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 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.
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 Religion From Christian to Baha’i – via Christ In the Bible we’re told to watch and pray, that Christ will come again like a thief in the night.
Bahai Community Filling institutions with the spirit of oneness The Baha’i teachings say it’s mandatory for our spirits and hearts to eradicate racism.
Bahai Community A variety of races What attracted me was the Baha’i principle to actively work for the elimination of prejudice.
Bahai Community Building The opposite of love isn't hate - it's apathy If truthfulness is the foundation of all human virtues, what does it look like to apply that to eliminating racial prejudice?
Bahai Community Finding hope in a hopeless time Growing up in a Baha’i family in the 1960s gave me hope – otherwise I wouldn’t believe there could be justice for people of color.
Bahai Community Living the integrated life The Baha’i community in Nashville was a third black, a third white and a third Iranian. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.
Bahai Community How Baha’i institutions can address race A high number of African-Americans get elected to our Local Spiritual Assembly – and the majority of voters are Iranians.
Bahai Community Building Being the change We saw that more of our African-American brothers and sisters engaged as we educated ourselves about race in America.
Racial Unity Culture shock – in America My mother-in-law held up her arms and said 'my daughter' and I just broke down in tears.
Bahai Community The challenge of learning unity in diversity Farzaneh Guillebeaux: Learning about unity in diversity is a challenge, not just for America, but for the Baha’i community as well.
Racial Unity Love is an action verb Far too often we have squandered so much human capital and potential because of racism.
Bahai Religion ‘Praise the Lord, here you are’ It felt like Pentecost, when the disciples went out and they began to preach the word of Jesus after his crucifixion.
Bahai Community A handful, a roomful and then a great gathering In the 1920s and later, had black Southerners been given the chance they would have responded to the Baha’i Faith in large numbers.
Bahai Community Losing then finding his religion I noticed within the Baha'i community there were African-Americans, whites, Filipinos and others all working together.
Bahai Community Offering an African-American spirit to the Baha'i faith We would sing for hours and then deepen ourselves on our responsibilities as Baha’is.
Racial Unity Race unity from Texas to Tennessee Barbara Talley: There was a perception that if you talk about race, it creates the issue. We’re just sharing our stories.
Bahai Community Building Spiritual reparations Barbara Talley: The Bible said the last shall be the first, and the meek shall inherit the Earth. This is it.
Bahai Religion Some people pretend to be asleep Barbara Talley: Maybe we weren’t brought here. Maybe we were sent here.
