Albert Einstein: The Genius Who Fought America’s Caste System
Albert Einstein’s name is synonymous with genius, but as Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste reveals, his legacy extends far beyond the realm of science. His theory of relativity revolutionized our understanding of the universe, earning him a place among history’s greatest minds. Yet, what is often left out of the textbooks and documentaries is Einstein’s fierce opposition to social injustice—an advocacy born from personal experience and moral clarity. Far from merely a thinker tethered to equations, Einstein was also a civil rights activist, an ally to African Americans in a time when such alliances were rare and dangerous. Wilkerson’s Caste pulls back the curtain on this lesser-known side of Einstein, embedding his efforts in the broader narrative of systemic racism in America. This isn’t the story of a man dabbling in social issues; it’s the story of a refugee who saw America’s racial hierarchy with eyes unclouded by the norms of white supremacy.
A Refugee Confronts America’s Caste System
Albert Einstein arrived in the United States in 1933, fleeing Nazi Germany as the Third Reich began its relentless assault on Jewish lives. The persecution he faced in Europe imbued him with a visceral understanding of discrimination. When he settled in Princeton, New Jersey, he found a town steeped in segregation. The town’s Black residents were relegated to second-class status, barred from schools, restaurants, and even sidewalks in certain neighborhoods. This ugly mirror of the prejudice he had escaped in Germany struck Einstein profoundly. Wilkerson describes racism in America as not merely prejudice but as a caste system—a rigid, hierarchical structure designed to dehumanize and control. For Einstein, this was unmistakable. Having experienced the Nazis’ pseudo-scientific hierarchies that justified anti-Semitism, he recognized the same mechanisms at work in America’s treatment of African Americans.
Einstein once referred to segregation as a “disease of white people,” a stark condemnation that framed racism not as a cultural quirk or political issue, but as a moral failing demanding immediate action. Wilkerson argues that caste is not merely a social structure but a nearly invisible scaffolding that determines one’s place in society. Einstein, with his outsider’s perspective, immediately recognized this scaffolding in the rigid segregation of Princeton. His moral clarity about America’s racial hierarchy was not an abstract realization—it informed every aspect of his life as an activist and ally.
Einstein and Paul Robeson: An Alliance Against Lynching
Einstein’s commitment to civil rights wasn’t limited to philosophical musings; it was deeply personal. In 1935, he befriended Paul Robeson, an African American actor, singer, and activist whose work championed the rights of oppressed people worldwide. Their friendship was more than a meeting of minds—it was an alliance. Together, they worked with the American Crusade to End Lynching, an organization pushing for federal anti-lynching legislation. Wilkerson identifies the use of terror as a central pillar of caste systems, and lynching was one of the most brutal expressions of this mechanism in America. Einstein’s work with Robeson was an act of direct opposition to this pillar of caste. Their bond highlights Einstein’s willingness to use his privilege to amplify the voices of those fighting systemic oppression. It wasn’t an act of charity—it was solidarity.
A Sanctuary for Marian Anderson
Einstein’s home also became a sanctuary for another cultural giant, Marian Anderson. When the renowned African American contralto was denied accommodation at Princeton’s Nassau Inn in 1937, Einstein invited her to stay in his home. This was no fleeting gesture; Anderson would later describe Einstein’s hospitality as a defining feature of their enduring friendship.
Einstein’s defiance of segregation was as deliberate in his private life as in his public actions. As Wilkerson notes, caste systems thrive on strict boundaries that enforce separation between groups. By welcoming Anderson into his home, Einstein symbolically and literally broke these boundaries. While Einstein opened his home to Anderson in an act of personal solidarity, his activism extended far beyond private gestures. In 1946, he took to the stage at Lincoln University to publicly denounce segregation and inspire a new generation to resist injustice.
Speaking Truth to Power at Lincoln University
At Lincoln University, the nation’s first degree-granting historically Black college, Einstein gave a commencement address calling segregation “a disease of white people.” He urged the graduates to resist internalizing the inferiority imposed by society, emphasizing that their worth was not defined by the prejudices of others. It was a clarion call from one of the world’s most famous men, delivered not to an elite white audience, but directly to the people bearing the brunt of systemic oppression.
That same year, Einstein penned an essay for Pageant magazine titled “The Negro Question.” In it, he challenged white America’s self-perception, exposing the hypocrisy of a nation that claimed to champion freedom while denying it to millions of its citizens. “Your ancestors dragged these black people from their homes by force,” he wrote, “and in the face of all this, they are the only ones who have helped to advance your country both materially and spiritually.” This essay wasn’t simply a critique; it was an indictment. Einstein’s words were pointed, unapologetic, and meant to unsettle the comfortable.
Einstein Under Surveillance: A Risk Worth Taking
Einstein’s outspoken activism did not go unnoticed by the powers that be. The FBI amassed a 1,800-page file on him, citing his associations with progressive causes and individuals. Einstein’s vocal opposition to racism and fascism placed him under the watchful eye of the FBI, which was notorious for surveilling activists and intellectuals deemed subversive during the mid-20th century. In a political climate increasingly defined by McCarthyism, his associations with progressive causes made him a target for suspicion.
Yet Einstein was undeterred. When W.E.B. Du Bois, a co-founder of the NAACP, was accused of being an unregistered foreign agent—a charge many viewed as racially and politically motivated—Einstein offered to serve as a character witness. His willingness to stand alongside Du Bois sent a clear message: Einstein would not remain silent in the face of injustice, even when it invited personal risk.
Einstein’s Legacy of Allyship
Wilkerson argues that caste systems are sustained not only by the compliance of those at the top but by the silence of those who benefit most from the hierarchy. Einstein’s civil rights activism is not just a historical footnote; it is a challenge to those who revere his scientific genius while ignoring his moral clarity. His actions demonstrate how individuals from privileged positions can confront oppressive systems, refusing to passively accept their role within them.
Einstein’s life is a reminder that allyship is not passive—it demands action, risk, and a willingness to make people uncomfortable. For Einstein, the fight against racism wasn’t a side project; it was an extension of his belief in the interconnectedness of humanity. Just as his theory of relativity revealed the profound interconnectedness of space and time, his moral philosophy emphasized the interconnectedness of human beings, regardless of race or nationality. He saw racism as a threat not just to its victims, but to the moral fabric of society itself.
Conclusion: Genius Rooted in Humanity
Albert Einstein’s legacy is often measured in scientific terms: E=mc², the bending of spacetime, and the photoelectric effect. But his commitment to justice reveals another dimension of his genius—his humanity. As Wilkerson’s Caste demonstrates, breaking free from a caste system requires those in positions of privilege to recognize and dismantle the hierarchies that uphold oppression. Einstein’s activism shows how moral clarity, paired with action, can disrupt these structures—an example that remains urgently relevant today.
While Einstein’s scientific genius transformed our understanding of the cosmos, his activism revealed a different kind of brilliance: the courage to challenge the injustices of his own time. For African Americans in mid-20th century America, Einstein’s solidarity offered a glimpse of what could be possible if more people in power confronted the status quo. For today’s readers, his story is a call to action. Einstein reminds us that true genius is not just the ability to understand the laws of the universe—it is the courage to challenge the injustices that stain our world.