1 00:00:01,170 --> 00:00:04,800 Society builders pave the way, to a better world, 2 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:10,560 to a better day. A united approach to building a new society. 3 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:16,710 Join the conversation. For Social Transformation. Society Builders 4 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:22,710 Society Builders. 5 00:00:23,010 --> 00:00:24,870 With your host, Duane Varan. 6 00:00:25,650 --> 00:00:29,670 Welcome to our second season of Society Builders. 7 00:00:30,210 --> 00:00:34,170 And thanks again for joining the conversation for social transformation. 8 00:00:35,130 --> 00:00:40,290 Today's episode is the third episode in a special trilogy exploring 9 00:00:40,290 --> 00:00:44,640 the contributions of Abdul-Baha, and the generation He inspired 10 00:00:44,910 --> 00:00:46,830 on the race discourse in America. 11 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:52,170 As I mentioned in our previous episodes, this is probably the best example 12 00:00:52,290 --> 00:00:56,490 of Baha'i contributions to society building in the Western world to date. 13 00:00:56,850 --> 00:01:00,960 In part one of this trilogy, we discussed the historical context 14 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:05,489 to the American race discourse PRIOR to the arrival of Abdul-Baha in 1912. 15 00:01:06,150 --> 00:01:10,770 As we discussed, the discourse of the day was dominated by a 16 00:01:11,070 --> 00:01:17,280 pseudo-scientific strain of racism that, like a cancer, cultivated racist 17 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:19,560 attitudes to African-Americans. 18 00:01:19,884 --> 00:01:24,865 Attitudes that resulted in the worst kinds of violence and transgressions against 19 00:01:24,865 --> 00:01:32,544 Black America, including over 3,500 lynchings - lynchings, which often included 20 00:01:32,544 --> 00:01:38,395 the horrific torture of its victims. And the religious communities of the day, 21 00:01:38,650 --> 00:01:43,270 communities who had previously championed the abolition of slavery, 22 00:01:43,780 --> 00:01:47,350 these communities were now entirely silent and looked the other way. 23 00:01:47,950 --> 00:01:51,520 And the African-American response to all of this, for the most 24 00:01:51,525 --> 00:01:56,110 part, was 'accommodationist', seeking to avoid rocking the boat and 25 00:01:56,115 --> 00:01:57,820 looking for just modest gains. 26 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:03,990 So racism was rife both across the South, but also in the North in America. 27 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:06,180 And little was being done about it. 28 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:10,949 It was an American disease, and it was a disease that was spreading rapidly. 29 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:15,420 In part two, we explored the hunger and appetite that there 30 00:02:15,425 --> 00:02:19,650 was for Abdul-Baha's Message by the time of His arrival in America. 31 00:02:20,505 --> 00:02:24,465 Fascination with all things Persian was at a peak. 32 00:02:24,614 --> 00:02:29,174 His message introduced new ideas in the race discourse - ideas that 33 00:02:29,174 --> 00:02:35,055 got traction. And Abdul-Baha's talks represented almost the only religious 34 00:02:35,060 --> 00:02:37,035 engagement on the race issue, 35 00:02:37,305 --> 00:02:40,995 something that attracted considerable media attention in the Black Press 36 00:02:40,995 --> 00:02:45,885 of the day, exposing the silence of America's churches on the issue. 37 00:02:46,454 --> 00:02:51,405 And we explored what Abdul-Baha's Message for America really was on the race 38 00:02:51,405 --> 00:02:56,655 issue, particularly in introducing a new strand to the Civil Rights discourse. 39 00:02:56,954 --> 00:03:02,385 One positively focused on race unity rather than just social justice. 40 00:03:03,105 --> 00:03:08,204 So episode two of our trilogy here explored what happened DURING 41 00:03:08,204 --> 00:03:09,734 Abdul-Baha's travels in America. 42 00:03:10,545 --> 00:03:15,584 Today we're gonna explore what impact this all had, both on the American Baha'i 43 00:03:15,584 --> 00:03:18,674 community and on wider society in general. 44 00:03:18,885 --> 00:03:24,734 In other words, today we explore the AFTER. And we're going to explore how 45 00:03:24,734 --> 00:03:30,975 Abdul-Baha, and the generation He inspired, helped shape the evolution of the nascent 46 00:03:30,975 --> 00:03:32,984 Civil Rights discourse in America. 47 00:03:33,554 --> 00:03:37,815 Again, it's probably the best example we have to date of Baha'i Society 48 00:03:37,815 --> 00:03:39,614 building in the Western world. 49 00:03:40,054 --> 00:03:44,225 And I'm thrilled to say that today's episode will feature interviews with 50 00:03:44,225 --> 00:03:48,815 leading Baha'i scholars, including in order of their appearances, 51 00:03:48,815 --> 00:03:50,345 Dr. Robert Stockman, 52 00:03:50,345 --> 00:03:51,755 Gail Morrison, 53 00:03:51,755 --> 00:03:53,195 Dr. Chris Buck, and 54 00:03:53,195 --> 00:03:54,125 Dr. Guy Emerson Mount. 55 00:03:54,545 --> 00:03:56,225 So fasten your seatbelts. 56 00:03:56,345 --> 00:03:58,325 You are in for an amazing ride. 57 00:04:08,204 --> 00:04:13,005 As I mentioned in our previous episode, Abdul-Baha spoke at major events. 58 00:04:13,335 --> 00:04:17,115 Events that would have reached a good portion of the Black intelligentsia 59 00:04:17,115 --> 00:04:21,135 in America, particularly his standing room only address at 60 00:04:21,135 --> 00:04:25,335 Howard University, America's most prestigious Black university 61 00:04:25,675 --> 00:04:31,915 and his speeches at the fourth annual convention of the NAACP. And these talks 62 00:04:31,915 --> 00:04:37,015 got extensive media coverage in America, particularly by the Black American press. 63 00:04:37,135 --> 00:04:42,265 So between the audiences that would've heard Abdul-Baha's talks directly, and 64 00:04:42,265 --> 00:04:46,405 those who would've read the coverage, it's clear that Black America had 65 00:04:46,405 --> 00:04:50,665 strong familiarity with Abdul-Baha and His Message of race unity. 66 00:04:51,375 --> 00:04:56,265 But Abdul-Baha's talks also had a dramatic impact on the Baha'i community in America, 67 00:04:56,475 --> 00:05:02,625 and it resulted in numerous Baha'is engaging directly in the race discourse. 68 00:05:03,015 --> 00:05:08,895 It reflected the transformation of a great many believers who went on to 69 00:05:08,895 --> 00:05:11,505 become champions promoting race unity. 70 00:05:12,180 --> 00:05:13,980 Eminent Baha'i historian 71 00:05:13,980 --> 00:05:18,180 Dr. Robert Stockman, who's written a number of books about the early American 72 00:05:18,180 --> 00:05:23,460 Baha'i community, talks about a number of ways that Abdul-Baha's message interacted 73 00:05:23,460 --> 00:05:25,170 with the race discourse in America. 74 00:05:25,980 --> 00:05:30,300 Stockman: Yeah, I think there are at least four ways that the Baha'is were of assistance 75 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:37,740 to African-Americans in this period of time from say, uh, 1900 to 1950 or so. 76 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:45,060 First of all, the Baha'i Faith was covered with a certain amount of prominence in 77 00:05:45,060 --> 00:05:50,850 the leading African-American publications of the time, specifically the Chicago 78 00:05:50,850 --> 00:05:55,080 Defender, which had Robert Abbott as its editor, and he later became a Baha'i. 79 00:05:55,470 --> 00:05:58,590 He mentioned the Faith in the pages of the Defender 80 00:05:59,205 --> 00:05:59,955 fairly often. 81 00:06:00,075 --> 00:06:04,815 Second of all, there was the Crisis, which was the monthly publication 82 00:06:04,815 --> 00:06:10,395 of the NAACP, the editor being W.E.B. Du Bois, and of course, he 83 00:06:10,395 --> 00:06:12,645 covered Abdul-Baha's visit in 1912. 84 00:06:13,215 --> 00:06:15,315 Named Abdul-Baha Man of the Month. 85 00:06:15,585 --> 00:06:17,715 I think that was June of 1912. 86 00:06:18,315 --> 00:06:22,215 And also covered Abdul-Baha's passing in 1921. 87 00:06:22,965 --> 00:06:27,285 So, there were at least those references and possibly other references 88 00:06:27,285 --> 00:06:32,865 to the Faith in the, the monthly pages, of the Crisis, which was a very, 89 00:06:32,955 --> 00:06:37,605 very influential publication in the African American community nationwide. 90 00:06:38,580 --> 00:06:43,350 Of course some of those kinds of coverage of the Faith probably also 91 00:06:43,350 --> 00:06:49,230 helped people like Alain Locke to accept the Faith because it was more 92 00:06:49,235 --> 00:06:55,290 current, it was more recognizable, and its position on integration was clear. 93 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:59,490 And so I think that also helped attract some people 94 00:07:00,105 --> 00:07:03,765 to consider the Faith or to at least become friends of the Faith. 95 00:07:04,455 --> 00:07:09,735 Then of course we have Louis Gregory's frequent trips to the South where 96 00:07:09,735 --> 00:07:14,565 he spoke, especially, to historically Black colleges and universities, 97 00:07:14,565 --> 00:07:19,875 hBCUs. I should add that he also spoke to Black business associations. 