Born into a Dalit family in Maharashtra, Shailaja Paik has risen from a life of hardship to become the first Dalit recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, marking a historic breakthrough for marginalised voices.

The $800,000 grant, often called the ‘genius’ grant, recognises the historian’s pioneering work on caste, gender, and sexuality. "It is a celebration of the contributions of Dalits...and their fight for human rights. I hope non-Dalits will stand with Dalits and fight caste, gender, and racial discrimination," she said.

Paik’s early life was shaped by extreme poverty in Pune’s Yerawada slum. Her father, the first Dalit in his village to earn a degree, instilled in her a fierce determination to pursue education and break free from caste barriers.

Despite clearing the civil service exams, Paik’s dreams of becoming a bureaucrat were cut short by her father's untimely death in 1996. She took up the mantle of supporting her family, starting as a lecturer in Mumbai.

Paik’s academic journey took her to Warwick University in the UK, where, with the help of a Ford Foundation grant, she completed her PhD. Today, she is a professor at the University of Cincinnati, focusing on Dalit studies.

Her research is a powerful testament to the resilience of Dalit women. "Dalit women resist and display resilience...they continue to get up and out from the under," Paik said, capturing their struggle for dignity in the face of caste oppression.

Paik’s first book, Dalit Women’s Education in Modern India: Double Discrimination, sheds light on the relentless fight of Dalit women to access education. It redefines their role in Indian history, emphasising the twin tyrannies of caste and gender.

In The Vulgarity of Caste, Paik unveils the harsh realities faced by Dalit Tamasha performers — women stigmatised for their art. The book explores how caste and gender intersect to deny these women dignity, even as they continue to perform for survival.

Paik’s childhood was scarred by the reality of caste-based prejudice. Once, while visiting an "upper caste" family, she and her grandmother were given separate teacups and made to sit on the mud floor, while the upper caste woman sat comfortably on a chair.

Her success, Paik says, is owed to her parents. "My father...educated himself by waiting tables and cleaning at restaurants. He was the first Dalit man from his village to earn a degree," she recalls, proud of the legacy she inherited.

In their one-room slum house, Paik’s mother, with only a sixth-grade education, introduced her to the English alphabet. “She protected us and taught us to protect ourselves. She has been a model of fortitude, standing by me, teaching me to pursue my interests and believing in my endeavours,” she said.

Through her extensive research and oral histories, Paik gives voice to Dalit women whose stories were never told. She is also working on setting up an archive of her interviews and fieldwork. Her purpose? “These Dalits were never able to speak to anyone about their ideas and their lives.”

Paik reflected on her journey, saying, “I’ve never been called a ‘genius’ before, but when I think of how I got here — an often rocky journey — I’m going to embrace it with gratitude and continue my work for justice.”