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.
Bahai Community Building Maywood, near Chicago Four young people recently took their lives in our community – these are spiritual problems that need spiritual solutions.
Racism in America Racism and how to overcome it I’ve gone through hardships but I wouldn’t do it any other way – people like to feel that you’re passionate.
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.
Racial Identity Nashville via Iran, Palestine and Black Wall Street Maya Mansour: They built a highway straight through my mom’s thriving black neighbourhood in the Midwest.
Racial Discrimination Learning from incarcerated African-Americans Maya Mansour: There's not a lot to do in prison. You're left with a lot of time for reflection.
Bahai Community African-Americans and Iranian Baha'is are both treated unjustly Maya Mansour: Tahirih was the first woman to be incarcerated in Persia.
Segregation in America Transcending social pressure to segregate Ken Bowers: It was a time of extreme apartheid between the black and the white races.
Racism in America Taking a stand against racism – and violence Ken Bowers: My mother saw people getting into a pickup truck carrying shotguns and dynamite.
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.
Racism in America Sharing the burden of racism Ken Bowers: America really is the story of struggle, horrific in many ways, and it needs to be acknowledged.
Racism in America How to talk about race in America Van Gilmer: There were five of us, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jewish and Baha’i, who walked through a museum to see the history of slaves in America.
Racism in America The only way to eliminate racism Van Gilmer: My granddaughter went outside and saw a white noose hanging from a tree in her yard.
Bahai Religion From South Carolina to Michigan My church was filled with Civil Rights protestors – one of them said I should explore the Baha’i faith.
Civil Rights Movement Three years of harassment and ostracism I was part of the vanguard of black students who integrated my high school – I rode in a police car to go to class.
Racism in America The Orangeburg massacre It was so close – if I’d been standing on the front steps of my church at that moment I would’ve seen everything.
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.
Racial Identity Hollow options in the 1960s We had friends who were Black Panthers – there was a lot of fronting with bullets and guns.
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.
Bahai Religion Applying Baha’i ideas to scholarship & academia White students felt guilty and didn’t know what to do, and students of color would feel extremely angry.
Racism in America Urban redevelopment and race My field, urban planning, has destroyed many African-American communities. I saw it as my charge to address that.
