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 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.
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.
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.
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 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 Identity A family of preachers and singers The black church was a phenomenal spiritual education.
Racial Identity Hold on, just a little while longer I began to understand the oneness of religion after an old Czech woman told me she knew my grandmother in her heart.
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 Religion A fountain of light Baha’u’llah says people of African descent are the “pupil of the eye” – it has caused me to reflect on my role in this world.
Segregation in America The only way to get to heaven My church and community were so segregated that I was in high school before realizing the world wasn't mostly black.
Racism in America A lack of diversity The national conversation on race wasn't on my radar when I was growing up.
Interracial Relationships Giving God a deadline I met Suhail and it was mutual disinterest at first sight. But when he hugged me I thought, “I could get used to this.”
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 Identity Committed to the truth My fourth-grade teacher referred to First Nations people as “savages” – my mother then told him to get his facts straight.
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.
Racial Unity What people think black people do I was an intellectual – my school didn't know how to handle somebody who wasn’t stereotypically black.
Racial Identity Mothers of black sons You have to be a warrior to raise black children in America today.
Segregation in America One life with many names Growing up was not easy. There wasn’t anyone to nurture or love you or to make you feel special.
Racism in America The only black family in the neighborhood We were the outsiders. My mother was very concerned about how we were perceived.
Racial Identity Relying on Baha’u’llah I thought I would probably marry an African when I lived in Liberia. So I married a white man.
Racial Identity Deciding it’s good to be black Jack Guillebeaux: I thought I would try out hating white folk. And that felt like a lot of work.
Racial Identity From Michael to Masud I changed my name after discovering my father's surname was derived from an English slave captain’s name.
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.
