We are living in a time of both turbulence and great promise. Bahá'u'lláh said, "This is the Day in which God's most excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most mighty grace hath been infused into all created things. It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and, with perfect unity and peace, abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness."
By first recognizing the truth that we are one humanity and that we now have the capacity to come together, we can arise and create a better world for all.
The pursuit of racial justice and unity have been defining aspirations of the Bahá’í community of the United States since the earliest days of its establishment in the country. Indeed, for well over a century, it has dedicated itself to racial unity.
Because religion has historically shown an unrivaled capacity both to unite disparate peoples in a shared sense of identity and purpose and also to divide them against one another with disastrous consequences, the role of faith communities in society is critical. We also explore distinctive insights and resources the faith-based voice may have to offer for overcoming the gridlock of a national conversation on race that is increasingly defined by mistrust, entrenchment, and talking past one another.
Article: The Pursuit of Social Justice
No two people have the same lived experience. Learning that your experience and understanding of the world is vastly different than someone else's and is shaped by the social construct, forces & messages around you is a first steps towards overcoming racism. Because racism continues to work its evil upon this nation, an essential element
No two people have the same lived experience. Learning that your experience and understanding of the world is vastly different than someone else's and is shaped by the social construct, forces & messages around you is a first steps towards overcoming racism. Because racism continues to work its evil upon this nation, an essential element of the process will work to learn about current conditions and their causes, and understanding, in particular, the deeply entrenched notions of anti-Blackness that pervade our society.
Articles, movies and books are one source of information to build the capacity to truly hear and acknowledge the voices of those who have directly suffered from the effects of racism.
It is not acceptable to expect those people so weighed down by injustice to also educate us on their experience or what needs to be done by white people .
Articles, movies and books are one source of information to build the capacity to truly hear and acknowledge the voices of those who have directly suffered from the effects of racism.
It is not acceptable to expect those people so weighed down by injustice to also educate us on their experience or what needs to be done by white people . There is plenty of available information to begin doing the work required. We invite you to consider the following to begin:
Article: Both Black and White, and Neither
Book: 'White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide'
Book: 'The Invention of the White Race'
Documentary: I Am Not Your Negro
Documentary: Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise
A world without prisons? Ridiculous. Schools that foster the genius of every child? Impossible. A society where everyone has food, shelter, love? In your dreams. EXACTLY.
Imagination: A Manifesto is a proclamation of the power of the imagination. It is an invitation to rid our mental and social structures from the tyranny of dominant imag
A world without prisons? Ridiculous. Schools that foster the genius of every child? Impossible. A society where everyone has food, shelter, love? In your dreams. EXACTLY.
Imagination: A Manifesto is a proclamation of the power of the imagination. It is an invitation to rid our mental and social structures from the tyranny of dominant imaginaries, and a field guide for seeding an imagination grounded in solidarity, in which our underlying interdependence as a species and planet is reflected back at us in our institutions and social relationships.
Access to 5000+ Resources on Race Unity
Taking Action
18 Strategies Relevant to Racial Equity Work
Podcasts are a way to get inside a topic:
Apple Podcast: Is Eugenics Making A Comeback?
DIG: A History Podcast - Eugenics
YouTube
“We are not alone”: Legacies of Eugenics
North Carolina’s eugenics program, active from 1933 to 1977, represents a troubling chapter in the state’s history. Thousands were subjected to forced sterilizations under policies driven by misguided beliefs about genetics and social engineering. This dark legacy has prompted significant legal and moral debates over how to address past injustices.
Restorative Justice
Restorative Justice is a theory of justice that emphasizes repairing the harm caused by crime and conflict. It places decisions in the hands of those who have been most affected by a wrongdoing, and gives equal concern to the victim, the offender, and the surrounding community. Restorative responses are meant to repair harm, heal broken relationships, and address the underlying reasons for the offense. Restorative Justice emphasizes individual and collective accountability. Crime and conflict generate opportunities to build community and increase grassroots power when restorative practices are employed.
Related Resources: Conflict Transformation and Restorative Justice
Location: ACT / Strategies
Since June 2023, the Bahá'í community of Charlotte hosts monthly conversations on Overcoming Racism aimed at education, connection, collaboration and ACTION. Every month we gather together to learn about America's most vital and challenging issue by addressing an element of society impacted by racism - and how to play our part to eradicate it.
For nearly two years, the series, held in the historic Grier Heights neighborhood, an area with deep roots in Charlotte's Black history, offers participants an opportunity to engage meaningfully with important social issues. The participants, diverse in faith and race, have delved into a wide range of aspects of society impacted by racism such as Power, Shared Narrative, Education, the Legal System, and the lack of an Anti-Hate Law in South Carolina.
This on-going series, grounded in the foundational principle of the oneness of humankind, and dedicated to including the arts in its explorations, encourages participants to confront their biases, develop meaningful friendships with those of different lived experiences, and take action toward creating a more unified and just community. Additional topics have included the role of religious communities and the moral obligation of individuals to confront and address racism. Focusing locally, presentations included a Charlotte couple experiencing a cross-burning and a student's protest against book censorship.
