Society builders pave
the way, to a better world,

to a better day. A united approach
to building a new society.

Join the conversation. For Social
Transformation. Society Builders

Society Builders.

With your host, Duane Varan.

Welcome to our second
season of Society Builders.

And thanks again for joining the
conversation for social transformation.

Today's episode is the third episode
in a special trilogy exploring

the contributions of Abdul-Baha,
and the generation He inspired

on the race discourse in America.

As I mentioned in our previous episodes,
this is probably the best example

of Baha'i contributions to society
building in the Western world to date.

In part one of this trilogy, we
discussed the historical context

to the American race discourse PRIOR
to the arrival of Abdul-Baha in 1912.

As we discussed, the discourse
of the day was dominated by a

pseudo-scientific strain of racism
that, like a cancer, cultivated racist

attitudes to African-Americans.

Attitudes that resulted in the worst kinds
of violence and transgressions against

Black America, including over 3,500
lynchings - lynchings, which often included

the horrific torture of its victims. And
the religious communities of the day,

communities who had previously
championed the abolition of slavery,

these communities were now entirely
silent and looked the other way.

And the African-American response
to all of this, for the most

part, was 'accommodationist', seeking
to avoid rocking the boat and

looking for just modest gains.

So racism was rife both across the
South, but also in the North in America.

And little was being done about it.

It was an American disease, and it was
a disease that was spreading rapidly.

In part two, we explored the
hunger and appetite that there

was for Abdul-Baha's Message by the
time of His arrival in America.

Fascination with all things
Persian was at a peak.

His message introduced new ideas
in the race discourse - ideas that

got traction. And Abdul-Baha's talks
represented almost the only religious

engagement on the race issue,

something that attracted considerable
media attention in the Black Press

of the day, exposing the silence
of America's churches on the issue.

And we explored what Abdul-Baha's Message
for America really was on the race

issue, particularly in introducing a new
strand to the Civil Rights discourse.

One positively focused on race unity
rather than just social justice.

So episode two of our trilogy
here explored what happened DURING

Abdul-Baha's travels in America.

Today we're gonna explore what impact
this all had, both on the American Baha'i

community and on wider society in general.

In other words, today we explore the
AFTER. And we're going to explore how

Abdul-Baha, and the generation He inspired,
helped shape the evolution of the nascent

Civil Rights discourse in America.

Again, it's probably the best example
we have to date of Baha'i Society

building in the Western world.

And I'm thrilled to say that today's
episode will feature interviews with

leading Baha'i scholars, including
in order of their appearances,

Dr. Robert Stockman,

Gail Morrison,

Dr. Chris Buck, and

Dr. Guy Emerson Mount.

So fasten your seatbelts.

You are in for an amazing ride.

As I mentioned in our previous episode,
Abdul-Baha spoke at major events.

Events that would have reached a good
portion of the Black intelligentsia

in America, particularly his
standing room only address at

Howard University, America's most
prestigious Black university

and his speeches at the fourth annual
convention of the NAACP. And these talks

got extensive media coverage in America,
particularly by the Black American press.

So between the audiences that would've
heard Abdul-Baha's talks directly, and

those who would've read the coverage,
it's clear that Black America had

strong familiarity with Abdul-Baha
and His Message of race unity.

But Abdul-Baha's talks also had a dramatic
impact on the Baha'i community in America,

and it resulted in numerous Baha'is
engaging directly in the race discourse.

It reflected the transformation of a
great many believers who went on to

become champions promoting race unity.

Eminent Baha'i historian

Dr. Robert Stockman, who's written a number
of books about the early American

Baha'i community, talks about a number
of ways that Abdul-Baha's message interacted

with the race discourse in America.

Stockman: Yeah, I think there are at least four
ways that the Baha'is were of assistance

to African-Americans in this period of
time from say, uh, 1900 to 1950 or so.

First of all, the Baha'i Faith was covered
with a certain amount of prominence in

the leading African-American publications
of the time, specifically the Chicago

Defender, which had Robert Abbott as
its editor, and he later became a Baha'i.

