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.
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.
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.
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 Unity Spectrum racism People like to gang up on the worst offenders – but dealing with racism requires spiritual qualities.
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.
Bahai Community Building A realization at Wounded Knee Race unity dances weren’t enough – I saw that we have to help communities deal with the problems they’re facing.
Racial Unity Learning then sharing the good news Black people were the most downtrodden in the world – I was all for anything that encouraged us.
Racial Identity Home and school – two different worlds I lived in an African-American community and went to a white school – you lose your sense of identity.
Racial Identity Where are African-Americans going? The Baha’i writings compare us to the “pupil of the eye” – I find it amazing to share that with young people who are in despair.
Bahai Community Growing up as a white Baha'i in a segregated world Ken Bowers: Growing up, everybody in our Baha’i community, black and white, was my family.
Racism in America Learning how all races can come together Ken Bowers: There are multitudes in this country who wish for America to realize the ideals of the Declaration of Independence.
Bahai Community Building Building community to achieve race unity Ken Bowers: We're challenged to think consciously about the implications of justice and of building a united community.
Racial Unity Van Gilmer Van Gilmer grew up in Greensboro, NC, at the height of Segregation. He was a musician, architectural engineer and active in the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s, when he became a Baha&
Racial Unity White people were suddenly in my life Van Gilmer: I mean you hear the n-word now. But that was a regular word growing up.
Bahai Community Leaving home If you’ve been in a black church you know how dynamic it is – leaving it for an inter-racial community was traumatic.
Bahai Community Growing up as a Civil Rights warrior The Baha’i community taught racial unity and they also lived it – which was the goal of the Civil Rights movement.
Bahai Community Abdu’l-Baha in America The head of the Baha’i faith visited the United States in 1912 and described blacks and whites as sapphires and pearls.
