Finding Hope in the Face of Racism with Salin Geevarghese

Welcome to the first episode of Conversations: Race on the Rocks with your host, Craig Uffman. Listen as Craig and his guest Salin Geevarghese, one of world’s foremost experts in the art of reconciling opposing groups in the pursuit of spatial justice, discuss how Craig falling in love with an amazing woman was the catalyst that made this podcast possible, how Salin's father immigrated to the United States from India, and much more.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and more!

Salin is the President & CEO of SGG Insight, LLC, a consulting firm offering comprehensive services to public, private, nonprofit, and philanthropic sector leaders and organizations. He also serves as Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) as well as the founding Director of the Mixed-Income Strategic Alliance and its Innovation and Action Network.

Listen as Salin shares his father's journey from India, his academics, and how he ended up in Tennessee. They speak about the influential thought leaders prominent during the 50s and how they guided Salin's father's actions. Salin also discusses some racial indignities his father suffered and what it was like for him as a brown-skinned boy growing up in a predominantly white area.

Salin discusses working with the Obama administration and the award he received, and the letter he wrote to the Washington Post about a kindness President Obama did for his father. This episode ends as all future episodes will, with some grounds of hope that we can all draw from.

“I have marveled at people like John Lewis and others who...were bruised and beaten for my freedom, for my liberty, and for my opportunity.” Salin Geevarghese

Craig has a podcast like you've never heard. If you have felt the injustice of racism or have seen it and want to find a better way, this is the podcast for you.

Questions for Clergy and Other Group Leaders

Have you ever been called a racist? What emotions did that evoke? How did your reason ultimately respond?
Now, at the beginning of this series, how would you determine whether something is aptly described as racist or not?
Have you ever suffered an indignity based on your race? What was it like?
What are the two perspectives that Salin shares used to explain why persons of color often underperformed in the school systems he helped? Have you held either of those perspectives? What reasons do you believe are most explanatory?

In this episode

[02:14] Welcome to the show, Salin!

[02:58] Craig shares a personal story about why Salin is the first guest on the first episode.

[05:11] Craig speaks about telling family and friends about his relationship with a woman of color.

[07:16] His girlfriend's brother asked her to be careful because he felt like he might be racist.

[09:06] Craig discusses how this caused him to go on the exploration journey that led him to do this podcast.

[10:54] Salin is Craig's brother-in-law and the brother that caused him to look at himself and see if anything he put on social media was inappropriate.

[12:50] Salin shares his father's story, an Orthodox priest immigrating to the United States from India in the 50s.

[15:08] His father's pathway into the United States through Ellis Island.

[16:41] Salin discusses his father's academic journey and ending up in Tennessee.

[19:51] Craig shares his insights into who might have influenced Salin's father when he immigrated.

[21:22] Salin speaks about his father's life in India during the great depression.

[24:21] Listen as Salin discusses his father's academic career and his passions.

[25:36] Did your father experience the pain of racial hierarchy?

[26:00] Salin gives some background of India's history and the color caste hierarchy that operates still today.

[30:01] Salin shares a story his father told him about an indignity that he suffered.

[32:23] Salin's family was one of the first families from India in Tennessee.

[35:14] What was it like growing up a brown-skinned boy in a predominantly white neighborhood in Tennessee?

[38:08] Salin speaks about his focus being on academics as a child.

[41:29] Salin shares what he has learned about how our race and class perspectives impact our commitments to resolve those tensions.

[44:37] Salin believes that if he had gone to a different elementary school and didn't have a diverse set of experiences, he doesn't know what his life would've looked like.

[47:20] Salin discusses the school systems teaching poor kids and the influences on what kids could achieve.

[49:45] Salin talks about one of the initiatives he was a leader in.

[50:53] Craig shares how he is approaching this podcast.

[51:26] Salin tells a story about serving in the Obama administration and how his father got to see his son awarded this honor.

[53:04] He speaks about his father's early diagnosis with dementia.

[56:10] Salin discusses sharing with President Obama the question his father asks every day.

[59:06] Salin talks about a story he wrote for the Washington Post.

[1:01:05] What are the grounds of hope that we can draw upon?

[1:03:07] Salin shares the second thing that gives him hope.

[1:05:58] Salin discusses everyone's journey having twists and turns.

[1:07:46] Thank you for being on the show!