He mentioned the Faith in
the pages of the Defender

fairly often.

Second of all, there was the Crisis,
which was the monthly publication

of the NAACP, the editor being
W.E.B. Du Bois, and of course, he

covered Abdul-Baha's visit in 1912.

Named Abdul-Baha Man of the Month.

I think that was June of 1912.

And also covered Abdul-Baha's
passing in 1921.

So, there were at least those
references and possibly other references

to the Faith in the, the monthly pages,
of the Crisis, which was a very,

very influential publication in the
African American community nationwide.

Of course some of those kinds of
coverage of the Faith probably also

helped people like Alain Locke to
accept the Faith because it was more

current, it was more recognizable, and
its position on integration was clear.

And so I think that also
helped attract some people

to consider the Faith or to at
least become friends of the Faith.

Then of course we have Louis Gregory's
frequent trips to the South where

he spoke, especially, to historically
Black colleges and universities,

hBCUs. I should add that he also
spoke to Black business associations.

And other organizations of
African-Americans in the South.

So again, these are
not rural farmers.

These are urban people who have a
certain amount of interest in coming

together and talking about the situation
of the African-American community,

ways to improve it, ways to continue
to develop African-American prosperity.

And so Louis Gregory was frequently being
invited by groups like that to speak.

And so certainly they
would've heard of the Faith

through Louis Gregory and his, his
efforts, that's I think probably a

bigger, may even have been a bigger
influence than the Chicago Defender and

the Crisis because he would've reached
tens of thousands of people, not just by

a quick skim of an article, but listening
to him speak for half an hour or so.

And so I think that
likely is, is a, a major

a source of, of Baha'i influence
on the development of the

African-American community in the country.

There was of course also a, a good
example of the kind of influence that

Louis Gregory had in the
South was this, this man named

mr. Henderson.

He opened a business college in
Memphis, Tennessee, and this business

college continued to operate, I
think until the 50s or 60s.

And it was even referred
to, I think, by Abdul-Baha.

Cause it was, we're talking
about the teens when, when Mr.

Henderson became a Baha'i. Abdul-Baha
even referred to it as a Baha'i college.

So there was clear involvement of
Baha'i principles in African-American

educational efforts right there
in the,very early in the 20th century.

Then there is the whole issue of the
fact that the Baha'is were allies.

And even though the Baha'i community
at that time was say, one 10,000th the

population of the country, perhaps 1% of
the allies were Baha'is because the Baha'is

were, while not a large fraction of the
allies of the African-American community,

they were their nevertheless
outsized, considering their own

small size because of their position
about the equality of all people.

So that clearly is another way that the
Baha'i community was influential.

And it may very well be that the
hope the Baha'is had and the optimism,

the conviction that the Baha'is had
that race Unity could and indeed

would eventually be achieved in
the United States, may have given

people an additional reason for hope.

Varan: So Dr. Stockman

highlights a number of different
ways in which the early American

Baha'is engaged with Black America.

There was the extensive coverage,
which the Faith and its position

on race Unity attracted,
particularly with the Black press.

There was the travels of Louis
Gregory who reached tens of

thousands of African Americans,
particularly in the American South.

There was the initiative of George
Henderson, a Baha'i, who went on

to found the Henderson Business
College that went on to educate and

train thousands of Black Americans.

And there was the interaction of the
early American believers with the

Civil Rghts communities of the day.

We'll explore some of these
themes further in today's episode.

I'd like to dive a little
deeper on the contributions

of the amazing Louis Gregory.

As Dr. Stockman

shared, this interaction with
Black America was probably even more

impactful than all the press coverage,
which the Faith attracted at the time.

Now most Baha'is know a thing
or two about Louis Gregory.

Perhaps you recall the story of the
luncheon where Washington DC High

Society came out to honor Abdul-Baha.

When Abdul-Baha asked where

mr. Gregory, who was Black, was the
host who didn't want to have to

explain that African-Americans
shouldn't dine with white folk well,

the host said there simply wasn't
enough seats at the table. To

which Abdul-Baha replied that Mr.

Gregory could have His seat.

