Racial Identity Debunking color-blindness Tavoria Kellam: In the real world, the most salient thing about me is that I am black.
Bahai Religion Purifying character to uproot racism Tavoria Kellam: I’m done with reading about the Central Park Five, or Tamir Rice, because I know already.
Bahai Community Billy Roberts Billy Roberts was born in 1951 in Boston, MA before moving to Los Angeles. He attended the University of Massachusetts, where he became a Baha'i, and later trained as a therapist. In 1987, Billy started the Baha’i “Black Men’s Gatherings” to encourage Baha’i men of African descent.
Racial Discrimination A loving community surrounded by danger Growing up in Boston, you didn’t go into Irish or Italian neighbourhoods. You’d be taking your life into your hands.
Racial Discrimination Hard times and harder questions Thirty of us were among the first American-Americans to go to Massachusetts University – they called us the “Dirty Thirty”.
Bahai Religion History Mr Gregory’s legacy My grandmother was a mother of her church – and she was very happy for me to investigate the Baha’i faith.
Racism in America Support on one side, dismissal on the other My teachers put me into a box – I had an aptitude for language but they said I couldn’t take Latin and that I wasn’t college material.
Bahai Community Racism and constructive resilience African-Americans have always understood that it’s very hard to simply become racist in response to acts of hatred.
Bahai Community Creating the Black Men’s Gathering I didn’t see enough African-American men active in the Baha’i community and I began to ask why.
Racial Identity Homelands of the ancestors People of African descent were asked to be a source of encouragement to Baha’i communities in Africa – so we went.
Bahai Community A Liberian reunion in Ghana We walked in and there was an uproar at the back – a group of young men said “We know him!”
Bahai Community Building Overcoming injustice through service not contention The Baha’i writings forbid conflict – we must oppose oppression by falling in love with people of other backgrounds.
Bahai Community Robin Chandler Robin Chandler was born in Boston, Massachusetts became a Baha’i at university. Her family background includes African-American, Cherokee and Scottish ancestry. Robin is an artist, sociologist, author and speaker and is active in race unity work across the United States.
Racial Identity No easy boxes to check If you lined my family up we’d look like a little United Nations.
Bahai Community A hotbed of political activity My sense of how to be a person and a Baha’i moved me to leave a legacy behind.
Racial Discrimination Pushing back against mediocrity and racism A lot of artists had great careers because they slept with the right people – I had to decide what kind of person I wanted to be.
Bahai Community American Baha’is & heavenly training Abdu’l-Baha came to the United States at the turn of the 20th century – like a first responder.
Bahai Community The behaviors needed for change The Baha’i writings defined “implicit bias” 70 years before Harvard came up with the idea.
Racial Identity Racism at home and abroad South African Baha’is of different races would meet and be visited by the police.
Racial Unity Spectrum racism People like to gang up on the worst offenders – but dealing with racism requires spiritual qualities.
Bahai Community Nancy Wong Nancy Wong was born in 1969 in Minnesota and became a Baha’i through a childhood friend. Her parents had emigrated from Hong Kong. Nancy first became aware of race in the US because of racist customers at her family’s Chinese restaurant. Today she works as a photographer and youth worker in Chicago.
Racial Identity Born in the Midwest – and in the Far East My parents were sometimes told to go back where they came from – I would always try to defend my parents.
Racial Discrimination Turning anger into search My interest in social issues and injustice was my soul searching for answers and the truth.
Bahai Community Unity in diversity Nature understands it – there’s so much diversity just in plant life but it all works together.
Slavery in America Facing up to a legacy of entitlement I was impressed when Bahai friends from European backgrounds weren’t afraid to acknowledge their own slave-owner ancestors.
