed by audience Q&A and a book signing, and samosas and chai will be served after the event. Copies of Yoga as Embodied Resistance will also be available for purchase during the event, courtesy of Womb House Books Do join us on December 7th: 5:30-7:00 pm! This event is a fundraiser for @ebmc_oakland , a welcoming environment for people of color, members of the LGBTQI community, people with disabilities, and other underrepresented communities. Their mission is to foster liberation, personal and interpersonal healing, social action, and inclusive community building. (Link in bio to register)

📣Today, the Tamil Nadu government publicly announced that this year’s prestigious Vaikom Award for Social justice will be presented to Equality Labs’ co-founder and Executive Director, Thenmozhi Soundararajan. 👏🏾Equality Labs congratulates Ms. Soundararajan on this milestone achievement, which is the result of decades of her unwavering commitment to Dalit feminist activism and anti-caste movement organizing. 💙In regards to her achievement, our Executive Director stated: “I am deeply honored to receive this award from the Government of Tamil Nadu, in the name and spirit of Periyar. His legacy calls us to a simple, urgent truth: it is our duty to end discrimination—whether based on caste, gender, sexual orientation, or religion—wherever we encounter it . . . Self-respect to all and let us all be thozars in justice.” 🔗Read the full press release at the link in bio.

How do we prepare for what’s coming, and how might our practice guide and support us in that process? ✨ Dear Ones ~ Please join us on Thursday, Sept 18th for an emergent dharma + political education response to escalating violence and threat in the current moment. “The sun, the moon, and the truth: finding stability in a season of volatility” will be facilitated by Thenmozhi Soundararajan (Equality Labs), Rima Vesley-Flad (Black Buddhist Studies Initiative), and Kate Johnson (Buddhist Peace Fellowship). Our time together will include: - Analysis and assessment - Guided movement and meditation - Dharma share - Small group discussion - Next steps Thursday, September 18th 2025 5-6:30pm PT/ 8-9:30pm ET via Zoom Join us for this grounding community sharing and practice space. This live zoom webinar event will not be recorded. ⬅️ Register at bit.ly/RootedCommunity or tap the link in bio ⬅️ “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth” – Ajahn Buddhadasa, Engaged Buddhist elder ☀️🌙 📿 Design by @lady808 🪄 #TheSunTheMoonAndTheTruth

This Dalit History Month, I honor my mother who passed on March 31. She was the love of my life—a pillar in the caste equity movement, healing many with her cooking, laughter, and boundless love. She will be cremated tomorrow. Our family’s ask: please pray for her soul’s peaceful passage. And let it be filled with love as it was in life let it be so as she transitions into an ancestor. Jai Bhim and Jai Savitri.

Caste — what is it? According to Thenmozhi Soundararajan aka @dalitdiva , “Caste is suffering, that one’s worth and fate are determined at the moment of birth." ⁠ ⁠ This encore revisits our chat with Thenmozhi Soundararajan, author of "The Trauma of Caste: A Dalit Feminist Meditation on Survivorship, Healing, and Abolition." Learn more caste oppression, Dalit liberation and more at the link in our bio!

Trying to find other progressive south asians use this QR code to add 100 great Desi orgs, artists, authors, and activists! See you over there.

Hey Everyone! I have joined Bluesky! Join me there @dalitdiva.bsky.social !

Please join this powerful post-elections grief and healing circle. We need all of us and the only way forward is with each other. #jaibhim and #jaisavitri Link in bio!