Forging a Path to Racial Justice
by The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States, June 19, 2020
The Baha’is of the United States join our fellow-citizens in heartfelt grief at the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others whose lives were suddenly taken by appalling acts of violence. These heartbreaking violations against fellow human beings, due only to the color of their skin, have deepened the dismay caused by a pandemic whose consequences to the health and livelihoods of people of color have been disproportionately severe. This has come to pass against a backdrop of longstanding racial injustice in virtually every aspect of American life. It is clear that racial prejudice is the most vital and challenging issue we face as a country.
Yet, amidst these tragedies, there are also signs of hope. Countless citizens have arisen to proclaim the truth that we are one nation, and to demand specific actions to address the pervasive inequities that for too long have shaped our society. We have remembered who we aspire to be as a people, and are determined to make a change for the better. This moment beckons us to a renewed commitment to realize the ideal of E Pluribus Unum—out of many, one—the very ideal upon which America was founded.
To create a just society begins with recognition of the fundamental truth that humanity is one. But it is not enough simply to believe this in our hearts. It creates the moral imperative to act, and to view all aspects of our personal, social, and institutional lives through the lens of justice. It implies a reordering of our society more profound than anything we have yet achieved. And it requires the participation of Americans of every race and background, for it is only through such inclusive participation that new moral and social directions can emerge … [click the link below to read the full letter]
https://www.bahai.us/path-to-racial-justice/
Race Prejudice & Race Unity – A Baha’i Perspective
A compilation of Baha’i writings on the principle of the oneness of humanity
https://www.globalmarketplace.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Race-Prejudice-Race-Unity-A-Bahai-Perspective.pdf
Talk by ‘Abdu’l-Baha (son of the Founder of the Baha’i Faith) on Race Unity to a racially diverse audience at Howard University, 1912
https://www.globalmarketplace.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Talk-at-Howard-University-in-1912.pdf
The National Center for Race Amity (a Baha’i-inspired nonprofit) – free resources
https://raceamity.org/resources/
An American Story: Race Amity and The Other Tradition – documentary
by the National Center for Race Amity and Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame Awardee, Dr. William H. ‘Smitty’ Smith, Ed. D.
A film that tackles racism through friendship and collaboration.
trailer:
https://raceamity.org/race-amity-film/
for purchase:
https://ncrastore.org/
The Vision of Race Unity: America’s Most Challenging Issue
by The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States, 1991
https://www.ibiblio.org/Bahai/Texts/English/The-Vision-Of-Race-Unity.html
for purchase:
https://www.bahaibookstore.com/Search.aspx?k=Most+Challenging+Issue
A Vision of Race Unity blog and history
https://visionofraceunity.wordpress.com/
The Power of Unity: Overcoming Racial Divisions, Rebuilding America
for purchase:
https://www.bahaibookstore.com/Power-of-Unity-New-Edition-P9588.aspx
http://bahai-library.com/taylor_power_unity
Toward Oneness
A Compilation of Racial and Cultural Issues by Tod Ewing – Palabra Publications, 1998
Toward Oneness & Freedom from Racial Prejudice
The Call for a Distinctive Contribution: A Compilation on Racial and Cultural Issues – Palabra Publications, 2020
http://palabrapublications.com/?s=Ewing&post_type=product
Champions of Oneness: Louis Gregory and his Shining Circle
https://www.bahaibookstore.com/Champions-of-Oneness-Louis-Gregory-and-his-Shining-Circle-P9810.aspx
To Move the World: Louis G. Gregory and the Advancement of Racial Unity in America
by Gayle Morrison (Bahá’í Publishing Trust: Wilmette, 1982)
The Pupil of the Eye: African Americans in the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh
http://bahai-library.com/taylor_pupil_eye
Longing: Stories of Racial Healing
by Phyllis A. Unterschuetz and Eugene F. Unterschuetz, 2010
http://storiesofracialhealing.com/
UnityWorks Foundation
UnityWorks Foundation is a Baha’i-inspired 501(c)3 non-profit foundation whose mission is to promote understanding of the oneness of humanity, the value of diversity and the need for unity. Programs: We provide diversity training, educational materials and support to empower teachers, local schools and communities to raise a generation of prejudice-free children.
Bookstore: We offer teacher’s guides, PowerPoint lessons and other multicultural resources. Your purchase helps us to provide these items for no charge to those with limited means.
https://www.unityworks.org/home.html
Teaching Unity
A Guide for Parents and Teachers with Learning Activities for Ages 8-12
by Dr. Randie S. Gottlieb and Dr. Steven E. Gottlieb, 2013
https://www.unityworks.org/teaching-unity.html