And this ensured that Mr. Gregory

was seated in the position
of honor right next to Abdul-Baha.

Or we've heard the story about how
Abdul-Baha encouraged the union of

Mr. Gregory

to Mrs. Louise Mathews

who was white.

Now, this kind of interracial marriage
might seem normal these days, but

at the time it was pretty shocking.

I mean, it was outright illegal and
the majority of US states, so Abdul-Baha's

position on integration made
waves, but it also set the standard.

Mr. Gregory

is such an amazing and
magnetic soul who devoted most of

his life to traveling and spreading
the Cause, particularly in the

American South, to share the Faith
and its message on race unity.

As Dr. Stockman

noted earlier, in this
way, he reached tens of thousands

at a deep and intimate level.

Now THE authority on Lewis Gregory is

Gail Morrison, author of that great
biography on his life: 'To Move the World'.

Let's listen to Dr. Morrison

share some highlights for

Mr. Gregory's travels.

Morrison: He was a rising young lawyer in
essentially a small pond of highly

educated Black Americans who were
filling some of the first judgeships

and other positions of prominence.

That was the future, the trajectory that
he was, by training and by inclination,

placed upon before he became a Baha'i. And
especially before Abdel Baha's visit.

Instead, when Abdul-Baha in the
Tablets of the Divine Plan, called

for teachers to arise and take the
Baha'i Faith all over North America and

eventually around the world, but in
those beginning tablets emphasizing the

importance of the different regions,
Louis Gregory responded immediately

by going on a trip to the South.

Doors opened for him that would not
have been opened for others because

having gone to one of the leading
secondary institutions of learning

in Charleston, South Carolina, Avery
Institute, he knew many people in South

Carolina. And even beyond, then having
gone to Fiske University, one of the

leading Black colleges in Tennessee,

he, again, knew many people that
he had been mentored by, that

had been classmates and so on.

And then studying law at Howard
University, again in essentially

elite circles of capable, committed
Black Americans who were doing all

kinds of things throughout the South.

So he was able to go into a, a town
that he'd never visited before, even if

he hadn't made connections beforehand,

and he was able to, first of all, find
a place to stay because that was not

always even possible to do beforehand
because there were no hotels or motels

or even boarding houses that would
take African-American travelers.

So he would arrive in a town oftentimes
make connections, get seeking engagements

in churches and schools and colleges.

Sometimes they were arranged
beforehand and sometimes they

were just arranged on the spot.

And his first teaching
trip was remarkable.

So remarkable that he and his wife Louise,
consulted and decided to sell their

home in order to finance his continued
teaching trips throughout the South.

No one else at that time had his
ability, had his connections, had his

speaking ability, because he was a
remarkable speaker by all accounts.

So he, he had a, a vision, he had a
mandate from Abdul-Baha, and he had a

personal commitment that the Tablets
of the Divine Plan instilled in him.

And that continued essentially
for the rest of his life.

His travels were not always as intense,
but he went to virtually every state

in the continental United States
and special on the Southern states.

I think it was Roy Williams, one of his
fellow teachers, and somewhat later years

who described it as being like a
spiderweb that he knit throughout

the South where he touched on so many
different communities. And that net

even now, even today, we're still
feeling the effects of it from the

children to the grandchildren, to
the great-grandchildren of people

who recall having met Louis Gregory
and been changed and touched by him.

In this way, Louis Gregory and his
teaching companions familiarized

Black America with the Baha'i Faith.

Varan: In fact, he, more than anyone,
cultivated the first Baha'i communities

in most of the Southern states.

But he also had a profound impact on
sharing the Baha'i message on race

unity, an influence that went well
beyond those embracing the Faith,

an influence that helped shape
Black discourse throughout America.

Dr. Stockman

also referred to the high
level of interaction between the early

American Baha'is and the Civil Rights
communities of the day, how even though

Baha'is were small in number, they had a
significant presence in these communities.