Every month we gather... An essential element of the process will be honest and truthful discourse about current conditions of racism and their causes, and understanding, in particular, the deeply entrenched notions of anti-Blackness that pervade our society.
Two organizations that are addressing and working to overcoming racism in educat
Every month we gather... An essential element of the process will be honest and truthful discourse about current conditions of racism and their causes, and understanding, in particular, the deeply entrenched notions of anti-Blackness that pervade our society.
Two organizations that are addressing and working to overcoming racism in education are CREED and Down Home North Carolina. We will hear from each of these groups on the last Sunday in August at the Charlotte Bahá’í Center, 3415 Marvin Rd.
"Justice is a capacity of the human soul. It enables each of us to see the world through our own eyes and not through the eyes of others... "
A film directed by Stephanie Welch that examines the history of the eugenics movement in the United States and its perceived resurgence through contemporary genetics. The film argues that the belief in biological determinism—the idea that some groups, races, and individuals are inherently superior and more deserving of rights—has threaten
A film directed by Stephanie Welch that examines the history of the eugenics movement in the United States and its perceived resurgence through contemporary genetics. The film argues that the belief in biological determinism—the idea that some groups, races, and individuals are inherently superior and more deserving of rights—has threatened the American Dream since its inception, being used to justify the disenfranchisement of women, Black people, and Native Americans. It claims that modern genetics represents a new form of eugenics, where the concept of the "gene" is misused to justify social inequality and resist progress in racial and gender equality.
See more on our Resources Page
Justice is a capacity of the human soul. It enables each of us to see the world through our own eyes and not through the eyes of others. It protects us from the blind imitation of tradition, from religious prejudice, and intolerance. Our capacity to be just enables us to treat others fairly and equitably rather than being concerned solely
Justice is a capacity of the human soul. It enables each of us to see the world through our own eyes and not through the eyes of others. It protects us from the blind imitation of tradition, from religious prejudice, and intolerance. Our capacity to be just enables us to treat others fairly and equitably rather than being concerned solely with our own self-interest.
The soul’s capacity for justice impels us to become protagonists of social change in our neighborhoods, communities, and nations. We learn to read society in a way that conforms with the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, seeing in every human being nobility and capacity for service to others. Bahá’u’lláh says, “The light of men is Justice. Quench it not with the contrary winds of oppression and tyranny. The purpose of justice is the appearance of unity among men. The ocean of divine wisdom surgeth within this exalted word, while the books of the world cannot contain its inner significance.”
“The purpose of justice is the appearance of unity among men.” — Bahá’u’lláh
Bahá'u'lláh
Join us for our May Discussion - The American Coup: Wilmington 1898
Fear, loathing, and the only successful coup d’état in American history
This is the story of the only successful overthrow of a domestic government in American history. Once generally referred to as a “riot,” the events of 1898 in Wilmington, North Carolina are now more wid
Join us for our May Discussion - The American Coup: Wilmington 1898
Fear, loathing, and the only successful coup d’état in American history
This is the story of the only successful overthrow of a domestic government in American history. Once generally referred to as a “riot,” the events of 1898 in Wilmington, North Carolina are now more widely understood to have been a massacre of its African American citizens, and the overthrow of an elected government.
The Bahá’í Community of Charlotte invites the public to attend Race Unity Day: Toward Oneness, a free and uplifting celebration dedicated to unity, justice, and collective healing. Taking place on Sunday, June 8, 2025, from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM at the Charlotte Bahá’í Center, the event marks two years of ongoing, monthly community dialogue
The Bahá’í Community of Charlotte invites the public to attend Race Unity Day: Toward Oneness, a free and uplifting celebration dedicated to unity, justice, and collective healing. Taking place on Sunday, June 8, 2025, from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM at the Charlotte Bahá’í Center, the event marks two years of ongoing, monthly community dialogue and action addressing anti-Black racism and promoting oneness.
As we embark on our third year of creating space for meaningful, transformative conversations about race, you are invited to see the documentary "Power". In Power, Ford examines the history of American policing in order to see what its future may hold. The slave patrols created in the 1700s to track down enslaved persons; the often violen
As we embark on our third year of creating space for meaningful, transformative conversations about race, you are invited to see the documentary "Power". In Power, Ford examines the history of American policing in order to see what its future may hold. The slave patrols created in the 1700s to track down enslaved persons; the often violent police suppression of the Civil Rights movement; and more recent wrongful deaths rhyme in ways that are difficult to ignore within a deeply entrenched framework of violent racial inequity. Yet in many communities throughout the country, the police are seen as a necessary bulwark against the threat of crime and disorder. The documentary allows this contradiction to drive the narrative forward, with insights from scholars and critics of the police alongside those of law enforcement officers and civilians whose lives have been negatively affected by policing.
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