Racial Unity Showing the way to survive Once you deal with people who are persecuted you never really stop.
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 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.
Racism in America A lack of diversity The national conversation on race wasn't on my radar when I was growing up.
Bahai Community A choice for the ages My grandparents could have passed for white – but they were proud of being African-Americans and were active in Civil Rights.
Racial Discrimination Trading in white privilege The border official couldn’t believe my white fiancee and I were getting married. We had to show him the wedding dress.
Racism in America Moving to the South Living in Tallahassee was one of my most difficult experiences – I had never experienced racism in that way.
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 Identity Mothers of black sons You have to be a warrior to raise black children in America today.
Racial Discrimination Like climbing Mount Everest, only harder I had to always fight against that feeling of I'm not good enough.
Interracial Relationships Life as an interracial couple in 1960s North Carolina Jack Guillebeaux: The worst thing that could happen is for Fafar or I to show fear.
Interracial Relationships Changing hearts through grocery shopping Farzaneh Guillebeaux: We were looking for somewhere to live and I told landlords, I’m white, my husband is African-American, is that a problem? They would bang down the phone.
Racial Discrimination Praying for world peace – or to die I was just wiped out by what I saw of what the Nazis had done to the Jewish people.
Racial Discrimination Buses, trains and unconscious biases I sat by the African-American all the rest of the way to Washington D.C. because I didn't want to be put off the bus.
Racial Unity Learning about how it feels My mother took me to a black Baptist church and told me to go to Sunday school.
Racism in America Fighting oppression with love The president of AT&T’s best friend was an African-American doctor – his heart broke when he heard how he was treated.
Racism in America Growing up during white flight Anthony Vance: Suddenly the managers of our housing project didn't care about it anymore.
Slavery in America Sacrificing differences to commit to unity Anthony Vance: The legacy of slavery in the US had a parallel with imperialism in Africa.
Racial Identity From North Carolina to the University of Pennsylvania Michael Penn: Like so many of the African-Americans, we moved from the South to the North and we became New Yorkers.
Bahai Community Building Creating the world – or destroying it Michael Penn: Embodying spiritual qualities is part of the process of creating racial unity.
Bahai Community Building Learning to read Michael Penn: If we’re going to overcome prejudice, we have to become the kinds of people who are prejudice-free.
Racial Identity Feeling like an outsider I just wanted a sense of belonging – so I thought I’d become a Christian. But then I went to Baha’i youth groups.
Racial Discrimination Incarceration, race & class as a career Labelling young people as irredeemable doesn’t help them to come out of prison and to contribute to society.
Racial Unity Finding and eliminating prejudices I had no idea of the reality of what it meant to be black in the United States of America.
Bahais in Iran From mobs in Iran to the Ku Klux Klan Hussein Ahdieh: Our dog was stoned outside our front door in Iran because we were Baha’is.
