Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, M.A., Ph.D., D.Sc., Barrister-at-Law
”Rajgrah”, Hindu Colony, Dadar, Bombay-14
Dear Prof. Dubois,
Although I have not met you personally, I know you by name as everyone does who is working in the cause of securing liberty to the oppressed people. I belong to the Untouchables of India and perhaps you might have heard my name. I have been a student of the Negro problem and have read your writings throughout. There is so much similarity between the position of the Untouchables in India and of the position of the Negroes in America that the study of the latter is not only natural but necessary.
I was very much interested to read that the Negroes of America have filed a petition to the U.N.O. The Untouchables of India are also thinking of following suit. Will you be so good as to secure for me two or three copies of this representation by the Negroes and send them to my address. I need hardly say how very grateful I shall be for your troubles in this behalf.
Yours sincerely,
(signed) B. R. Ambedkar
To
Prof. Dubois,
University of Atlanta,
Georgia, U.S.A.
About This Letter
Historical Context
This letter was written in 1946, shortly before India's independence and during the formation of the United Nations. It represents an early example of international solidarity between oppressed communities.
Significance
This correspondence between two giants of civil rights - Ambedkar for Dalits in India and Du Bois for African Americans - demonstrates the global nature of the struggle for equality and human dignity. It predates the formal civil rights movement by a decade.
About Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (1891-1956) was the principal architect of the Indian Constitution and a tireless champion of Dalit rights. Born into an 'untouchable' caste, he overcame tremendous discrimination to become one of India's most influential leaders.
About Prof. W.E.B. Du Bois
W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) was an American sociologist, socialist, historian, and civil rights activist. He was one of the founders of the NAACP and a leading voice in the fight for African American equality.
Additional Resources
- Original Letter on Wikimedia Commons Scan of the original handwritten letter
- Ambedkar and Du Bois Correspondence Background on Ambedkar's international connections
- The Negro Petition to the UN (1946) The petition Ambedkar references in his letter