Why JEDI? Inspirations from Chandra Sena Gooneratne

Kasun explored his identity as a Sri Lankan-American in today’s discussion on how he sees diversity and inclusion for justice and equity. He talked about Chandra Sena Gooneratne, a Sri Lankan student who was a graduate student in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. Gooneratne was known for his prescient observations on race in America - he started wearing a turban to “as a means of confounding the color line” and challenging prevalent stereotypes about race. He lectured across the US on Indian history, society and politics.

We were encouraged to think about the figures and places that inspired us to start working in the space of environmental justice. Some of the people who came up included Dr. Robert Bullard (Father of the Environmental Justice movement), various community partners and family members who work towards creating meaningful change. We discussed the dangers of extractive partnerships that do not help the people left in their wake.

Resources:

South Asian American Digital Archive’s article on Chandra Sena Gooneratne