In fact, there was a deep and incredibly
meaningful interaction between Baha'is

and in particular, the new Civil Rights
organizations, groups like the NAACP,

the Urban League, Hull House, and the
Lincoln Center, and it was truly an

interaction, an alliance. Baha'is were
supporting their initiatives, and they

were supporting Baha'i initiatives.

It was a deep and symbiotic
relationship with extensive

intermingling between the groups.

Where this was most clearly evident was
in the series of Race Amity Conventions

that Baha'is hosted, which featured many of
the most influential thinkers in the race

discourse coming together to share ideas
about how to best facilitate race unity.

Now these conventions were a
response to the race situation,

growing increasingly out of control.

You know, the term 'race riots'
at that time didn't refer to

Black uprisings at that time.

Race riots were white people going
into Black neighborhoods and setting

them on fire, killing people,
destroying these communities.

The situation was at its worse in the
summer of 1919, what's called the 'Red

Summer', when these kind of race riots
broke out in some 38 cities across the

country, resulting in literally, hundreds
of Black deaths, some as lynchings, some

being shot, some being burnt alive.

Many of those killed were first tortured.

I mean, it was truly horrific and
there was no prosecution of the

white hooligans for these actions.

So you can imagine that the race issue
was one filled with tension, probably

at a level, never seen before or after.

The Race Amity conventions

starting in 1921,
provided a contrast, a focus

on bringing the races together.

It was a healing forum with a positive
focus, and it brought people and

organizations together, bringing religious
communities back to the race issue for the

first time since the abolition of slavery.

And in this way, it marks the beginning
of religious communities reengaging

with the Civil Rights movement.

Its impact was truly profound.

It brought a positive focus to the race
issue and it reacquainted religious

communities with the race discourse.

Now these conventions were held at
the direct instruction of Abdul-Baha.

Let's listen to

gail Morrison

pick up the story here and tell us
about the deliberations that were

happening among Baha'i communities as
they grappled with how to best respond

to the crisis of the Red Summer.

Morrison: The Baha'is initially felt they should do
something and were consulting about it.

But probably nothing much would've
happened, or it would've been

talk more than anything else

if Abdul-Bahaa had not intervened directly.
And the way He did it was surprising

in that he didn't turn to somebody
who was already knowledgeable about

the racial situation in the United
States, or committed in some way.

Instead, when Agnes Parsons, the
Washington Socialite, wealthy women,

who had probably never given much
thought at all to the race question

beyond what she had learned in the 10
years or so that she had been in Baha'i.

He said to her in a gathering of people at
the dinner table that she should arrange a

conference in Washington, DC for white and
colored people, bringing them together.

She was floored.

That was the last thing in the world
that she had any inclination to do.

That was the last thing in the
world that she had any talent for.

She'd never organized
any kind of.

She felt organizing something about race
was, she felt, beyond her ability.

But because she was a lover of Abdul-
Baha and obedient to Abdul-Baha,

she took it on slowly, gradually.

She went back to Washington DC
and nothing much was happening.

And then she consulted through the
instigation of another Baha'i with

a former senator from the state
of Minnesota, Moses Clap, and he

gave her some very good ideas.

She thought about not making it
a protest, but lifting things

to a level of changing hearts.

And she got a group of people to help her
out, mostly society women, people of some

wealth and prominence in the community.

Some of them became involved in
organizing, some became patrons and there

was involvement from Howard University
in providing support from their choir, a

number of other facets of the conference.

So that when it was held in May of
1921, it represented, because it was

in the nation's capital, a segregated
city, not by law, but in fact, it

represented a, an amazing departure
from anything that had happened before.

Because it brought together many hundreds,
usually at most sessions, almost 2000

or so, people of both races to hear
talks by mostly people who are not Baha'i.

Sessions were shared by Baha'is,
and it was remarkably successful.

The publicity was handled by Martha Root,
and it achieved extremely good press

coverage. So that between the thousands
of people who attended, and the many

thousands more who read articles about
it, it was a remarkable achievement at a

time of great peril when racial violence
was spreading throughout the country.

Varan: Baha'i's continued hosting these Race
Amity conventions for well over a

decade, bringing together many of the
nation's most prominent scholars and

Civil Rights leaders to share their
views on how to best promote race unity.

