Barefoot King

Discover the plight of one of the most overlooked people in the world and dare to dream with us that things can change.

"Prepare to laugh, cry, and rediscover the meaning of life."

Dr. Andrew DeCort, author of Flourishing on the Edge of Faith and founder of the Neighbor-Love Movement

Step into India, 1971 —

the Dalits, or “untouchables,” are prohibited to wear shoes, politicians rule over justice, and the ideals of India’s young constitution do little against the 2,000-year tradition of caste-based oppression. But for one particular Dalit boy, this was about to change...

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"This is not just the biography of a single person, but of the collective experience of the Dalit, including my own."

Rajendran Prabhakar, Dalit activist and founder of Maarga
The Author

Hayley Bennett Lyle

Raj's life story captivated me when I first met him. I was living in India, and immersed in India's vibrant kaleidoscope of cultures, languages, foods, religions, and traditions. As I lived there, I grappled with the culture's beautiful community juxtaposed with a harshly dehumanizing caste system.

Raj's story has given me a compass calibrated on integrity, compassion, and truth to navigate these complex systems and cultures, particularly my own. It is truly a story worth telling, and an honor to share it with you.

Hayley Bennett Lyle
Author of Barefoot King, The Indian Dalit who Defied Caste to Bless Others