healing racism

A Message from the Bahá’ís of the United States

The Bahá’ís of the United States join our fellow-citizens in heartfelt  grief at the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery,[1]  and so many others whose lives were suddenly taken by appalling  acts of  violence. These heartbreaking violations against fellow human  beings,  due only to the color of their skin, have deepened the dismay caused by a  pandemic whose consequences to the health and livelihoods of  people of  color have been disproportionately severe. This has come to  pass  against a backdrop of longstanding racial injustice in virtually every  aspect of American life. It is clear that racial prejudice is the most  vital and challenging issue we face as a country. 

Yet,  amidst these tragedies, there are also signs of hope. Countless   citizens have arisen to proclaim the truth that we are one nation, and   to demand specific actions to address the pervasive inequities that for  too long have shaped our society. We have remembered who we aspire to  be as a people, and are determined to make a change for the better. This   moment beckons us to a renewed commitment to realize the ideal of E Pluribus Unum—out of many, one—the very ideal upon which America was  founded.

To  create a just society begins with recognition of the fundamental truth  that humanity is one. But it is not enough simply to believe this in our  hearts. It creates the moral imperative to act, and to view all aspects  of our personal, social, and institutional lives through the  lens of  justice. It implies a reordering of our society more profound than  anything we have yet achieved. And it requires the participation of  Americans of every race and background, for it is only through such  inclusive participation that new moral and social directions can emerge.

Whatever  immediate results might come from the current demonstrations, the  elimination of racism will require a sustained and concerted effort. It  is one thing to protest against particular forms of  injustice. It is a  far more profound challenge to create a new  framework for justice. Our  efforts can only succeed when we learn to build relationships with each  other based on sincere friendship, regard, and trust, which, in turn,  become pillars for the activities of our institutions and communities.

It  is essential for us to join hands in a process of learning how to  create models of what we want to see in every dimension of American  life, as we learn to apply the principle of oneness through practical  engagement and experience. To this end, we offer the following thoughts.

An  essential element of the process will be honest and truthful discourse  about current conditions and their causes, and understanding, in  particular, the deeply entrenched notions of anti-Blackness that pervade  our society. We must build the capacity to truly hear and  acknowledge  the voices of those who have directly suffered from the effects of  racism. This capacity should manifest itself in our schools, the media,  and other civic arenas, as well as in our work and personal relations.  This should not end with words, but lead to meaningful,  constructive  action.

There  are already significant efforts underway to learn how to create  models  of unity in neighborhoods and communities throughout the nation.  Bahá’ís have been persistently engaged in such efforts for many years.  The aim is not unity in sameness—it is unity in diversity. It is the  recognition that everyone in this land has a part to play in  contributing to the betterment of society, and that true prosperity,  material and spiritual, will be available to us all to the degree that  we live up to this standard. We should earnestly discover what is being   done, what truly helps to make a difference, and why. We should share  this knowledge throughout the country as a means of inspiring and  assisting the work of others. If we do this, we could soon find  ourselves in the midst of a mass transition toward racial justice.

Religion,  an enduring source of insight concerning human purpose and  action, has  a key role to play in this process. All faith communities recognize  that we are essentially spiritual beings. All proclaim some version of  the “Golden Rule”—to love others as we do ourselves. Take,  for example,  the following passage from the Bahá’í Scriptures in which God addresses  humankind:

Know  ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should  exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye  were created. Since We have created you all from one same substance, it  is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet,  eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your  inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the  essence of detachment may be made manifest.[2]

To  understand and firmly believe that we are all children of God provides  us with access to vast spiritual resources, motivating us to  see beyond  ourselves and to work steadily and sacrificially in the face of all  obstacles. It helps to ensure that the process is consistent with  the  goal to create communities characterized by justice. It gives us the  faith, strength, and creativity to transform our own hearts, as we also  work for the transformation of society.

We  believe that the tribulations now encompassing much of the world are  the symptoms of humanity’s failure to understand and embrace our  essential oneness. The interrelated threats of climate change, gender  discrimination, extreme wealth and poverty, unfair distribution of  resources, and the like, all stem from this deficiency and can never be   resolved if we do not awaken to our dependence upon each other. The   world has contracted to a neighborhood, and it is important to  appreciate that what we do in America impacts not only our own country,   but the entire planet.

We  should also never forget that the richness of our diversity, and our  founding ideals of liberty and justice, attract the eyes of the world to  us. They will be influenced by what we achieve, or fail to  achieve, in  this regard. It is not an exaggeration to say that the cause of world  peace is linked to our success in resolving the issue of racial  injustice.

The  oneness of humanity is the foundation of our future. Its  realization  is the inevitable next stage in our life on this planet. We  will  replace a world society based upon competition and conflict, and driven  by rampant materialism, with one founded upon our higher potential for  collaboration and reciprocity. This achievement will mark the universal  coming of age of the human race. How soon we achieve this, and how  easily, will depend upon the commitment we demonstrate to this cardinal  principle.

We  have come to a moment of great public awareness and rejection of   injustice. Let us not lose this opportunity. Will we commit to the  process of forming “a more perfect union”? Will we be guided by “the  better angels of our nature” to choose the course of wisdom, of courage,  and of unity? Will we choose to truly become that “city upon a hill” to  serve as inspiration to all humanity? Let us then join hands with each  other in commitment to the path of justice. Together we can surely  achieve this.

Bahá’u’lláh said: “So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.”[3] 

May that light grow brighter with every passing day.

NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES

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[1] Three young African Americans who were murdered by police in 2020

[2] Bahá’u’lláh, The Hidden Words, Arabic #68

[3] Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CXXXII.