And Baha'is did this in partnership
with like-minded organizations and

advocates, including organizations like
the NAACP and various church groups.

In this way, Baha'i communities acted as
the levin cultivating and stimulating

wider engagement with this new focus
on race unity, and this focus on unity,

as opposed to say, justice.

Well, this was an entirely
unique Baha'i contribution to

the race discourse in America.

I mean, unity is a higher state.

It's inherently inclusive
of social justice.

So this positive focus on unity
introduces an entirely new strand

to the Civil Rights movement.

So its impact was monumental.

I think it's also important here to
discuss how incredible the story of

this interaction really is, because
in this story is nested a story of

the fundamental transformation of
so many of the early American Baha'is.

You see, Baha'i engagement with the
race issue took different forms.

Now, to be fair, I'm sure there
were many Baha'is who didn't engage

with the race issue at all.

Not withstanding the urgency of this
issue within the community and with the

guidance they would've been receiving
from Abdul-Baha, some of these believers

simply discounted the race unity principle
as something intended for the future,

something beyond their immediate concern.

But these believers would simply
have not engaged with the issue, or

from time to time, perhaps challenged
its priority within the community.

Obviously, these weren't the believers
interacting with the Civil Rights

communities we're talking about here.
And conversely, I'm sure there were Baha'is

who embraced the Faith in part because
they already believed in principles

like race unity, and found in the
Faith a belief system that better

aligned with their existing convictions.

So for believers like this, advocating
for race unity would've come naturally.

So of course THESE would've been believers
interacting with these communities.

I mean, this is something I'm sure they
would've found incredibly fulfilling.

But what's most interesting, I think,
are those believers who came into the

Faith for reasons other than race unity.

Like for example, because of our
teachings on progressive revelation.

And in many, if not most of these cases,
these believers would've been raised

in households that interacted with

friends and in social circles who would've
held beliefs consistent with the racist

norms that were so prevalent in the day.

Now, this group of believers,
I think is the most interesting

to our story. For these people,

their transition from being
contaminated by the stain of racism

to becoming champions for race unity -

well, this can only be understood
as their fundamental transformation.

It's a reflection of their
spiritual transformation.

We have the example of course, which

Morrison referred to of Agnes Parsons.

I mean, it's remarkable that Abdul-Baha
chose someone to organize the first

of these conventions who had never
engaged with the race issue in any way.

The race issue was largely
irrelevant for her, but in

obedience to Abdul-Baha's instructions
and overcoming an enormous sense

of feeling incapable to the task,

she rose and was truly transformed in
the process. And this focus on race

unity would be her main focus
for the rest of her years.

Dr. Stockman

provides another example
in a white Boston socialite,

Howard McNutt, who prior to Abdul-Baha's
arrival, interacted in the kinds of

social circles where racism prevailed.
And you can see its influence in his

own interactions and his correspondence,

for example. Yet once Abdul-Baha
arrived in America, Howard McNutt is

transformed by this message of race
unity, and it becomes his focus

for his remaining years.

Let's listen to

Dr. Stockman again.

Stockman: When Howard McNutt retired, he
and his wife retired to Miami, Florida and they

retired to a place where they were very
close to the Black neighborhood so they

could walk over to the Black neighborhood
and arrange Baha'i meetings. And he died

crossing the street, got hit by a car, if
I remember right, on his way to a Baha'i

meeting in the Black part of Miami.

So he and his wife devoted their life to
teaching the Faith to African-American

people in Florida in the 20s.

So that's what Abdul-Baha did.

You see, those are the changes Abdul-
Baha made in people and in the Baha'i

culture, the American Baha'i culture.

Varan: My favorite story though is
the story of Pauline Hannon.

Now Pauline and her husband Joseph
would play an incredibly important

role in sharing the faith with many
Black Americans, including key icons

like Louis Gregory and Alain Locke.

But this focus did not
come naturally for her.

She had been raised in South Carolina in a
society which cultivated racist attitudes.

But the Faith literally transformed her.

