Conversation with Thenmozhi Soundararajan

May 18, 2026 | Events

Register

Presented by East Bay Meditation Centre

🗓️ June 1, 2026 @ 5:30 – 7:00pm PT

đź“ŤOnline and In-person

đź“Ť2406 Webster St., Oakland CA

EBMC is thrilled to host Dr. Rima Vesely-Flad, author of the newly released book The Fire Inside: The Dharma of James Baldwin and Audre Lorde! Dr. Vesely-Flad will be in conversation with Thenmozhi Soundararajan, author of The Trauma of Caste and Executive Director of Equality Labs. There will also be time for audience Q & A. We hope you’ll join us for this deeply intersectional discussion about two iconic Black queer writers, timeless Buddhist teachings, and our current work toward social justice and collective liberation. This event is for lovers of literature, Buddhist teachings, and social justice activism. All are welcome to attend.

The Fire Inside will be for sale onsite, courtesy of Nomadic Bookshop, a nonprofit bookstore and cultural space in Oakland.

Please note the address for EBMC’s new space:

2406 Webster St., Oakland, CA

Doors open 5:00pm, event begins at 5:30pm

This event will be in-person. Space is limited to the first 200 people who register.

Cost:

Registration does not require a donation, but the offering of a financial contribution is deeply appreciated and will support our center and programs.

Please note that this event is a fundraiser for EBMC, and we humbly request that folks give at the highest level they can for the benefit of the collective. If you are able, please offer a Generosity Ticket for someone who cannot afford to buy one for themselves. Donations are welcomed even if you’re unable to attend.

For a list of our offerings and more information please visit www.eastbaymeditation.org.

More from Dr. Rima Vesely-Flad

James Baldwin argued that racism is not a “Black problem” but a white fear-driven delusion that scapegoats Black people and evades interior work. Drawing on Baldwin’s essays and testimony, we discuss his critique of white moral pretentiousness, evasion, and the projection of shame and fear—especially the fear of death—onto Black bodies. We also see how Baldwin’s analysis relates to Buddhist teaching on dependent origination from the Rice Seedling Sutra.

 

In this dharma talk, we investigate the role of Sati—which is translated as knowing, awareness, presence, or mindfulness—in the writings of James Baldwin and Audre Lorde, in conversation with early Buddhist writings.
In this dharma talk, we understand the weight of suffering through the eyes of James Baldwin and Audre Lorde. We learn how Baldwin gleaned the difference between suffering due to the violence of racism, and suffering that is central to the human experience. We learn about Lorde’s embrace of the idea that pain can teach us something important, but that we need not suffer uselessly.

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