98 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:24,950 And other organizations of African-Americans in the South. 99 00:07:24,950 --> 00:07:27,620 So again, these are not rural farmers. 100 00:07:27,620 --> 00:07:32,660 These are urban people who have a certain amount of interest in coming 101 00:07:32,660 --> 00:07:35,840 together and talking about the situation of the African-American community, 102 00:07:35,845 --> 00:07:39,770 ways to improve it, ways to continue to develop African-American prosperity. 103 00:07:40,310 --> 00:07:46,130 And so Louis Gregory was frequently being invited by groups like that to speak. 104 00:07:46,550 --> 00:07:48,330 And so certainly they would've heard of the Faith 105 00:07:48,900 --> 00:07:54,900 through Louis Gregory and his, his efforts, that's I think probably a 106 00:07:54,900 --> 00:07:58,800 bigger, may even have been a bigger influence than the Chicago Defender and 107 00:07:59,190 --> 00:08:04,080 the Crisis because he would've reached tens of thousands of people, not just by 108 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:08,160 a quick skim of an article, but listening to him speak for half an hour or so. 109 00:08:09,150 --> 00:08:12,480 And so I think that likely is, is a, a major 110 00:08:13,305 --> 00:08:17,534 a source of, of Baha'i influence on the development of the 111 00:08:17,534 --> 00:08:19,185 African-American community in the country. 112 00:08:20,474 --> 00:08:25,604 There was of course also a, a good example of the kind of influence that 113 00:08:25,965 --> 00:08:31,784 Louis Gregory had in the South was this, this man named 114 00:08:31,784 --> 00:08:32,265 mr. Henderson. 115 00:08:32,835 --> 00:08:37,635 He opened a business college in Memphis, Tennessee, and this business 116 00:08:37,635 --> 00:08:40,575 college continued to operate, I think until the 50s or 60s. 117 00:08:41,159 --> 00:08:43,559 And it was even referred to, I think, by Abdul-Baha. 118 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:45,930 Cause it was, we're talking about the teens when, when Mr. 119 00:08:45,930 --> 00:08:50,130 Henderson became a Baha'i. Abdul-Baha even referred to it as a Baha'i college. 120 00:08:50,699 --> 00:08:54,780 So there was clear involvement of Baha'i principles in African-American 121 00:08:54,785 --> 00:08:59,969 educational efforts right there in the,very early in the 20th century. 122 00:09:01,170 --> 00:09:05,040 Then there is the whole issue of the fact that the Baha'is were allies. 123 00:09:05,430 --> 00:09:09,540 And even though the Baha'i community at that time was say, one 10,000th the 124 00:09:09,540 --> 00:09:15,270 population of the country, perhaps 1% of the allies were Baha'is because the Baha'is 125 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:19,770 were, while not a large fraction of the allies of the African-American community, 126 00:09:19,770 --> 00:09:22,560 they were their nevertheless outsized, considering their own 127 00:09:22,560 --> 00:09:28,530 small size because of their position about the equality of all people. 128 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:34,170 So that clearly is another way that the Baha'i community was influential. 129 00:09:34,530 --> 00:09:39,180 And it may very well be that the hope the Baha'is had and the optimism, 130 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:43,770 the conviction that the Baha'is had that race Unity could and indeed 131 00:09:43,775 --> 00:09:47,430 would eventually be achieved in the United States, may have given 132 00:09:47,430 --> 00:09:49,950 people an additional reason for hope. 133 00:09:51,525 --> 00:09:52,275 Varan: So Dr. Stockman 134 00:09:52,275 --> 00:09:57,285 highlights a number of different ways in which the early American 135 00:09:57,285 --> 00:10:00,225 Baha'is engaged with Black America. 136 00:10:01,035 --> 00:10:04,545 There was the extensive coverage, which the Faith and its position 137 00:10:04,574 --> 00:10:08,775 on race Unity attracted, particularly with the Black press. 138 00:10:09,495 --> 00:10:12,795 There was the travels of Louis Gregory who reached tens of 139 00:10:12,824 --> 00:10:16,305 thousands of African Americans, particularly in the American South. 140 00:10:16,725 --> 00:10:20,745 There was the initiative of George Henderson, a Baha'i, who went on 141 00:10:20,750 --> 00:10:24,975 to found the Henderson Business College that went on to educate and 142 00:10:24,980 --> 00:10:27,615 train thousands of Black Americans. 143 00:10:28,635 --> 00:10:32,415 And there was the interaction of the early American believers with the 144 00:10:32,415 --> 00:10:34,125 Civil Rghts communities of the day. 145 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:39,120 We'll explore some of these themes further in today's episode. 146 00:10:49,079 --> 00:10:52,290 I'd like to dive a little deeper on the contributions 147 00:10:52,290 --> 00:10:54,390 of the amazing Louis Gregory. 148 00:10:54,810 --> 00:10:55,290 As Dr. Stockman 149 00:10:55,290 --> 00:11:00,030 shared, this interaction with Black America was probably even more 150 00:11:00,035 --> 00:11:04,199 impactful than all the press coverage, which the Faith attracted at the time. 151 00:11:05,145 --> 00:11:07,815 Now most Baha'is know a thing or two about Louis Gregory. 152 00:11:07,815 --> 00:11:11,925 Perhaps you recall the story of the luncheon where Washington DC High 153 00:11:11,925 --> 00:11:14,115 Society came out to honor Abdul-Baha. 154 00:11:14,475 --> 00:11:15,795 When Abdul-Baha asked where 155 00:11:15,795 --> 00:11:19,005 mr. Gregory, who was Black, was the host who didn't want to have to 156 00:11:19,005 --> 00:11:22,395 explain that African-Americans shouldn't dine with white folk well, 157 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:25,870 the host said there simply wasn't enough seats at the table. To 158 00:11:25,870 --> 00:11:27,550 which Abdul-Baha replied that Mr. 159 00:11:27,550 --> 00:11:29,050 Gregory could have His seat. 160 00:11:29,140 --> 00:11:30,430 And this ensured that Mr. Gregory 161 00:11:30,430 --> 00:11:34,330 was seated in the position of honor right next to Abdul-Baha. 162 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:38,530 Or we've heard the story about how Abdul-Baha encouraged the union of 163 00:11:38,535 --> 00:11:39,160 Mr. Gregory 164 00:11:39,395 --> 00:11:39,935 to Mrs. Louise Mathews 165 00:11:39,935 --> 00:11:41,405 who was white. 166 00:11:42,035 --> 00:11:45,275 Now, this kind of interracial marriage might seem normal these days, but 167 00:11:45,275 --> 00:11:47,465 at the time it was pretty shocking. 168 00:11:47,465 --> 00:11:52,835 I mean, it was outright illegal and the majority of US states, so Abdul-Baha's 169 00:11:52,835 --> 00:11:57,515 position on integration made waves, but it also set the standard. 170 00:11:57,699 --> 00:11:58,090 Mr. Gregory 171 00:11:58,095 --> 00:12:03,130 is such an amazing and magnetic soul who devoted most of 172 00:12:03,130 --> 00:12:06,310 his life to traveling and spreading the Cause, particularly in the 173 00:12:06,310 --> 00:12:10,600 American South, to share the Faith and its message on race unity. 174 00:12:11,140 --> 00:12:11,620 As Dr. Stockman 175 00:12:11,625 --> 00:12:15,730 noted earlier, in this way, he reached tens of thousands 176 00:12:15,730 --> 00:12:17,800 at a deep and intimate level. 177 00:12:18,449 --> 00:12:21,599 Now THE authority on Lewis Gregory is 178 00:12:21,599 --> 00:12:27,150 Gail Morrison, author of that great biography on his life: 'To Move the World'. 179 00:12:27,660 --> 00:12:28,650 Let's listen to Dr. Morrison 180 00:12:28,650 --> 00:12:30,510 share some highlights for 181 00:12:30,515 --> 00:12:31,290 Mr. Gregory's travels. 182 00:12:32,084 --> 00:12:37,814 Morrison: He was a rising young lawyer in essentially a small pond of highly 183 00:12:37,964 --> 00:12:42,915 educated Black Americans who were filling some of the first judgeships 184 00:12:43,064 --> 00:12:45,135 and other positions of prominence. 185 00:12:45,795 --> 00:12:51,165 That was the future, the trajectory that he was, by training and by inclination, 186 00:12:51,645 --> 00:12:56,714 placed upon before he became a Baha'i. And especially before Abdel Baha's visit. 187 00:12:57,780 --> 00:13:02,849 Instead, when Abdul-Baha in the Tablets of the Divine Plan, called 188 00:13:02,849 --> 00:13:08,640 for teachers to arise and take the Baha'i Faith all over North America and 189 00:13:08,645 --> 00:13:13,260 eventually around the world, but in those beginning tablets emphasizing the 190 00:13:13,260 --> 00:13:18,630 importance of the different regions, Louis Gregory responded immediately 191 00:13:18,630 --> 00:13:21,329 by going on a trip to the South. 