Wilma Ellis Kazemzadeh was born in Altamont, IL, in 1929, into the only black family to ever live in Altamont up to that time. Her grandmother’s grandmother had staged a dramatic escape from slavery. Wilma’s mother’s family were Baptist and her father’s family were Methodist; through a sister, the family discovered the Baha’i teachings and became Baha’is. Wilma’s family later resettled in Phoenix, AZ, where she attended an all-black school notable for its high-quality teaching. Wilma worked to promote racial harmony human rights issues as an adult – in the United States and around the world – and collaborated with the US government and the United Nations. Today she lives in Los Angeles, CA, and remains an active member of her Baha’i community.