Race Unity in America: an Oral History

Welcome to RaceUnity.us

Baha’is in the US have for a century worked to end racism and promote race unity. RaceUnity.us is an oral history of this story; it was started by Maziar Bahari, who isn't a Baha'i. The project looks at successes and challenges Baha'is face – and what they're doing now to address this vital issue.

Bahai Community

Kim Wu

Kim Wu was born in 1988 in New York City, where she grew up. Multiple generations of her Taiwanese family lived under one roof – and in their neighborhood they were one of just a few Asian-American families. Kim became a Baha’i in college and today is active in community-building work.

Racial Identity

Growing up Chinese-American in Queens

We lived in a home with several generations under one roof – but outside everyone was from different backgrounds.

Bahai Community

Meeting Baha’is in action

You can be pulled in many directions at college – my Baha’i friends showed me that faith and action go together.

Bahai Community Building

Bridging communities of color through service

First Nations Baha’is offered community-building activities to their friends and neighbors – even the prayers were in Navajo.

Bahai Community Building

The intersection of race, class and young people

The Baha’i junior youth program helps develop powers of expression – so that young people become aware of injustice and how to address them.

Bahai Community

Wilma Ellis Kazemzadeh

Wilma Ellis Kazemzadeh was born in 1929 in Altamont, Illinois, in the town’s only black family. Wilma grew up between Baptism and Methodism – her parents became Baha'is when she was still a child. Wilma later worked on racial harmony, education and on human rights in the US and around the world.

Racial Identity

A family’s legacy

My eighth-grade teacher taught us as if the eighth grade was going to be our last year of education.

Slavery in America

An ancestor’s escape from slavery

My grandmother’s grandmother ran and hid with her baby under a log to escape her captors.

Civil Rights Movement

Civil Rights was just life

When I was 14, I got all dressed up to see the national NAACP leader speak at the YWCA.

Racial Unity

Working for racial harmony

I am a black woman so I felt my duty was to talk about race in a positive way, not dwelling on what we have been through.

Bahai Community Building

Pushing forward as Baha’is

When Emmett Till was killed, many Baha’is said it was too bad, but we did not have the experience to address it.

Racial Unity

Showing the way to survive

Once you deal with people who are persecuted you never really stop.

Racial Identity

On raising black children

As I get older, I find that my kids don’t need my opinion, they need my love.

Bahai Community

Antonio Smith

Antonio Smith, 27, grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, lived in 15 homes and attended 10 schools, met his biological father at the age of 17, was twice hit by a car and nearly lost his hearing, before finding Christ, winning a scholarship to Brown and discovering the Baha'i faith.

Racism in America

Losing a voice, finding Christ

I was hit by cars twice when I was growing up – the second time felt like the beginning of my spiritual journey.

Racial Discrimination

A society built for others

The perceptions as that kids at my school wouldn’t amount to anything. But my peers had talents, abilities and intelligence that just weren’t being tapped by the system.

Bahai Religion

Winning a scholarship to Brown

The ACT was Goliath, and I was David, relying on the power of God to prevail.

Bahai Community

Becoming a Baha’i, 10% at a time

At the end of my first year of university, I saw that I was doing more Baha’i things than other things and I was okay with that.

$Teaching math and spiritual empowerment$

Bahai Community Building

Teaching math and spiritual empowerment

I met a student and his mom at their home, and as soon as I walked in I knew they couldn’t afford $25 an hour for tutorials.

Bahai Community Building

Race and the twofold moral purpose

I didn’t feel racism growing up in Memphis. But at university I learnt why – the racism in Memphis is invisible racism.

Racial Unity

Hungry for unity

New relationships are being built – forcing people to see each other as equals.

Bahai Community

Eric Dozier

Eric Dozer was born in Bakewell, Tennessee in 1969, and grew up as the son of two pastors and the grandson of a deacon. He was a Baptist minister and music director at his church in Durham, North Carolina, when he became a Baha'i 25 years ago. Today Eric is an activist, educator and blues preacher.

Racial Identity

A family of preachers and singers

The black church was a phenomenal spiritual education.

Racism in America

Learning from teaching about race

Kids of color get suspended 5-6 times as often as white kids for the same infraction.