In fact, as she tells the story,
her attitude towards race changed

once she read a passage from
the Writings of Baha'u'llah where

He wrote: "Oh, children of men.

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 you were created.

Since we have created you all from
the 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 innermost being, by
your deeds and actions, the signs

of oneness and the essence of
detachment may be made manifest."

Now, this passage deeply moved
Pauline and it resulted in her

fundamental transformation.

Let's listen to Dr. Chris Buck

who has written
extensively on the engagement of the

early American Baha'is on the race
discourse, as he tells us her story.

Buck: This passage from the Hidden Words
struck Pauline in a lightning flash

of sudden insight after realizing the
profound implications of Baha'u'llah's words

regarding the oneness and equality of the
human race. This is what happened next.

One snowy day.

During the Thanksgiving season,
Pauline came across a Black

woman trudging through the snow.

Pauline noticed that the woman's
shoelaces were untied. Arms full

from the bundle she was carrying,

the woman was unable to
do anything about it.

Inspired by this passage from the Hidden
Words, Pauline knelt down in the snow

to tie this woman's shoes for her.

'She was astonished',

Pauline recalled.

'And those who saw it appeared
to think I was crazy.'

That event marked a
turning point for Pauline.

She resolved to bring the Baha'i
message of unity to Black people.

Varan: From that moment forward, Pauline and her
husband Joseph, began hosting integrated

firesides at their house, firesides, where
both Black and white could come together

to discover the teachings of the Faith.

And many notable African-American
Baha'is embraced the Faith as

a result of these firesides.

This engagement with Black
America didn't go unnoticed.

It wasn't just that Baha'is
had noble ideals to share.

It wasn't just that they were
interacting with Civil Rights groups.

It wasn't just that they lit a
path for America's churches to

reengage with the discourse.

It wasn't just that they hosted events

that were instrumental in challenging
the pseudo-scientific racism of the day.

It was something more than all of this.

It was the example that people saw
in the lives of these early Baha'is.

You see, Baha'is lived the principle
of the equality of the races.

They walked the talk, and
this was clearly evident.

It was evident in the fact that white
socialites invited African-Americans into

their homes despite the consequences this
might have in their own social circles.

It was evident in their integration as
a community, even promoting interracial

marriage. And it was evident in the truly
heroic action they took from time to time.

I think the best example of this kind
of heroism is the example we have of Dr.

Dr. Zia Baghdadi.

Now, Dr. Baghdadi

was a Persian believer
who had migrated to Chicago.

Now remember when we discussed those riots
in the summer of 1919, the the Red Summer?

Well, the worst of these riots were the
Chicago riots. White hooligans created

absolute terror there, driving
through the streets, shooting,

killing, even burning people alive.

It was horrific.

African-Americans couldn't leave their
homes, so they had no access to food

or medical help, and the police and
ambulances and fire departments refused

to enter these neighborhoods out of fear.

So the situation was truly dire,
and these riots ran for over a week.

In this environment when no one dared
assist these Black communities, Dr.

Baghdadi spent his days providing food
and medical assistance to those in need.

I mean, this was truly heroic stuff.

He literally risked his life to be of
service to the Black community there.

And the Black community never forgot this.

These were acts they
attributed to his Faith.

And so the Faith also benefited
from this kind of heroism.

So you can imagine the profound
impact that this example of

heroism had on this community.

And so Baha'is developed the kind of rapport
with Black America that made them trusted

allies in their crusade for Civil Rights.

It's a remarkable example.

Now, as I alluded to earlier,
it's important to appreciate

the results of all of this.

And to be fair, I don't think the Baha'is
of the day ever really understood the

long-term impact they were having.

In fact, after a little more than a decade
of hosting these conventions, Baha'is

eventually gave up, and I think a big
reason for this was because they didn't

think they were achieving their successes.

Large masses didn't embrace the Faith.

Racism continued largely unabated.

They were just too close to the
action to appreciate the longer

term impact their work was having.

One of these longer term effects
was the remarkable impact their

contributions had in shaping the
race discourse in America today.