192 00:13:22,334 --> 00:13:26,025 Doors opened for him that would not have been opened for others because 193 00:13:26,415 --> 00:13:31,814 having gone to one of the leading secondary institutions of learning 194 00:13:31,814 --> 00:13:36,944 in Charleston, South Carolina, Avery Institute, he knew many people in South 195 00:13:36,944 --> 00:13:41,775 Carolina. And even beyond, then having gone to Fiske University, one of the 196 00:13:41,775 --> 00:13:44,985 leading Black colleges in Tennessee, 197 00:13:45,750 --> 00:13:49,860 he, again, knew many people that he had been mentored by, that 198 00:13:49,860 --> 00:13:51,569 had been classmates and so on. 199 00:13:51,930 --> 00:13:56,970 And then studying law at Howard University, again in essentially 200 00:13:56,970 --> 00:14:02,430 elite circles of capable, committed Black Americans who were doing all 201 00:14:02,430 --> 00:14:04,050 kinds of things throughout the South. 202 00:14:04,650 --> 00:14:09,660 So he was able to go into a, a town that he'd never visited before, even if 203 00:14:09,660 --> 00:14:11,790 he hadn't made connections beforehand, 204 00:14:12,425 --> 00:14:16,325 and he was able to, first of all, find a place to stay because that was not 205 00:14:16,505 --> 00:14:22,265 always even possible to do beforehand because there were no hotels or motels 206 00:14:22,265 --> 00:14:26,465 or even boarding houses that would take African-American travelers. 207 00:14:26,765 --> 00:14:32,465 So he would arrive in a town oftentimes make connections, get seeking engagements 208 00:14:32,555 --> 00:14:35,405 in churches and schools and colleges. 209 00:14:35,885 --> 00:14:39,065 Sometimes they were arranged beforehand and sometimes they 210 00:14:39,065 --> 00:14:40,805 were just arranged on the spot. 211 00:14:41,895 --> 00:14:44,895 And his first teaching trip was remarkable. 212 00:14:45,645 --> 00:14:51,645 So remarkable that he and his wife Louise, consulted and decided to sell their 213 00:14:51,645 --> 00:14:55,545 home in order to finance his continued teaching trips throughout the South. 214 00:14:56,670 --> 00:15:00,660 No one else at that time had his ability, had his connections, had his 215 00:15:00,660 --> 00:15:05,490 speaking ability, because he was a remarkable speaker by all accounts. 216 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:11,190 So he, he had a, a vision, he had a mandate from Abdul-Baha, and he had a 217 00:15:11,250 --> 00:15:15,300 personal commitment that the Tablets of the Divine Plan instilled in him. 218 00:15:16,770 --> 00:15:19,410 And that continued essentially for the rest of his life. 219 00:15:19,710 --> 00:15:24,750 His travels were not always as intense, but he went to virtually every state 220 00:15:24,780 --> 00:15:30,390 in the continental United States and special on the Southern states. 221 00:15:30,510 --> 00:15:35,310 I think it was Roy Williams, one of his fellow teachers, and somewhat later years 222 00:15:35,969 --> 00:15:40,650 who described it as being like a spiderweb that he knit throughout 223 00:15:40,650 --> 00:15:45,270 the South where he touched on so many different communities. And that net 224 00:15:45,329 --> 00:15:50,069 even now, even today, we're still feeling the effects of it from the 225 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:54,300 children to the grandchildren, to the great-grandchildren of people 226 00:15:54,305 --> 00:15:59,280 who recall having met Louis Gregory and been changed and touched by him. 227 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:05,640 In this way, Louis Gregory and his teaching companions familiarized 228 00:16:05,645 --> 00:16:07,590 Black America with the Baha'i Faith. 229 00:16:08,010 --> 00:16:13,050 Varan: In fact, he, more than anyone, cultivated the first Baha'i communities 230 00:16:13,230 --> 00:16:15,030 in most of the Southern states. 231 00:16:15,915 --> 00:16:21,135 But he also had a profound impact on sharing the Baha'i message on race 232 00:16:21,135 --> 00:16:25,995 unity, an influence that went well beyond those embracing the Faith, 233 00:16:25,995 --> 00:16:30,135 an influence that helped shape Black discourse throughout America. 234 00:16:40,710 --> 00:16:41,100 Dr. Stockman 235 00:16:41,100 --> 00:16:45,630 also referred to the high level of interaction between the early 236 00:16:45,630 --> 00:16:49,950 American Baha'is and the Civil Rights communities of the day, how even though 237 00:16:49,950 --> 00:16:54,510 Baha'is were small in number, they had a significant presence in these communities. 238 00:16:54,875 --> 00:16:58,985 In fact, there was a deep and incredibly meaningful interaction between Baha'is 239 00:16:59,344 --> 00:17:05,105 and in particular, the new Civil Rights organizations, groups like the NAACP, 240 00:17:05,315 --> 00:17:09,784 the Urban League, Hull House, and the Lincoln Center, and it was truly an 241 00:17:09,784 --> 00:17:15,754 interaction, an alliance. Baha'is were supporting their initiatives, and they 242 00:17:15,754 --> 00:17:17,734 were supporting Baha'i initiatives. 243 00:17:18,034 --> 00:17:22,415 It was a deep and symbiotic relationship with extensive 244 00:17:22,415 --> 00:17:24,155 intermingling between the groups. 245 00:17:24,555 --> 00:17:29,745 Where this was most clearly evident was in the series of Race Amity Conventions 246 00:17:29,955 --> 00:17:35,774 that Baha'is hosted, which featured many of the most influential thinkers in the race 247 00:17:35,774 --> 00:17:40,935 discourse coming together to share ideas about how to best facilitate race unity. 248 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:45,870 Now these conventions were a response to the race situation, 249 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:48,570 growing increasingly out of control. 250 00:17:48,810 --> 00:17:53,340 You know, the term 'race riots' at that time didn't refer to 251 00:17:53,345 --> 00:17:56,340 Black uprisings at that time. 252 00:17:56,600 --> 00:18:01,219 Race riots were white people going into Black neighborhoods and setting 253 00:18:01,219 --> 00:18:04,790 them on fire, killing people, destroying these communities. 254 00:18:05,270 --> 00:18:10,969 The situation was at its worse in the summer of 1919, what's called the 'Red 255 00:18:10,969 --> 00:18:16,520 Summer', when these kind of race riots broke out in some 38 cities across the 256 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:22,425 country, resulting in literally, hundreds of Black deaths, some as lynchings, some 257 00:18:22,425 --> 00:18:24,735 being shot, some being burnt alive. 258 00:18:25,095 --> 00:18:27,314 Many of those killed were first tortured. 259 00:18:27,314 --> 00:18:32,264 I mean, it was truly horrific and there was no prosecution of the 260 00:18:32,264 --> 00:18:34,155 white hooligans for these actions. 261 00:18:34,605 --> 00:18:40,695 So you can imagine that the race issue was one filled with tension, probably 262 00:18:40,695 --> 00:18:43,425 at a level, never seen before or after. 263 00:18:44,355 --> 00:18:44,985 The Race Amity conventions 264 00:18:44,985 --> 00:18:51,645 starting in 1921, provided a contrast, a focus 265 00:18:51,645 --> 00:18:54,014 on bringing the races together. 266 00:18:54,585 --> 00:19:00,135 It was a healing forum with a positive focus, and it brought people and 267 00:19:00,135 --> 00:19:05,715 organizations together, bringing religious communities back to the race issue for the 268 00:19:05,715 --> 00:19:08,024 first time since the abolition of slavery. 269 00:19:08,360 --> 00:19:14,360 And in this way, it marks the beginning of religious communities reengaging 270 00:19:14,389 --> 00:19:15,710 with the Civil Rights movement. 271 00:19:16,550 --> 00:19:19,580 Its impact was truly profound. 272 00:19:19,820 --> 00:19:25,310 It brought a positive focus to the race issue and it reacquainted religious 273 00:19:25,310 --> 00:19:27,410 communities with the race discourse. 274 00:19:28,155 --> 00:19:34,035 Now these conventions were held at the direct instruction of Abdul-Baha. 275 00:19:34,215 --> 00:19:35,325 Let's listen to 276 00:19:35,325 --> 00:19:36,195 gail Morrison 277 00:19:36,195 --> 00:19:40,035 pick up the story here and tell us about the deliberations that were 278 00:19:40,035 --> 00:19:45,105 happening among Baha'i communities as they grappled with how to best respond 279 00:19:45,315 --> 00:19:47,445 to the crisis of the Red Summer. 280 00:19:48,855 --> 00:19:53,745 Morrison: The Baha'is initially felt they should do something and were consulting about it. 281 00:19:54,495 --> 00:19:58,545 But probably nothing much would've happened, or it would've been 282 00:19:58,815 --> 00:20:01,035 talk more than anything else 283 00:20:01,485 --> 00:20:07,275 if Abdul-Bahaa had not intervened directly. And the way He did it was surprising 284 00:20:07,275 --> 00:20:12,435 in that he didn't turn to somebody who was already knowledgeable about 285 00:20:12,435 --> 00:20:16,665 the racial situation in the United States, or committed in some way. 286 00:20:17,445 --> 00:20:22,185 Instead, when Agnes Parsons, the Washington Socialite, wealthy women, 287 00:20:23,340 --> 00:20:27,989 who had probably never given much thought at all to the race question 288 00:20:27,989 --> 00:20:33,209 beyond what she had learned in the 10 years or so that she had been in Baha'i. 289 00:20:33,330 --> 00:20:39,060 He said to her in a gathering of people at the dinner table that she should arrange a 290 00:20:39,060 --> 00:20:45,239 conference in Washington, DC for white and colored people, bringing them together. 291 00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:47,370 She was floored. 292 00:20:47,399 --> 00:20:50,729 That was the last thing in the world that she had any inclination to do. 293 00:20:50,729 --> 00:20:53,459 That was the last thing in the world that she had any talent for. 294 00:20:53,790 --> 00:20:56,040 She'd never organized any kind of. 295 00:20:56,939 --> 00:21:01,379 She felt organizing something about race was, she felt, beyond her ability. 296 00:21:01,949 --> 00:21:06,600 But because she was a lover of Abdul- Baha and obedient to Abdul-Baha, 297 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:09,729 she took it on slowly, gradually. 298 00:21:11,054 --> 00:21:15,735 She went back to Washington DC and nothing much was happening. 299 00:21:15,735 --> 00:21:20,835 And then she consulted through the instigation of another Baha'i with 300 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:25,935 a former senator from the state of Minnesota, Moses Clap, and he 301 00:21:25,935 --> 00:21:27,554 gave her some very good ideas. 302 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:31,695 She thought about not making it a protest, but lifting things 303 00:21:31,695 --> 00:21:34,215 to a level of changing hearts. 304 00:21:34,770 --> 00:21:42,629 And she got a group of people to help her out, mostly society women, people of some 305 00:21:42,629 --> 00:21:44,820 wealth and prominence in the community. 306 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:50,670 Some of them became involved in organizing, some became patrons and there 307 00:21:50,670 --> 00:21:58,230 was involvement from Howard University in providing support from their choir, a 308 00:21:58,230 --> 00:22:00,780 number of other facets of the conference. 309 00:22:01,365 --> 00:22:08,745 So that when it was held in May of 1921, it represented, because it was 310 00:22:08,745 --> 00:22:13,635 in the nation's capital, a segregated city, not by law, but in fact, it 311 00:22:13,635 --> 00:22:17,835 represented a, an amazing departure from anything that had happened before. 312 00:22:18,810 --> 00:22:25,050 Because it brought together many hundreds, usually at most sessions, almost 2000 313 00:22:25,050 --> 00:22:31,770 or so, people of both races to hear talks by mostly people who are not Baha'i. 314 00:22:32,790 --> 00:22:37,800 Sessions were shared by Baha'is, and it was remarkably successful. 315 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:43,080 The publicity was handled by Martha Root, and it achieved extremely good press 316 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:47,340 coverage. So that between the thousands of people who attended, and the many 317 00:22:47,340 --> 00:22:54,510 thousands more who read articles about it, it was a remarkable achievement at a 318 00:22:54,510 --> 00:22:59,430 time of great peril when racial violence was spreading throughout the country. 319 00:23:00,915 --> 00:23:05,535 Varan: Baha'i's continued hosting these Race Amity conventions for well over a 320 00:23:05,655 --> 00:23:10,215 decade, bringing together many of the nation's most prominent scholars and 321 00:23:10,215 --> 00:23:14,085 Civil Rights leaders to share their views on how to best promote race unity. 322 00:23:14,550 --> 00:23:18,899 And Baha'is did this in partnership with like-minded organizations and 323 00:23:18,899 --> 00:23:25,320 advocates, including organizations like the NAACP and various church groups. 324 00:23:25,949 --> 00:23:31,800 In this way, Baha'i communities acted as the levin cultivating and stimulating 325 00:23:32,010 --> 00:23:37,800 wider engagement with this new focus on race unity, and this focus on unity, 326 00:23:38,055 --> 00:23:40,065 as opposed to say, justice. 327 00:23:40,185 --> 00:23:44,775 Well, this was an entirely unique Baha'i contribution to 328 00:23:44,775 --> 00:23:46,365 the race discourse in America. 329 00:23:46,695 --> 00:23:48,855 I mean, unity is a higher state. 330 00:23:49,095 --> 00:23:52,005 It's inherently inclusive of social justice. 331 00:23:52,065 --> 00:23:57,045 So this positive focus on unity introduces an entirely new strand 332 00:23:57,225 --> 00:23:58,515 to the Civil Rights movement. 333 00:23:59,205 --> 00:24:01,935 So its impact was monumental. 334 00:24:11,645 --> 00:24:15,764 I think it's also important here to discuss how incredible the story of 335 00:24:15,764 --> 00:24:21,314 this interaction really is, because in this story is nested a story of 336 00:24:21,314 --> 00:24:26,865 the fundamental transformation of so many of the early American Baha'is. 337 00:24:27,314 --> 00:24:31,485 You see, Baha'i engagement with the race issue took different forms. 338 00:24:31,970 --> 00:24:37,190 Now, to be fair, I'm sure there were many Baha'is who didn't engage 339 00:24:37,190 --> 00:24:39,050 with the race issue at all. 340 00:24:39,290 --> 00:24:43,460 Not withstanding the urgency of this issue within the community and with the 341 00:24:43,460 --> 00:24:47,330 guidance they would've been receiving from Abdul-Baha, some of these believers 342 00:24:47,330 --> 00:24:52,040 simply discounted the race unity principle as something intended for the future, 343 00:24:52,190 --> 00:24:54,230 something beyond their immediate concern. 344 00:24:54,850 --> 00:24:58,690 But these believers would simply have not engaged with the issue, or 345 00:24:58,690 --> 00:25:02,530 from time to time, perhaps challenged its priority within the community. 346 00:25:03,250 --> 00:25:07,360 Obviously, these weren't the believers interacting with the Civil Rights 347 00:25:07,360 --> 00:25:12,250 communities we're talking about here. And conversely, I'm sure there were Baha'is 348 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:16,780 who embraced the Faith in part because they already believed in principles 349 00:25:16,780 --> 00:25:21,370 like race unity, and found in the Faith a belief system that better 350 00:25:21,370 --> 00:25:23,800 aligned with their existing convictions. 351 00:25:24,615 --> 00:25:28,875 So for believers like this, advocating for race unity would've come naturally. 352 00:25:29,115 --> 00:25:32,865 So of course THESE would've been believers interacting with these communities. 353 00:25:32,870 --> 00:25:36,105 I mean, this is something I'm sure they would've found incredibly fulfilling. 354 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:41,760 But what's most interesting, I think, are those believers who came into the 355 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:44,760 Faith for reasons other than race unity. 356 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:48,120 Like for example, because of our teachings on progressive revelation. 357 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:54,300 And in many, if not most of these cases, these believers would've been raised 358 00:25:54,510 --> 00:25:56,190 in households that interacted with 359 00:25:56,420 --> 00:26:02,330 friends and in social circles who would've held beliefs consistent with the racist 360 00:26:02,330 --> 00:26:04,370 norms that were so prevalent in the day. 361 00:26:04,910 --> 00:26:08,420 Now, this group of believers, I think is the most interesting 362 00:26:08,420 --> 00:26:10,910 to our story. For these people, 363 00:26:10,970 --> 00:26:15,470 their transition from being contaminated by the stain of racism 364 00:26:15,740 --> 00:26:18,080 to becoming champions for race unity - 365 00:26:18,530 --> 00:26:23,420 well, this can only be understood as their fundamental transformation. 366 00:26:23,925 --> 00:26:27,015 It's a reflection of their spiritual transformation. 367 00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:29,700 We have the example of course, which 368 00:26:29,700 --> 00:26:32,520 Morrison referred to of Agnes Parsons. 369 00:26:32,820 --> 00:26:37,320 I mean, it's remarkable that Abdul-Baha chose someone to organize the first 370 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:41,820 of these conventions who had never engaged with the race issue in any way. 371 00:26:42,180 --> 00:26:46,470 The race issue was largely irrelevant for her, but in 372 00:26:46,470 --> 00:26:51,570 obedience to Abdul-Baha's instructions and overcoming an enormous sense 373 00:26:51,860 --> 00:26:53,929 of feeling incapable to the task, 374 00:26:54,290 --> 00:27:00,770 she rose and was truly transformed in the process. And this focus on race 375 00:27:00,770 --> 00:27:04,550 unity would be her main focus for the rest of her years. 376 00:27:05,325 --> 00:27:05,685 Dr. Stockman 377 00:27:05,685 --> 00:27:09,675 provides another example in a white Boston socialite, 378 00:27:09,915 --> 00:27:15,225 Howard McNutt, who prior to Abdul-Baha's arrival, interacted in the kinds of 379 00:27:15,230 --> 00:27:19,635 social circles where racism prevailed. And you can see its influence in his 380 00:27:19,695 --> 00:27:21,885 own interactions and his correspondence, 381 00:27:21,885 --> 00:27:28,245 for example. Yet once Abdul-Baha arrived in America, Howard McNutt is 382 00:27:28,245 --> 00:27:32,565 transformed by this message of race unity, and it becomes his focus 383 00:27:32,575 --> 00:27:34,615 for his remaining years. 384 00:27:35,245 --> 00:27:36,025 Let's listen to 385 00:27:36,025 --> 00:27:36,865 Dr. Stockman again. 386 00:27:37,855 --> 00:27:42,535 Stockman: When Howard McNutt retired, he and his wife retired to Miami, Florida and they 387 00:27:42,535 --> 00:27:47,185 retired to a place where they were very close to the Black neighborhood so they 388 00:27:47,185 --> 00:27:51,775 could walk over to the Black neighborhood and arrange Baha'i meetings. And he died 389 00:27:52,045 --> 00:27:56,005 crossing the street, got hit by a car, if I remember right, on his way to a Baha'i 390 00:27:56,005 --> 00:27:57,985 meeting in the Black part of Miami. 391 00:27:58,545 --> 00:28:02,265 So he and his wife devoted their life to teaching the Faith to African-American 392 00:28:02,265 --> 00:28:04,515 people in Florida in the 20s. 393 00:28:05,385 --> 00:28:06,945 So that's what Abdul-Baha did. 394 00:28:07,455 --> 00:28:11,895 You see, those are the changes Abdul- Baha made in people and in the Baha'i 395 00:28:12,075 --> 00:28:13,515 culture, the American Baha'i culture. 396 00:28:15,689 --> 00:28:19,260 Varan: My favorite story though is the story of Pauline Hannon. 397 00:28:19,889 --> 00:28:24,300 Now Pauline and her husband Joseph would play an incredibly important 398 00:28:24,304 --> 00:28:30,120 role in sharing the faith with many Black Americans, including key icons 399 00:28:30,125 --> 00:28:31,949 like Louis Gregory and Alain Locke. 400 00:28:32,555 --> 00:28:35,524 But this focus did not come naturally for her. 401 00:28:36,065 --> 00:28:41,705 She had been raised in South Carolina in a society which cultivated racist attitudes. 402 00:28:42,155 --> 00:28:44,795 But the Faith literally transformed her. 403 00:28:44,915 --> 00:28:49,355 In fact, as she tells the story, her attitude towards race changed 404 00:28:49,595 --> 00:28:53,405 once she read a passage from the Writings of Baha'u'llah where 405 00:28:53,445 --> 00:28:55,929 He wrote: "Oh, children of men. 406 00:28:56,290 --> 00:28:57,280 Know ye not 407 00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:02,620 why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself 408 00:29:02,620 --> 00:29:07,959 over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how you were created. 409 00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:12,639 Since we have created you all from the same substance, it is incumbent 410 00:29:12,645 --> 00:29:18,370 on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same 411 00:29:18,370 --> 00:29:20,500 mouth, and dwell in the same land. 412 00:29:21,025 --> 00:29:25,525 That from your innermost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs 413 00:29:25,525 --> 00:29:29,425 of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest." 414 00:29:30,745 --> 00:29:35,785 Now, this passage deeply moved Pauline and it resulted in her 415 00:29:35,785 --> 00:29:37,585 fundamental transformation. 416 00:29:38,335 --> 00:29:39,355 Let's listen to Dr. Chris Buck 417 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:43,525 who has written extensively on the engagement of the 418 00:29:43,525 --> 00:29:48,175 early American Baha'is on the race discourse, as he tells us her story. 419 00:29:50,100 --> 00:29:55,350 Buck: This passage from the Hidden Words struck Pauline in a lightning flash 420 00:29:55,350 --> 00:30:01,800 of sudden insight after realizing the profound implications of Baha'u'llah's words 421 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:07,110 regarding the oneness and equality of the human race. This is what happened next. 422 00:30:08,370 --> 00:30:09,750 One snowy day. 423 00:30:09,870 --> 00:30:14,040 During the Thanksgiving season, Pauline came across a Black 424 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:15,590 woman trudging through the snow. 425 00:30:16,770 --> 00:30:22,770 Pauline noticed that the woman's shoelaces were untied. Arms full 426 00:30:22,770 --> 00:30:24,810 from the bundle she was carrying, 427 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:27,960 the woman was unable to do anything about it. 428 00:30:28,980 --> 00:30:35,070 Inspired by this passage from the Hidden Words, Pauline knelt down in the snow 429 00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:37,860 to tie this woman's shoes for her. 430 00:30:39,090 --> 00:30:40,440 'She was astonished', 431 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:41,700 Pauline recalled. 432 00:30:42,525 --> 00:30:45,555 'And those who saw it appeared to think I was crazy.' 433 00:30:46,215 --> 00:30:49,155 That event marked a turning point for Pauline. 434 00:30:49,515 --> 00:30:53,865 She resolved to bring the Baha'i message of unity to Black people. 435 00:30:55,545 --> 00:31:01,485 Varan: From that moment forward, Pauline and her husband Joseph, began hosting integrated 436 00:31:01,485 --> 00:31:06,375 firesides at their house, firesides, where both Black and white could come together 437 00:31:06,555 --> 00:31:08,175 to discover the teachings of the Faith. 438 00:31:08,385 --> 00:31:13,545 And many notable African-American Baha'is embraced the Faith as 439 00:31:13,545 --> 00:31:15,465 a result of these firesides. 440 00:31:16,260 --> 00:31:20,460 This engagement with Black America didn't go unnoticed. 441 00:31:20,910 --> 00:31:24,330 It wasn't just that Baha'is had noble ideals to share. 442 00:31:24,629 --> 00:31:27,660 It wasn't just that they were interacting with Civil Rights groups. 443 00:31:27,990 --> 00:31:31,650 It wasn't just that they lit a path for America's churches to 444 00:31:31,655 --> 00:31:33,240 reengage with the discourse. 445 00:31:33,570 --> 00:31:35,550 It wasn't just that they hosted events 446 00:31:35,850 --> 00:31:40,620 that were instrumental in challenging the pseudo-scientific racism of the day. 447 00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:43,500 It was something more than all of this. 448 00:31:43,980 --> 00:31:48,360 It was the example that people saw in the lives of these early Baha'is. 449 00:31:49,860 --> 00:31:53,610 You see, Baha'is lived the principle of the equality of the races. 450 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:57,270 They walked the talk, and this was clearly evident. 451 00:31:58,065 --> 00:32:02,805 It was evident in the fact that white socialites invited African-Americans into 452 00:32:02,805 --> 00:32:07,515 their homes despite the consequences this might have in their own social circles. 453 00:32:07,965 --> 00:32:12,675 It was evident in their integration as a community, even promoting interracial 454 00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:18,705 marriage. And it was evident in the truly heroic action they took from time to time. 455 00:32:19,905 --> 00:32:25,155 I think the best example of this kind of heroism is the example we have of Dr. 456 00:32:25,155 --> 00:32:26,295 Dr. Zia Baghdadi. 457 00:32:27,195 --> 00:32:27,885 Now, Dr. Baghdadi 458 00:32:27,885 --> 00:32:31,245 was a Persian believer who had migrated to Chicago. 459 00:32:31,725 --> 00:32:37,215 Now remember when we discussed those riots in the summer of 1919, the the Red Summer? 460 00:32:37,635 --> 00:32:42,254 Well, the worst of these riots were the Chicago riots. White hooligans created 461 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:45,899 absolute terror there, driving through the streets, shooting, 462 00:32:45,899 --> 00:32:48,270 killing, even burning people alive. 463 00:32:48,300 --> 00:32:49,800 It was horrific. 464 00:32:50,250 --> 00:32:55,050 African-Americans couldn't leave their homes, so they had no access to food 465 00:32:55,199 --> 00:33:00,510 or medical help, and the police and ambulances and fire departments refused 466 00:33:00,514 --> 00:33:02,729 to enter these neighborhoods out of fear. 467 00:33:03,179 --> 00:33:09,810 So the situation was truly dire, and these riots ran for over a week. 468 00:33:10,770 --> 00:33:16,800 In this environment when no one dared assist these Black communities, Dr. 469 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:22,770 Baghdadi spent his days providing food and medical assistance to those in need. 470 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:26,219 I mean, this was truly heroic stuff. 471 00:33:26,550 --> 00:33:31,439 He literally risked his life to be of service to the Black community there. 472 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:35,250 And the Black community never forgot this. 473 00:33:36,150 --> 00:33:38,640 These were acts they attributed to his Faith. 474 00:33:39,270 --> 00:33:42,510 And so the Faith also benefited from this kind of heroism. 475 00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:48,030 So you can imagine the profound impact that this example of 476 00:33:48,030 --> 00:33:50,070 heroism had on this community. 477 00:33:50,550 --> 00:33:57,840 And so Baha'is developed the kind of rapport with Black America that made them trusted 478 00:33:57,840 --> 00:34:00,960 allies in their crusade for Civil Rights. 479 00:34:01,890 --> 00:34:03,540 It's a remarkable example. 480 00:34:13,290 --> 00:34:16,710 Now, as I alluded to earlier, it's important to appreciate 481 00:34:16,710 --> 00:34:18,540 the results of all of this. 482 00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:25,560 And to be fair, I don't think the Baha'is of the day ever really understood the 483 00:34:25,560 --> 00:34:27,810 long-term impact they were having. 484 00:34:28,230 --> 00:34:33,500 In fact, after a little more than a decade of hosting these conventions, Baha'is 485 00:34:33,500 --> 00:34:37,400 eventually gave up, and I think a big reason for this was because they didn't 486 00:34:37,400 --> 00:34:39,920 think they were achieving their successes. 487 00:34:40,460 --> 00:34:42,920 Large masses didn't embrace the Faith. 488 00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:46,460 Racism continued largely unabated. 489 00:34:46,970 --> 00:34:51,830 They were just too close to the action to appreciate the longer 490 00:34:51,830 --> 00:34:53,690 term impact their work was having. 491 00:34:54,615 --> 00:34:58,245 One of these longer term effects was the remarkable impact their 492 00:34:58,245 --> 00:35:02,925 contributions had in shaping the race discourse in America today. 493 00:35:03,135 --> 00:35:06,375 Many of the most central tenants of the Civil Rights Movement actually find 494 00:35:06,375 --> 00:35:10,905 their roots in this interaction between the movement and the Baha'i Faith. 495 00:35:11,395 --> 00:35:14,365 To help shape this discussion, let's once again listen to 496 00:35:14,365 --> 00:35:15,895 dr. Chris Buck here. 497 00:35:15,955 --> 00:35:17,214 He's quoting from 498 00:35:17,214 --> 00:35:22,915 Dr. Martin Luther King in a speech he gave on March 19th, 1968, less than 499 00:35:22,915 --> 00:35:24,654 a month before his assassination. 500 00:35:25,795 --> 00:35:30,535 'We're going to let our children know that the only philosophers that lived were not 501 00:35:30,535 --> 00:35:37,194 Plato and Aristotle, but W.E.B. Du Bois and Alain Locke came through the universe.' 502 00:35:39,045 --> 00:35:42,495 Now remember, these are Martin Luther King's words. 503 00:35:42,525 --> 00:35:48,405 He focuses on the critical contributions of two Black philosophers, 504 00:35:48,405 --> 00:35:52,725 W.E.B. Du Bois and Alain Locke, and these two are probably the most 505 00:35:52,730 --> 00:35:54,315 influential Black Americans. 506 00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:58,790 In the early part of the 20th century in terms of shaping the evolution 507 00:35:58,850 --> 00:36:03,080 of the modern Civil Rights movement. They introduce some of the central 508 00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:07,040 principles upon which the movement is ultimately based and which 509 00:36:07,040 --> 00:36:08,870 still largely define the movement. 510 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:13,550 And for the purpose of today's discussion, what's important to realize is that both 511 00:36:13,550 --> 00:36:19,040 Dubois and Locke are deeply interacting with the Faith as they pursue this task. 512 00:36:19,605 --> 00:36:22,065 Now let's explore this all a little bit deeper. 513 00:36:22,605 --> 00:36:24,915 First, let's discuss DuBois. 514 00:36:24,975 --> 00:36:29,625 He was the co-founder of the NAACP and the editor of the Crisis magazine, 515 00:36:29,775 --> 00:36:31,365 but he was also an amazing scholar. 516 00:36:31,365 --> 00:36:35,145 In fact, he single-handedly destroyed the credibility of the 517 00:36:35,150 --> 00:36:38,535 whole Dunning school that we talked about in a previous episode, that 518 00:36:38,535 --> 00:36:40,545 intellectual strand of racism. 519 00:36:40,785 --> 00:36:44,385 And he did this by going into great detail to refute the assertion 520 00:36:44,595 --> 00:36:47,475 that Black Americans were to blame for poor governance in the 521 00:36:47,475 --> 00:36:49,005 South following the Civil War. 522 00:36:49,365 --> 00:36:53,355 And he probably did more than anyone to challenge that Accommodationist 523 00:36:53,355 --> 00:36:56,865 response to Black oppression that we talked about in our previous episode. 524 00:36:56,984 --> 00:37:01,185 He's probably the single most important Civil Rights figure in the early 525 00:37:01,185 --> 00:37:06,765 20th century, and Du Bois was deeply interacting with the Baha'i community. 526 00:37:07,445 --> 00:37:08,885 His wife, Nina, joined the Faith. 527 00:37:08,885 --> 00:37:13,715 He often spoke at Baha'i events including summer schools, and it's clear that many 528 00:37:13,715 --> 00:37:17,585 of his contemporaries believed that he was being heavily influenced by the Faith. 529 00:37:18,065 --> 00:37:19,355 This is a subject that 530 00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:21,215 Dr. Guy Emerson Mount has been studying. 531 00:37:21,845 --> 00:37:23,825 Let's hear him address this topic. 532 00:37:24,435 --> 00:37:29,834 Mount: It, it certainly is the case that other radicals within Du Bois's 533 00:37:29,834 --> 00:37:35,834 orbit certainly thought that the religion was having a anti, if not de 534 00:37:35,839 --> 00:37:38,055 revolutionizing effect on him, right. 535 00:37:38,084 --> 00:37:42,254 That it was mollifying his otherwise commitment to global revolution. 536 00:37:42,645 --> 00:37:46,424 There's a particular document that I uncovered that had one of this fellow 537 00:37:46,424 --> 00:37:52,334 kind of communists saying that when Du Bois was advocating for not taking up armed 538 00:37:52,905 --> 00:37:57,675 revolutionary self-defense kind of approach to take a more kind of passivist 539 00:37:57,705 --> 00:38:02,745 nonviolent approach, that one of his communist, you know, collaborators 540 00:38:02,955 --> 00:38:04,125 says, 'Hey, what are you doing? 541 00:38:04,125 --> 00:38:04,785 What are you talking about? 542 00:38:04,790 --> 00:38:06,825 You sound like a follower of Abdul-Baha.' 543 00:38:08,370 --> 00:38:15,090 Varan: So here we see in the account of DuBois's own contemporaries, this idea 544 00:38:15,090 --> 00:38:18,900 that there is this Baha'i influence, potentially pacifying DuBois. 545 00:38:19,560 --> 00:38:21,420 Now, this is a really big deal. 546 00:38:21,900 --> 00:38:26,130 The Civil Rights movement at this time is grappling with whether 547 00:38:26,130 --> 00:38:27,330 it should reflect some kind of 548 00:38:27,589 --> 00:38:31,399 armed resistance or this path to non-violence. 549 00:38:31,459 --> 00:38:35,330 And one of the hallmarks of the modern Civil Rights movement is that it 550 00:38:35,330 --> 00:38:38,419 largely went down the nonviolent path. 551 00:38:38,810 --> 00:38:41,750 And DuBois is critical to that juncture. 552 00:38:41,750 --> 00:38:43,459 He's critical to that decision. 553 00:38:44,089 --> 00:38:48,529 So it's fascinating to see this potential Baha'i influence here. 554 00:38:48,950 --> 00:38:51,709 And it's not an influence that Baha'is are asserting. 555 00:38:51,890 --> 00:38:55,370 It's an influence that his contemporaries are actually complaining about. 556 00:38:56,880 --> 00:39:00,690 And another one of DuBois's most profound contributions to the Civil Rights movement 557 00:39:00,690 --> 00:39:06,810 in America was the ideas he put forward about what we now call 'Affirmative Action'. 558 00:39:07,350 --> 00:39:10,680 This is a principle that not only shapes Civil Rights policies in 559 00:39:10,680 --> 00:39:15,090 the United States, but that went on to shape such policies worldwide. 560 00:39:15,750 --> 00:39:17,490 And this is the principle that, 561 00:39:17,935 --> 00:39:22,975 other things being equal, favor, if there is to be one, should 562 00:39:22,975 --> 00:39:24,625 be shown to the disadvantaged. 563 00:39:24,985 --> 00:39:27,445 I mean, this is another one of those hallmarks of the 564 00:39:27,450 --> 00:39:28,765 modern Civil Rights movement. 565 00:39:29,695 --> 00:39:32,365 But how were these ideas formed? 566 00:39:33,205 --> 00:39:34,435 Let's listen again to Dr. Emerson Mount 567 00:39:34,645 --> 00:39:37,375 addressing this influence. 568 00:39:38,475 --> 00:39:42,615 Mount: Like in the 1930s, he's writing a, a friend who's familiar with the Faith, who sends 569 00:39:42,615 --> 00:39:44,775 him a copy of 'Advent of Divine Justice'. 570 00:39:45,615 --> 00:39:50,055 And DuBois is talking in, in very, really, in the margins. 571 00:39:50,055 --> 00:39:52,815 He's like on page, I mean, it's like page numbers, right? 572 00:39:52,815 --> 00:39:56,685 And he he's, he's going back and forth with his, his friend. 573 00:39:57,025 --> 00:40:00,945 And the reference of pge reference was to this idea of, of Affirmative Action. 574 00:40:01,839 --> 00:40:05,560 And the idea that in Baha elections, you know that if one person's a minority, 575 00:40:05,620 --> 00:40:09,430 there's not that kind of a tie goes to the the person who's from an oppressed 576 00:40:09,460 --> 00:40:10,540 kind of historical positionality. 577 00:40:12,765 --> 00:40:18,165 So here we have direct evidence of the Faith's influence in helping shape 578 00:40:18,165 --> 00:40:20,355 DuBois's views on Affirmative Action. 579 00:40:20,565 --> 00:40:24,105 Now, to be sure there are other influences in DuBois's work. But it's 580 00:40:24,105 --> 00:40:28,665 clear that the Baha'i Faith is one of those, heavily influencing his work. 581 00:40:29,115 --> 00:40:33,105 All right, now let's discuss that second pivotal figure that 582 00:40:33,105 --> 00:40:35,565 Martin Luther King referred to 583 00:40:35,565 --> 00:40:36,645 Dr. Alain Locke. 584 00:40:37,310 --> 00:40:40,610 Alain Locke is considered the Dean of what became known 585 00:40:40,610 --> 00:40:42,170 as the Harlem Renaissance. 586 00:40:42,200 --> 00:40:44,480 He's the father of the Harlem Renaissance. 587 00:40:45,050 --> 00:40:49,880 This was an explosion of Black artistic expression in the 1920s that 588 00:40:49,880 --> 00:40:52,970 celebrated and redefined Black culture. 589 00:40:53,360 --> 00:40:58,100 It rejected white society's right to define Black art and gave rise to new 590 00:40:58,100 --> 00:41:00,260 celebrations of cultural pluralism. 591 00:41:00,615 --> 00:41:04,635 It gave rise to Black art as a distinct art form in America. 592 00:41:04,875 --> 00:41:09,315 It laid the foundation for what would come to be termed 'Black Pride.' 593 00:41:09,765 --> 00:41:13,965 Again, Black Pride is another pivotal foundation for the 594 00:41:13,965 --> 00:41:15,345 modern Civil Rights movement. 595 00:41:15,735 --> 00:41:20,835 So here too, we need to explore how this great philosopher, 596 00:41:20,840 --> 00:41:23,325 Alain Locke, interacted with the Faith. 597 00:41:24,090 --> 00:41:29,190 Well, in Alain's case, this is easy, since he actually embraced the Faith in 598 00:41:29,190 --> 00:41:34,740 1918 and went on to serve the community on many levels throughout his life. 599 00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:39,810 Like many, he had his challenges in that journey, but it's clear that he is an 600 00:41:39,810 --> 00:41:44,610 active and dedicated Baha'i having made a pilgrimage, having spent many months 601 00:41:44,610 --> 00:41:48,540 on the road with Louis Gregory traveling throughout the South, promoting both 602 00:41:48,540 --> 00:41:50,520 the Faith and the cause of race unity. 603 00:41:50,925 --> 00:41:55,935 Having served on numerous national Baha'i Race Amity committees, having written a 604 00:41:55,935 --> 00:42:00,915 number of articles, promoting the Faith, speaking at Baha'i meetings and firesides. 605 00:42:00,945 --> 00:42:05,865 I mean, there is no question that the Faith deeply influences Alain 606 00:42:06,075 --> 00:42:11,295 and helped shape his worldview that he truly was a dedicated Baha'i. 607 00:42:12,645 --> 00:42:14,235 Here once again is Dr. Chris Buck, 608 00:42:14,235 --> 00:42:18,525 who has written an outstanding biography on Alain Locke, which 609 00:42:18,525 --> 00:42:20,535 explores his relationship with the Faith. 610 00:42:21,015 --> 00:42:22,395 Here, Dr. Buck 611 00:42:22,400 --> 00:42:26,685 shares part of a speech that Alain gave at the Baha'i National Convention. 612 00:42:27,105 --> 00:42:31,725 I love this speech because it clearly reflects this interaction with the faith. 613 00:42:32,295 --> 00:42:33,375 Let's listen to Dr. Buck 614 00:42:33,375 --> 00:42:36,015 recite part of Locke's speech at that convention. 615 00:42:37,515 --> 00:42:43,305 Buck (quoting Locke): "America's democracy must begin at home with a spiritual fusion of all her 616 00:42:43,305 --> 00:42:49,004 constituent peoples in brotherhood and in an actual mutuality of life. 617 00:42:50,025 --> 00:42:54,555 Until democracy is worked out in the vital small scale of practical 618 00:42:54,555 --> 00:43:00,525 human relations, it can never, except as an empty formula, prevail on the 619 00:43:00,525 --> 00:43:03,045 national or international basis. 620 00:43:03,690 --> 00:43:06,390 Until it establishes itself in human hearts. 621 00:43:06,870 --> 00:43:09,839 It can never institutionally flourish. 622 00:43:10,380 --> 00:43:15,600 Moreover, America's reputation and moral influence in the world depends 623 00:43:15,600 --> 00:43:21,420 on the successful achievement of this vital spiritual democracy within the 624 00:43:21,420 --> 00:43:23,430 lifetime of the present generation. 625 00:43:23,880 --> 00:43:28,890 Material civilization alone does not safeguard the progress of a nation, 626 00:43:29,339 --> 00:43:34,160 Baha'i principles and the leavening of our national life with their power, 627 00:43:34,725 --> 00:43:39,105 is to be regarded as the salvation of democracy. 628 00:43:39,674 --> 00:43:43,755 In this way, only can the fine professions of American ideals 629 00:43:43,995 --> 00:43:44,895 be realized." 630 00:43:46,274 --> 00:43:49,964 I mean, this is so incredibly profound. 631 00:43:50,384 --> 00:43:54,075 Imagine hearing this at a Baha'i National Convention from one of 632 00:43:54,075 --> 00:43:56,145 the leading scholars of the age. 633 00:43:56,504 --> 00:44:02,714 I mean, in our current language here, Alain Locke is linking the release 634 00:44:02,720 --> 00:44:06,794 of the society building power of the Faith, the application of these 635 00:44:06,794 --> 00:44:09,555 Baha'i principles, to the ultimate. 636 00:44:09,595 --> 00:44:13,075 Salvation of American democracy. 637 00:44:13,555 --> 00:44:14,484 Wow! 638 00:44:14,785 --> 00:44:18,685 I mean, it doesn't get any more inspiring than that, right? 639 00:44:19,524 --> 00:44:23,995 And both Abdul-Baha and the beloved Guardian had high praise for 640 00:44:23,995 --> 00:44:25,555 Alain Locke's service to the Faith. 641 00:44:26,095 --> 00:44:27,564 Here again, let's listen to Dr. Chris Buck 642 00:44:27,564 --> 00:44:31,165 as he shares with us some correspondence on this theme 643 00:44:31,169 --> 00:44:33,435 from both Abdul-Baha and Shoghi Effendi. 644 00:44:35,805 --> 00:44:42,675 Buck: In a letter written in 1921, the last year of Abdul-Baha's life, He wrote 645 00:44:42,675 --> 00:44:43,185 "Dr. Locke, 646 00:44:43,905 --> 00:44:48,255 this distinguished personage, deserve every praise. 647 00:44:48,645 --> 00:44:53,565 I implore the kingdom of God to grant him special confirmations." 648 00:44:54,870 --> 00:44:55,470 Shoghi Effendi, 649 00:44:55,470 --> 00:44:59,009 also, as I said, had high praise for Alan Locke. 650 00:44:59,609 --> 00:45:03,390 A letter on behalf of Shoghi Effendi stated the following: "Shoghi 651 00:45:03,390 --> 00:45:07,170 Effendi was very glad indeed to hear from you and learned that 652 00:45:07,170 --> 00:45:08,640 you have been in good health. 653 00:45:08,940 --> 00:45:11,520 He cherishes in his loving heart. 654 00:45:11,850 --> 00:45:16,150 Great hope for your spiritual success. People as you, 655 00:45:16,785 --> 00:45:17,205 Mr. Gregory, 656 00:45:17,205 --> 00:45:18,674 Dr. Esslelmont 657 00:45:18,674 --> 00:45:22,455 and some other dear souls are rare 658 00:45:22,515 --> 00:45:27,705 as diamond. You should first be mindful of your physical health and 659 00:45:27,705 --> 00:45:32,565 then take steps along the channel of the regeneration of mankind. 660 00:45:32,985 --> 00:45:36,225 The world more than ever is in need of spiritual nourishment. 661 00:45:36,705 --> 00:45:41,025 You are the chosen ones to render this service to the lifeless 662 00:45:41,025 --> 00:45:42,855 world in this present age." 663 00:45:44,100 --> 00:45:49,500 Varan: Now it's hard to delineate whether Locke already had formed his pivotal 664 00:45:49,500 --> 00:45:51,630 ideas before discovering the Faith. 665 00:45:51,630 --> 00:45:55,290 In fact, the resonance of those ideas may have been why he was 666 00:45:55,290 --> 00:45:58,380 attracted to the Faith in the first place. Or whether it was the 667 00:45:58,380 --> 00:46:00,300 Faith that helped form these ideas. 668 00:46:00,810 --> 00:46:05,250 But the point is that his Faith is interacting with the 669 00:46:05,255 --> 00:46:06,750 development of these ideas. 670 00:46:07,205 --> 00:46:11,585 And in the process helping to shape the race discourse in America. 671 00:46:12,305 --> 00:46:17,315 Now, these are just examples of how these great thinkers are interacting with the 672 00:46:17,315 --> 00:46:20,075 Faith and the development of these ideas. 673 00:46:21,330 --> 00:46:26,940 To be clear, the Faith attracted many other amazing Black adherenants as well. 674 00:46:27,180 --> 00:46:32,670 Many of the most influential Black Americans of the day, including 675 00:46:33,000 --> 00:46:36,660 people like Robert Abbott, the editor of the Chicago Defender 676 00:46:36,660 --> 00:46:37,950 that I referred to earlier. 677 00:46:38,040 --> 00:46:39,480 Now, the Defender 678 00:46:39,660 --> 00:46:44,820 was a Chicago newspaper, but copies of the Defender were distributed 679 00:46:44,820 --> 00:46:49,650 nationwide through a network of Black railroad workers because Chicago was 680 00:46:49,650 --> 00:46:52,290 the nexus of the National Rail Network. 681 00:46:52,770 --> 00:46:56,580 So the Defender was America's national Black newspaper. 682 00:46:56,970 --> 00:47:03,300 Scholars estimate that over one and a half million Black Americans found the 683 00:47:03,300 --> 00:47:06,750 courage to migrate from South to North 684 00:47:07,035 --> 00:47:11,835 directly because of the efforts of Robert Abbott and his Chicago Defender. This 685 00:47:11,835 --> 00:47:13,754 is what we call the Great Migration. 686 00:47:14,234 --> 00:47:19,395 I mean, this is such an incredibly profound impact, and many scholars 687 00:47:19,395 --> 00:47:24,975 consider this Great Migration to be another pivotal foundation to the rise 688 00:47:24,980 --> 00:47:26,595 of the modern Civil Rights movement. 689 00:47:26,835 --> 00:47:29,955 So here too, the contributions of Robert Abbott 690 00:47:30,129 --> 00:47:31,060 are significant. 