This video recording consists of a presentation delivered by historian Runoko Rashidi in Honolulu, Hawaii, on March 3, 2000. The title of the presentation was "Dalits: India's Black Untouchables." Dr. Rashidi discusses the origins of classical Indian civilization in the area now known as Pakistan, arguing that the civilization was the creation of black people, namely the Dravidians. The Dravidians, who now live primarily in southern India, were displaced and conquered by Aryans from the north who introduced Hinduism and the caste system into India. Rashidi argues that the outcastes or "untouchables," who now often call themselves Dalits, came primarily from the defeated Dravidian population. He also shows slides of his visits to communities of Dalits in India in 1998 and 1999, and explains the often extreme oppression encountered by members of those communities. "The Black Presence in India, Dalits: India's Black Untouchables." Lecturer: Runoko Rashidi.