Many of the most central tenants of
the Civil Rights Movement actually find

their roots in this interaction between
the movement and the Baha'i Faith.

To help shape this discussion,
let's once again listen to

dr. Chris Buck here.

He's quoting from

Dr. Martin Luther King in a speech he
gave on March 19th, 1968, less than

a month before his assassination.

'We're going to let our children know that
the only philosophers that lived were not

Plato and Aristotle, but W.E.B. Du Bois
and Alain Locke came through the universe.'

Now remember, these are
Martin Luther King's words.

He focuses on the critical contributions
of two Black philosophers,

W.E.B. Du Bois and Alain Locke, and
these two are probably the most

influential Black Americans.

In the early part of the 20th century
in terms of shaping the evolution

of the modern Civil Rights movement.
They introduce some of the central

principles upon which the movement
is ultimately based and which

still largely define the movement.

And for the purpose of today's discussion,
what's important to realize is that both

Dubois and Locke are deeply interacting
with the Faith as they pursue this task.

Now let's explore this
all a little bit deeper.

First, let's discuss DuBois.

He was the co-founder of the NAACP
and the editor of the Crisis magazine,

but he was also an amazing scholar.

In fact, he single-handedly
destroyed the credibility of the

whole Dunning school that we talked
about in a previous episode, that

intellectual strand of racism.

And he did this by going into great
detail to refute the assertion

that Black Americans were to
blame for poor governance in the

South following the Civil War.

And he probably did more than anyone
to challenge that Accommodationist

response to Black oppression that we
talked about in our previous episode.

He's probably the single most important
Civil Rights figure in the early

20th century, and Du Bois was deeply
interacting with the Baha'i community.

His wife, Nina, joined the Faith.

He often spoke at Baha'i events including
summer schools, and it's clear that many

of his contemporaries believed that he was
being heavily influenced by the Faith.

This is a subject that

Dr. Guy Emerson Mount has been studying.

Let's hear him address this topic.

Mount: It, it certainly is the case that
other radicals within Du Bois's

orbit certainly thought that the
religion was having a anti, if not de

revolutionizing effect on him, right.

That it was mollifying his otherwise
commitment to global revolution.

There's a particular document that I
uncovered that had one of this fellow

kind of communists saying that when Du Bois
was advocating for not taking up armed

revolutionary self-defense kind of
approach to take a more kind of passivist

nonviolent approach, that one of his
communist, you know, collaborators

says, 'Hey, what are you doing?

What are you talking about?

You sound like a follower of Abdul-Baha.'

Varan: So here we see in the account of
DuBois's own contemporaries, this idea

that there is this Baha'i influence,
potentially pacifying DuBois.

Now, this is a really big deal.

The Civil Rights movement at this
time is grappling with whether

it should reflect some kind of

armed resistance or this
path to non-violence.

And one of the hallmarks of the modern
Civil Rights movement is that it

largely went down the nonviolent path.

And DuBois is critical to that juncture.

He's critical to that decision.

So it's fascinating to see this
potential Baha'i influence here.

And it's not an influence
that Baha'is are asserting.

It's an influence that his contemporaries
are actually complaining about.

And another one of DuBois's most profound
contributions to the Civil Rights movement

in America was the ideas he put forward
about what we now call 'Affirmative Action'.

This is a principle that not only
shapes Civil Rights policies in

the United States, but that went on
to shape such policies worldwide.

And this is the principle that,

other things being equal, favor,
if there is to be one, should

be shown to the disadvantaged.

I mean, this is another one
of those hallmarks of the

modern Civil Rights movement.

But how were these ideas formed?

Let's listen again to Dr. Emerson Mount

addressing this influence.

Mount: Like in the 1930s, he's writing a, a friend
who's familiar with the Faith, who sends

him a copy of 'Advent of Divine Justice'.

And DuBois is talking in, in
very, really, in the margins.

He's like on page, I mean,
it's like page numbers, right?

And he he's, he's going back
and forth with his, his friend.

And the reference of pge reference was
to this idea of, of Affirmative Action.

