Sunday, April 20, 2025
134th Ambedkar Jayanti
On April 19, 2025, Chicago celebrated the enduring legacy of global civil rights icon, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, at the Mar Thoma Cathedral in Bellwood, Ill. The event––hosted by the Midwest Ambedkarites' Association––honored the contributions of Dr. Ambedkar, and featured a keynote lecture from Indian Member of Parliament, Chandrashekhar Azad.
Dr. Ambedkar was a scholar, the primary author of India's secular constitution and a Dalit political leader who fought against caste discrimination. Community members gathered together on the 134th anniversary of his birth for a day of insightful discussions, cultural performances, and speeches by community leaders.
Indian Member of Parliament Chandrashekhar Azad (right) honoring prof. Kevin Brown, a top legal scholar from Indiana University, at the Chicago Midwest Ambedkarites' Ambedkar Jayanti 2025 event.
Indiana University professor and renowned legal scholar Kevin Brown, who connects his studies of critical race theory and U.S. law to the Dalit struggle in India, gave a stirring speech at the event. As Brown’s work shows, Dalits have drawn inspiration from the struggle of African-Americans in their own fight against caste discrimination.
Prominent Chicago activists have also sought inspiration from South Asia, and from figures like Dr. Ambedkar. In 1923, Chicago’s Jane Addams traveled to South Asia and studied the movement for liberation from the British Empire. Eight years later, Dr. Ambedkar wrote to Jane Addams to congratulate her on her Nobel Peace Prize and recognize her tireless activism in support of nonviolence and against war. Dr. Ambedkar––a global icon of social justice in his own right––would later cross paths with other civil rights leaders like W.E.B. Du Bois.
In July 1942, at a conference in Nagpur, India, Dr. Ambedkar urged his followers to “Educate, Agitate, Organize.” This powerful call to action continues to resonate today. At SACRED, these words guide our mission as we work to overcome hate in the South Asian community.
Make sure to check out these great organizations for more information about Dr. Ambedkar and the fight against caste discrimination: