1 00:00:01,170 --> 00:00:10,560 Society builders pave the way, to a better world, to a better day. A united approach to building a new society. 2 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:16,470 Join the conversation, for Social Transformation. Society Builders. 3 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:24,870 Society Builders with your host, Duane Varan. 4 00:00:25,815 --> 00:00:30,675 Welcome back to Society Builders, and thanks for joining the conversation 5 00:00:30,915 --> 00:00:32,505 for social transformation. 6 00:00:33,435 --> 00:00:38,955 In our last episode, we laid out the historical context of the America 7 00:00:38,955 --> 00:00:41,505 that was, as Abdul-Baha arrived here. 8 00:00:42,405 --> 00:00:47,145 As part of that, we explored some of the forces driving racism in America 9 00:00:47,205 --> 00:00:51,705 and the different approaches to promoting racial justice that evolved. 10 00:00:52,245 --> 00:00:56,085 Today we're gonna go a little bit deeper in understanding this 11 00:00:56,085 --> 00:00:57,585 amazing chapter in our history. 12 00:00:57,824 --> 00:01:02,925 Today we're gonna dive deep in discovering why there was so much interest in 13 00:01:02,925 --> 00:01:04,995 hearing Abdul-Baha and His message. 14 00:01:05,054 --> 00:01:08,445 And we'll learn more about what that Message really was. 15 00:01:08,835 --> 00:01:12,914 And then in our next episode, the third and final episode in this 16 00:01:12,914 --> 00:01:19,245 sequence, we'll explore the impact this all had on Black America and on 17 00:01:19,245 --> 00:01:20,955 that generation of Baha'i believers. 18 00:01:21,420 --> 00:01:22,650 So fast on your seat belts. 19 00:01:22,650 --> 00:01:23,850 It's gonna be a great ride. 20 00:01:32,970 --> 00:01:34,500 Abdul-Baha's Message on race 21 00:01:34,965 --> 00:01:40,365 almost immediately captured the attention and imagination of Black America. 22 00:01:40,695 --> 00:01:45,525 I mean, Abdul-Baha's travels in America, got a lot of media attention, but 23 00:01:45,525 --> 00:01:49,575 it's nothing like the attention He got from America's Black Press where 24 00:01:49,575 --> 00:01:52,485 the coverage was truly extensive. 25 00:01:53,490 --> 00:01:58,260 Now before we discuss what Abdul-Baha's message was that got such attention, I 26 00:01:58,260 --> 00:01:59,850 think we need to first set the stage. 27 00:01:59,910 --> 00:02:03,210 Why was there interest in hearing from a Man, the Persian 28 00:02:03,215 --> 00:02:04,320 Prophet, as He was dubbed? 29 00:02:04,325 --> 00:02:07,950 I mean, we know He wasn't a Prophet, but that's how the press referred to Him. 30 00:02:08,430 --> 00:02:12,840 Why was there such interest in hearing His views in the first place? 31 00:02:12,930 --> 00:02:15,780 Now, there are a number of dimensions to this fascination 32 00:02:15,780 --> 00:02:18,210 with Abdul-Baha. For one thing, 33 00:02:18,555 --> 00:02:21,465 abdul-Baha's timing was picture perfect. 34 00:02:22,065 --> 00:02:26,355 Abdul-Baha arrived in America when fascination with Persia 35 00:02:26,475 --> 00:02:30,045 was at an all time peak. In 1911, 36 00:02:30,345 --> 00:02:34,635 just a year before Abdul-Baha's arrival, an American named William 37 00:02:34,635 --> 00:02:40,454 Morgan Schuster had gone to Iran to serve as the National Treasurer at the 38 00:02:40,454 --> 00:02:42,825 invitation of Iran's first Parliament. 39 00:02:42,825 --> 00:02:43,665 It's Majlis. 40 00:02:44,730 --> 00:02:50,220 Schuster quickly emerged as a Persian hero, stamping out corruption and 41 00:02:50,220 --> 00:02:54,510 bringing order to Iran's finances for the first time in over a century. 42 00:02:54,870 --> 00:02:59,610 But this antagonized, both Russia and England, who were both manipulating 43 00:02:59,610 --> 00:03:03,240 and controlling the Persian nation and benefiting from this corruption. 44 00:03:04,395 --> 00:03:10,335 In fact, Schuster, so antagonized the foreign powers that Russia 45 00:03:10,425 --> 00:03:12,615 literally went to war with 46 00:03:12,615 --> 00:03:18,495 iran, demanding his removal as a condition for removing their troops. 47 00:03:19,395 --> 00:03:24,825 And so it was that Schuster, this Persian hero, was forcibly removed from 48 00:03:24,825 --> 00:03:29,505 his office in Iran only months after it had taken up this role in 1911. 49 00:03:30,630 --> 00:03:36,570 Well, Schuster returns to America, a hero - a man who stood up to the Russians and the 50 00:03:36,570 --> 00:03:42,660 English - an American who single-handedly caused the outbreak of a whole war. 51 00:03:43,050 --> 00:03:48,180 And he began going on a national lecture tour exposing the immoral tactics 52 00:03:48,180 --> 00:03:52,560 used by both the Russians and the English superpowers to control Iran. 53 00:03:53,220 --> 00:03:56,640 His exposé is detailed and riveting. 54 00:03:57,015 --> 00:04:00,045 And eventually it led to the publication of his bestselling 55 00:04:00,045 --> 00:04:02,025 book, 'The Strangling of Persia'. 56 00:04:02,325 --> 00:04:06,495 But the book itself didn't come out until the summer of 1912, in the middle 57 00:04:06,495 --> 00:04:07,965 of Abdul-Baha's travels in America. 58 00:04:08,205 --> 00:04:14,355 But the lecture tours he gave were extensively covered, and this gave rise to 59 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:17,475 a new fascination with all things Persian. 60 00:04:18,404 --> 00:04:23,415 In fact, the fad of the day became hosting Persian parties where guests 61 00:04:23,415 --> 00:04:25,305 arrived, dressed in Persian attire. 62 00:04:26,010 --> 00:04:32,340 So Abdul-Baha arrived literally at the peak of this new fascination 63 00:04:32,430 --> 00:04:33,570 with all things Persian. 64 00:04:34,050 --> 00:04:39,870 So when the papers announced a talk by the Persian prophet, well, that 65 00:04:39,870 --> 00:04:41,700 immediately got people's attention. 66 00:04:42,210 --> 00:04:43,510 That was page one news. 67 00:04:44,410 --> 00:04:49,310 His talks to predominantly Black audiences also had another dimension 68 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:51,190 which gave them credibility. 69 00:04:51,930 --> 00:04:57,180 Because Abdul-Baha Himself had spent almost His entire life as a Prisoner. 70 00:04:57,780 --> 00:05:02,670 So here was someone who could empathize with the plight of the oppressed. 71 00:05:03,210 --> 00:05:05,970 This added a certain credibility to His message. 72 00:05:06,525 --> 00:05:10,905 But perhaps the most important reason why His talks captured Black 73 00:05:10,905 --> 00:05:15,075 attention, and we know this because the Black press coverage tells us - 74 00:05:15,075 --> 00:05:19,605 so the most important reason was because it was almost the 75 00:05:19,665 --> 00:05:24,345 only religious engagement on questions of race at that time. 76 00:05:25,305 --> 00:05:30,405 Again, remember, America's churches had largely gone silent on the 77 00:05:30,405 --> 00:05:33,045 issue of race for Black America. 78 00:05:33,195 --> 00:05:35,145 It was a deafening silence. 79 00:05:35,610 --> 00:05:39,180 And here was a religious leader from the other side of the 80 00:05:39,185 --> 00:05:44,550 world, from the East, preaching a Message of taking a stand on race. 81 00:05:45,030 --> 00:05:47,580 The contrast was stark. 82 00:05:48,090 --> 00:05:54,300 It exposed the American church's silence, and in fact, there are editorials that 83 00:05:54,300 --> 00:05:57,030 appear that make this specific point. 84 00:05:57,390 --> 00:06:01,350 'Why is it that America's churches are silent and that the only 85 00:06:01,350 --> 00:06:05,130 religious voice to take a stand is from this Persian Prophet?' 86 00:06:05,984 --> 00:06:12,195 So you can imagine that there was an interest, a fascination, a hunger to 87 00:06:12,195 --> 00:06:17,805 hear what this Persian Prophet had to say even before he delivered His speeches. 88 00:06:18,255 --> 00:06:23,234 In fact, just speaking to some of these audiences was itself taking a stand. 89 00:06:23,234 --> 00:06:25,424 It was a radical thing to do. 90 00:06:26,010 --> 00:06:30,900 So there was an appetite, a hunger to hear what the Persian Prophet had to say. 91 00:06:40,110 --> 00:06:43,260 So what was Abdul-Baha's message to Black America? 92 00:06:43,980 --> 00:06:48,360 What's perhaps most important here is to appreciate that in His talks, 93 00:06:48,660 --> 00:06:54,210 Abdul-Baha introduces a new dimension to the race discourse in America. 94 00:06:54,960 --> 00:07:01,200 At the time, Black America is seeking acceptance that diversity be tolerated, 95 00:07:01,830 --> 00:07:06,150 but Abdul-Baha brings a Message that truly transcends all of this. 96 00:07:06,210 --> 00:07:08,820 He brings a Message of race unity. 97 00:07:09,435 --> 00:07:15,015 In Abdul-Baha's talks, He explains how racism is unnatural. 98 00:07:15,195 --> 00:07:19,125 That in the realm of nature you don't see animals discriminating 99 00:07:19,130 --> 00:07:20,385 on the basis of their color. 100 00:07:20,594 --> 00:07:24,135 You don't see black and white pigeons, for example, segregating. 101 00:07:24,674 --> 00:07:25,995 Now think about it. 102 00:07:26,445 --> 00:07:33,015 Framing racism as unnatural represents a powerful and direct challenge 103 00:07:33,255 --> 00:07:37,395 to the kind of scientific racism that is so prevalent at the time. 104 00:07:37,770 --> 00:07:47,130 And not only is racism unnatural, but Abdul- Baha positions diversity as attractive. 105 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:51,510 A lack of diversity is dull and boring. Here 106 00:07:51,515 --> 00:07:55,350 he draws on that example that all Baha'is know so well that 107 00:07:55,350 --> 00:07:56,970 were like flowers in a garden. 108 00:07:56,970 --> 00:07:59,820 That a garden with only flowers of one color is dull. 109 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:03,750 That it's the diversity of color that brings the garden to life. 110 00:08:04,055 --> 00:08:07,475 And He draws on similar analogies with gems of different colors. 111 00:08:07,745 --> 00:08:11,105 Now, this is such a contrast to the discourse of the day. 112 00:08:11,735 --> 00:08:17,195 Abdul-Baha not only positions racism as unnatural, but he also 113 00:08:17,195 --> 00:08:19,594 positions diversity as attractive. 114 00:08:20,585 --> 00:08:21,185 Wow! 115 00:08:21,935 --> 00:08:26,344 So far from being something we tolerate, diversity is 116 00:08:26,344 --> 00:08:28,385 something we should appreciate. 117 00:08:28,655 --> 00:08:32,044 We become stronger as a result of our diversity. 118 00:08:33,270 --> 00:08:37,860 Now, this was an entirely new perspective for the audience. 119 00:08:38,250 --> 00:08:42,720 It elevated the race discourse to an entirely different level. 120 00:08:42,900 --> 00:08:49,080 It articulated a vision that transcended what people thought was even possible. 121 00:08:49,530 --> 00:08:54,390 Again, the predominant discourse at the time was accommodationist. 122 00:08:54,810 --> 00:08:57,570 Don't make waves. Live with small gains. 123 00:08:58,065 --> 00:09:01,665 Now there was another strand that advocated for Black Americans to return 124 00:09:01,665 --> 00:09:04,395 to Africa, a Black nationalist stand. 125 00:09:04,545 --> 00:09:09,345 But this got little traction and there was a new social justice strand 126 00:09:09,555 --> 00:09:15,135 seen as somewhat radical at the time that advocated for justice, and this 127 00:09:15,135 --> 00:09:20,085 particular strand was very nascent at the time. But now you have a 128 00:09:20,085 --> 00:09:25,845 fourth paradigm, an entirely fresh perspective that Abdul-Baha introduces. 129 00:09:26,699 --> 00:09:28,439 Now to draw a modern parallel, 130 00:09:28,650 --> 00:09:33,360 this is much more akin to the type of speech that Martin Luther King delivered 131 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:36,329 in his famous 'I Have a Dream' speech. 132 00:09:36,689 --> 00:09:40,560 It's a speech that articulates a vision of what is possible. 133 00:09:40,740 --> 00:09:43,410 It's a vision elevating race unity. 134 00:09:43,680 --> 00:09:47,180 It has an appeal for both White and Black America. 135 00:09:47,910 --> 00:09:50,640 Now, I'm not saying that Abdul- Baha's speech had the same 136 00:09:50,670 --> 00:09:52,200 impact as Martin Luther King's 137 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:57,570 'I Have a Dream' speech, but it served a similar function acting to help His 138 00:09:57,570 --> 00:10:03,540 audience look beyond the horizon, look beyond their limitations, to see a future 139 00:10:03,690 --> 00:10:06,150 that transcended the past and present. 140 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:10,920 It was a message of hope and it was inspiring. 141 00:10:20,020 --> 00:10:24,520 Now, what's particularly interesting, I think, is that Abdul-Baha's speeches to 142 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:27,880 Black audiences didn't appease them. 143 00:10:28,330 --> 00:10:30,940 Yes, it articulated a vision. 144 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:34,030 It upheld their rights and dignity. 145 00:10:34,090 --> 00:10:35,950 It demanded social justice. 146 00:10:36,130 --> 00:10:41,500 It inspired them to imagine new possibilities, but it also 147 00:10:41,530 --> 00:10:43,570 challenged its Black audience. 148 00:10:44,340 --> 00:10:50,340 I say challenged because Abdul-Baha's goal is not just social justice per 149 00:10:50,340 --> 00:10:52,980 se, it's something even greater. 150 00:10:53,010 --> 00:10:54,570 It's race unity. 151 00:10:54,810 --> 00:11:01,320 It's a step beyond justice. So it doesn't focus on punishing the white aggressor. 152 00:11:01,710 --> 00:11:05,970 Instead, it forges a bridge, and there are challenges for White 153 00:11:05,970 --> 00:11:09,330 America, but there are also challenges for Black America in that call. 154 00:11:09,930 --> 00:11:15,450 So for example, Abdu Baja calls on African-Americans to not demonize all 155 00:11:15,450 --> 00:11:21,870 White America, but to also appreciate the sacrifices that so many White Americans 156 00:11:21,875 --> 00:11:28,500 made in the cause of freeing them from their bonds of slavery. To also appreciate 157 00:11:28,500 --> 00:11:31,080 the sacrifices of their White brothers. 158 00:11:31,620 --> 00:11:33,450 This is a challenging idea, right? 159 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:36,990 It speaks to a higher goal race unity. 160 00:11:37,620 --> 00:11:42,329 You can see in this guidance how Abdul- Baha's focus was on race unity, bringing 161 00:11:42,335 --> 00:11:47,430 the races together, and there are ideas that Abdul-Baha advocates in the 162 00:11:47,430 --> 00:11:51,930 cause of race unity that were truly radical by the standards of the time, 163 00:11:52,319 --> 00:11:58,410 including, for example, His promotion of the virtues of interracial marriage. 164 00:11:58,770 --> 00:12:01,050 Now, this was truly controversial. 165 00:12:01,079 --> 00:12:05,880 I mean, people were literally hanged for advocating this idea. 166 00:12:06,510 --> 00:12:12,569 In fact, in the majority of US states, 30 states, in fact, interracial 167 00:12:12,569 --> 00:12:15,600 marriage was actually outright illegal. 168 00:12:16,079 --> 00:12:21,150 So Abdul-Baha's talks were not just inspiring platitudes, they were 169 00:12:21,150 --> 00:12:26,310 substantive, they were inspiring, they were challenging, and they 170 00:12:26,339 --> 00:12:31,350 introduced an entirely new dimension to the race discourse in America. 171 00:12:31,950 --> 00:12:36,450 And most important, it was a message which got noticed. 172 00:12:37,020 --> 00:12:40,530 The Black press covered these talks extensively, and it 173 00:12:40,530 --> 00:12:43,230 got Black America talking. 174 00:12:43,560 --> 00:12:48,900 It captured the attention and the imagination of Black America. 175 00:12:58,095 --> 00:13:01,845 Okay, now I think we've set the stage. 176 00:13:02,325 --> 00:13:05,265 Our last episode gave us the historical context 177 00:13:05,564 --> 00:13:09,735 PRIOR to Abdul-Baha's arrival. In this episode, we explored what happened 178 00:13:09,795 --> 00:13:13,785 DURING Abdul-Baha's visit, and particularly what his message was. 179 00:13:13,995 --> 00:13:17,775 So we're now ready for our next chapter here, and this 180 00:13:18,015 --> 00:13:20,295 is really the heart and soul 181 00:13:20,315 --> 00:13:25,355 of my entire theme here, the focus of our discussion, which is on how 182 00:13:25,355 --> 00:13:30,845 it was that Abdul-Baha's message transformed the American Baha'i 183 00:13:30,845 --> 00:13:33,875 community, and trust me, it did. 184 00:13:34,265 --> 00:13:39,545 And how that Baha'i community went on to interact with and helped shape 185 00:13:39,755 --> 00:13:43,295 the emergence of the nascent modern Civil Rights movement in America. 186 00:13:43,865 --> 00:13:45,515 How's that for society building? 187 00:13:45,990 --> 00:13:50,790 Now you have to remember that the entire Western Baha'i community at the time, and 188 00:13:50,790 --> 00:13:55,380 I'm talking across both Europe and the United States, was about the size of what 189 00:13:55,380 --> 00:13:57,990 we currently think of as a Baha'i region. 190 00:13:58,260 --> 00:14:02,189 I mean, there was only 3000 Baha'is in the entire Western world. 191 00:14:02,610 --> 00:14:06,209 So this is about the size of your regional Baha'i community. 192 00:14:06,705 --> 00:14:12,045 And what you'll discover in our next episode is just how incredibly 193 00:14:12,255 --> 00:14:16,695 influential this community became in their society building endeavors, 194 00:14:16,905 --> 00:14:20,505 particularly in engaging with the race discourse in America. 195 00:14:20,985 --> 00:14:25,875 It's probably the best example of society building in the Western Baha'i world. 196 00:14:25,995 --> 00:14:28,515 It's just such a remarkable story. 197 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:34,199 And we're going to focus on this impact in our next episode. And just 198 00:14:34,199 --> 00:14:39,720 to whet your appetite a bit more, our next episode includes interviews with 199 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:42,569 leading Baha'i scholars, including 200 00:14:42,569 --> 00:14:44,339 robert Stockman, 201 00:14:44,345 --> 00:14:45,930 Dr. Chris Buck, 202 00:14:45,930 --> 00:14:46,860 Dr. Guy Emerson Mount. 203 00:14:47,310 --> 00:14:49,319 So you're in for a real treat. 204 00:14:50,025 --> 00:14:54,915 So you really won't wanna miss our next episode where we continue to 205 00:14:54,915 --> 00:14:59,685 explore the early Baha'i engagement with the race discourse in America. 206 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:03,630 That's next time on Society Builders. 207 00:15:05,940 --> 00:15:12,990 Society Builders pave the way, to a better world, to a better day. A united approach to 208 00:15:13,350 --> 00:15:15,420 building a new society. 209 00:15:16,170 --> 00:15:18,660 There's a crisis facing inhumanity. 210 00:15:18,660 --> 00:15:19,920 People suffer from a lack of 211 00:15:20,245 --> 00:15:25,175 unity, it's time for a brand new path to new society. 212 00:15:38,755 --> 00:15:40,255 Join the conversation, for Social transformation. Society Builders. 213 00:15:46,275 --> 00:15:51,555 So engage with your local communities and explore all the exciting possibilities. 214 00:15:51,825 --> 00:15:58,575 We can elevate the atmosphere in which we move. The paradigm is shifting. 215 00:15:59,085 --> 00:16:00,795 It's so very uplifting. 216 00:16:01,620 --> 00:16:05,130 It's a new beat, a new song, a brand groove. 217 00:16:09,540 --> 00:16:10,410 Join the conversation, for 218 00:16:19,105 --> 00:16:22,435 Social Transformation. Society builder, 219 00:16:27,145 --> 00:16:32,845 The Baha'i Faith has a lot to say, helping people discover a better way with discourse 220 00:16:32,845 --> 00:16:35,035 and social action framed by unity. 221 00:16:36,985 --> 00:16:38,155 Now the time has come to lift our 222 00:16:39,010 --> 00:16:42,310 game and apply the teachings of the Greatest Name. And rise to meet the glory of our destiny.