In 1921, as race relations were quickly deteriorating in the United States, Abdu’l-Baha launched a public Bahai initiative to assist America in applying the Baha’i principle of the oneness of humankind to the racial issues confronting it. A series of Race Amity Conferences were undertaken. Abdu’l-Baha demonstrated both in words and deeds throughout His time in America how we should behave towards each other.
Throughout his U.S. visit, he swept aside the social protocol of segregation by insisting that every place where he spoke be open to people of all races. In New York City at the Great Northern Hotel on 57th Street, where a banquet had been arranged in his honor, the manager vehemently refused to allow any blacks on the property. Abdu’l-Baha remedied the situation by hosting a second banquet the following day at the home of one of his followers, with many whites serving blacks — a subversive, even dangerous notion at the time.
“Intense is the hatred, in America, between black and white, but my hope is that the power of the Kingdom will bind these two in friendship, and serve them as a healing balm.”
For 239 days, from 11 April to 5 December 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Baha traversed the north American continent, continuing an extraordinary journey that had already taken him to Egypt, England, France, and Switzerland. He called on America to become a land of spiritual distinction and leadership and gave a powerful vision of America’s spiritual destiny — to lead the way in establishing the oneness of humanity.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá challenged America to go beyond tolerance, to embrace diversity completely, and to demolish racial barriers in law, education and even marriage.
How sad it is that we have still failed to fully understand and realize this vision. Recent events in both the U.S. and Canada have galvanized us to study more deeply the guidance we received.
A meditation on Overcoming Racism has now been added to our website. We encourage you to read and reflect. It can be found in our section on about/main principles.