691 00:47:31,660 --> 00:47:35,980 Similarly, there's George Henderson, the founder of the Henderson Business College. 692 00:47:36,310 --> 00:47:38,950 That's that Black university we referred to earlier. 693 00:47:39,189 --> 00:47:44,620 So here George Henderson and the Baha'i faculty at this university are literally 694 00:47:44,620 --> 00:47:47,169 educating thousands of Black Americans. 695 00:47:47,200 --> 00:47:49,450 Another significant influence. 696 00:47:50,040 --> 00:47:51,090 Or there's Miss Ida Wells 697 00:47:51,090 --> 00:47:56,220 considered one of the greatest journalists in American history and 698 00:47:56,220 --> 00:48:01,350 the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize. Miss Wells's coverage of lynchings, 699 00:48:01,350 --> 00:48:06,420 and particularly the painstaking evidence she would discover to prove 700 00:48:06,630 --> 00:48:09,720 that the victims were innocent of the crimes they were accused of, 701 00:48:10,080 --> 00:48:12,150 this was riveting journalism 702 00:48:12,180 --> 00:48:13,320 at its best. 703 00:48:13,860 --> 00:48:16,770 She was probably the best known African-American. 704 00:48:16,790 --> 00:48:20,690 Woman of her day, the Oprah Winfrey of her times. 705 00:48:21,230 --> 00:48:24,380 Now we don't know a great deal about her interaction with the Faith. 706 00:48:24,410 --> 00:48:28,759 This is something that future historians will have to study. But we do know that 707 00:48:28,765 --> 00:48:34,009 she embraced the Faith and signed on to our membership roles. 708 00:48:34,009 --> 00:48:34,970 Or consider Mr.Dana Dorsey, 709 00:48:35,220 --> 00:48:39,810 the wealthiest Black American in Florida, who hoped to build a model 710 00:48:39,810 --> 00:48:44,069 city in Florida for Black Americans and had dedicated land for future 711 00:48:44,075 --> 00:48:45,899 Temple as part of that initiative. 712 00:48:46,319 --> 00:48:49,230 I mean, even though this project didn't come to fruition, he's an 713 00:48:49,234 --> 00:48:53,549 example of another giant with great influence in the Black community. 714 00:48:54,825 --> 00:48:59,085 Or is the case of the pastor of the First Emmanuel Church in Harlem, pastor 715 00:48:59,085 --> 00:49:04,245 Richard Bolden, who in 1920 got his entire congregation to embrace the faith. 716 00:49:04,575 --> 00:49:09,945 I mean, these were many of America's best known African-Americans. 717 00:49:10,305 --> 00:49:12,255 I mean, they were truly 718 00:49:12,290 --> 00:49:17,240 influential. And you can see the deep and profound interaction 719 00:49:17,240 --> 00:49:19,520 of the Faith in their lives. 720 00:49:20,060 --> 00:49:25,700 So you can see in these examples how the contributions of the Baha'is in these 721 00:49:25,730 --> 00:49:31,340 early years had a profound interaction with Black America and with the evolution 722 00:49:31,520 --> 00:49:33,230 of the modern Civil Rights movement. 723 00:49:33,560 --> 00:49:39,230 Now understanding the contours of just how extensive this influence really was, 724 00:49:39,440 --> 00:49:41,660 remains a task for future historians. 725 00:49:42,069 --> 00:49:46,810 But it is clear that there WAS an influence, and it's clear that this 726 00:49:46,810 --> 00:49:51,730 interaction between Baha'is and the Civil Rights Movement helped shape 727 00:49:51,819 --> 00:49:54,490 its ultimate course and destiny. 728 00:50:03,980 --> 00:50:05,500 A quick postscript for reflection. 729 00:50:06,525 --> 00:50:11,174 As I mentioned, I don't think the early American Baha'is realized just 730 00:50:11,174 --> 00:50:15,225 how profound their contributions to the race discourse really was. 731 00:50:16,125 --> 00:50:18,745 Although they had their moments of victory, 732 00:50:18,745 --> 00:50:22,634 following the Race Amity Conventions, for example, for the most part, 733 00:50:22,634 --> 00:50:24,225 they felt they had fallen short. 734 00:50:24,705 --> 00:50:27,645 As I mentioned earlier, large numbers didn't embrace the Faith. 735 00:50:28,064 --> 00:50:30,225 They didn't immediately turn the tide of racism. 736 00:50:30,404 --> 00:50:32,475 Race riots continued to break out. 737 00:50:33,375 --> 00:50:37,935 To see their contributions, you needed a longer lens to history. 738 00:50:38,685 --> 00:50:43,334 I don't think they understood or fully appreciated, for example, just how 739 00:50:43,334 --> 00:50:46,214 influential their work ultimately was. 740 00:50:46,890 --> 00:50:51,210 But one thing is clear, even if they didn't see that potential. 741 00:50:51,690 --> 00:50:55,320 Abdul-Baha clearly saw this potential. 742 00:50:55,680 --> 00:51:00,300 He not only gave instructions for the first of these Race Amity Conventions, 743 00:51:00,540 --> 00:51:02,370 but He pleaded that they continue. 744 00:51:03,120 --> 00:51:08,730 Similarly, Shoghi Effendi repeatedly encouraged the American Baha'i communities 745 00:51:09,000 --> 00:51:10,980 to revisit and continue hosting them. 746 00:51:11,750 --> 00:51:15,740 Even the Universal House of Justice made a similar appeal, writing the American 747 00:51:15,740 --> 00:51:22,020 Baha'i community in 1987, asking them to revisit and host Race Amity Conventions. 748 00:51:22,904 --> 00:51:27,645 Despite our early victories in this arena, these conventions really came to a 749 00:51:27,645 --> 00:51:34,305 close in the early 1930s and haven't been occurring with any regularity ever since. 750 00:51:35,115 --> 00:51:40,964 Now, if Abdul-Baha and Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice, all keep 751 00:51:40,964 --> 00:51:43,785 pleading for us to host these conferences... 752 00:51:44,444 --> 00:51:45,435 Hmm. 753 00:51:45,854 --> 00:51:47,805 Don't you think that's something we should consider? 754 00:51:49,575 --> 00:51:51,854 I'll leave that as something for you to ponder 755 00:51:51,935 --> 00:51:52,805 and reflect on. 756 00:52:02,985 --> 00:52:07,845 Well, this brings our special trilogy on the contributions of Abdul-Baha, 757 00:52:07,845 --> 00:52:13,155 and the generation He inspired, on the race discourse in America, to a close. 758 00:52:13,845 --> 00:52:17,025 Naturally, we'll be revisiting the race discourse in future episodes. 759 00:52:17,025 --> 00:52:20,295 It's one of the best examples of how we can engage in society 760 00:52:20,295 --> 00:52:23,565 building, so we have much to look forward to in future episodes. 761 00:52:24,089 --> 00:52:27,660 I wanna give a huge shout out to thank my special guest today in 762 00:52:27,660 --> 00:52:29,129 order of their appearance, 763 00:52:29,129 --> 00:52:30,720 Dr. Robert Stockman, 764 00:52:30,720 --> 00:52:32,220 Gail Morrison, 765 00:52:32,220 --> 00:52:33,569 Dr. Chris Buck, and 766 00:52:33,569 --> 00:52:34,560 Dr. Guy Emerson Mount. 767 00:52:35,189 --> 00:52:39,359 These scholars were incredibly generous with their time, and they're the true 768 00:52:39,359 --> 00:52:42,720 expert on this topic, having written numerous books and articles on it. 769 00:52:43,109 --> 00:52:45,839 So I'd encourage you to read their work to learn more. 770 00:52:47,325 --> 00:52:51,915 In season one, we talked a lot about the future and we talked a lot about the past. 771 00:52:52,395 --> 00:52:56,955 Now in season two, we're gonna focus more on the present, and we're gonna 772 00:52:56,955 --> 00:53:01,395 kick this all off in our next episode by exploring the guidance from the 773 00:53:01,400 --> 00:53:07,575 Universal House of Justice in that amazing December 30th, 2021 message, which lays 774 00:53:07,575 --> 00:53:10,755 out our mandate for society building. 775 00:53:11,380 --> 00:53:14,830 So join me again next time as we explore this amazing guidance from 776 00:53:14,830 --> 00:53:19,660 the Universal House of Justice. And thanks once again for joining the 777 00:53:19,660 --> 00:53:22,270 Conversation for Social Transformation. 778 00:53:22,810 --> 00:53:25,900 I'll see you again next time on Society Builders. 779 00:53:27,040 --> 00:53:30,430 Society Builders pave the way t o a better world to a better day. 780 00:53:32,260 --> 00:53:36,550 A united approach to building a new society. 781 00:53:37,210 --> 00:53:39,790 There's a crisis facing in humanity. 782 00:53:39,820 --> 00:53:42,340 People suffer from a lack of unity. 783 00:53:42,340 --> 00:53:46,690 It's time for a better path to a new society. 784 00:53:49,810 --> 00:53:51,100 Join the conversation, for social transformation. Society Builders. 785 00:54:07,410 --> 00:54:12,660 So engage with your local communities and explore all the exciting possibilities. 786 00:54:12,930 --> 00:54:19,680 We can elevate the atmosphere in which we move. The paradigm is shifting. 787 00:54:20,190 --> 00:54:21,870 It's so very uplifting. 788 00:54:22,715 --> 00:54:26,765 It's a new beat, a new song, a brand new groove. 789 00:54:30,215 --> 00:54:31,535 Join the conversation, for Social transformation. 790 00:54:40,325 --> 00:54:40,715 Society Builders. 791 00:54:47,885 --> 00:54:50,525 The Baha'i Faith has a lot to say, 792 00:54:50,555 --> 00:54:56,165 helping people discover a better way with discourse and social action framed by unity. 793 00:54:58,085 --> 00:55:03,905 Now the time has come to lift our game and apply the teachings of the Greatest Name and rise to meet the glory of our destiny.