And the idea that in Baha elections, you
know that if one person's a minority,

there's not that kind of a tie goes to
the the person who's from an oppressed

kind of historical positionality.

So here we have direct evidence of the
Faith's influence in helping shape

DuBois's views on Affirmative Action.

Now, to be sure there are other
influences in DuBois's work. But it's

clear that the Baha'i Faith is one of
those, heavily influencing his work.

All right, now let's discuss
that second pivotal figure that

Martin Luther King referred to

Dr. Alain Locke.

Alain Locke is considered
the Dean of what became known

as the Harlem Renaissance.

He's the father of the Harlem Renaissance.

This was an explosion of Black
artistic expression in the 1920s that

celebrated and redefined Black culture.

It rejected white society's right to
define Black art and gave rise to new

celebrations of cultural pluralism.

It gave rise to Black art as a
distinct art form in America.

It laid the foundation for what
would come to be termed 'Black Pride.'

Again, Black Pride is another
pivotal foundation for the

modern Civil Rights movement.

So here too, we need to explore
how this great philosopher,

Alain Locke, interacted with the Faith.

Well, in Alain's case, this is easy,
since he actually embraced the Faith in

1918 and went on to serve the community
on many levels throughout his life.

Like many, he had his challenges in that
journey, but it's clear that he is an

active and dedicated Baha'i having made
a pilgrimage, having spent many months

on the road with Louis Gregory traveling
throughout the South, promoting both

the Faith and the cause of race unity.

Having served on numerous national Baha'i
Race Amity committees, having written a

number of articles, promoting the Faith,
speaking at Baha'i meetings and firesides.

I mean, there is no question that
the Faith deeply influences Alain

and helped shape his worldview
that he truly was a dedicated Baha'i.

Here once again is Dr. Chris Buck,

who has written an outstanding
biography on Alain Locke, which

explores his relationship with the Faith.

Here, Dr. Buck

shares part of a speech that Alain
gave at the Baha'i National Convention.

I love this speech because it clearly
reflects this interaction with the faith.

Let's listen to Dr. Buck

recite part of Locke's
speech at that convention.

Buck (quoting Locke): "America's democracy must
begin at home with a spiritual fusion of all her

constituent peoples in brotherhood
and in an actual mutuality of life.

Until democracy is worked out in
the vital small scale of practical

human relations, it can never, except
as an empty formula, prevail on the

national or international basis.

Until it establishes
itself in human hearts.

It can never institutionally flourish.

Moreover, America's reputation and
moral influence in the world depends

on the successful achievement of this
vital spiritual democracy within the

lifetime of the present generation.

Material civilization alone does not
safeguard the progress of a nation,

Baha'i principles and the leavening
of our national life with their power,

is to be regarded as the
salvation of democracy.

In this way, only can the fine
professions of American ideals

be realized."

I mean, this is so incredibly profound.

Imagine hearing this at a Baha'i
National Convention from one of

the leading scholars of the age.

I mean, in our current language here,
Alain Locke is linking the release

of the society building power of
the Faith, the application of these

Baha'i principles, to the ultimate.

Salvation of American democracy.

Wow!

I mean, it doesn't get any more
inspiring than that, right?

And both Abdul-Baha and the beloved
Guardian had high praise for

Alain Locke's service to the Faith.

Here again, let's listen to Dr. Chris Buck

as he shares with us
some correspondence on this theme

from both Abdul-Baha and Shoghi Effendi.

Buck: In a letter written in 1921, the last
year of Abdul-Baha's life, He wrote

"Dr. Locke,

this distinguished personage,
deserve every praise.

I implore the kingdom of God to
grant him special confirmations."

Shoghi Effendi,

also, as I said, had high
praise for Alan Locke.

A letter on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
stated the following: "Shoghi

Effendi was very glad indeed to
hear from you and learned that

you have been in good health.

He cherishes in his loving heart.

Great hope for your spiritual
success. People as you,

Mr. Gregory,

Dr. Esslelmont

and some other
dear souls are rare

as diamond. You should first be
mindful of your physical health and

then take steps along the channel
of the regeneration of mankind.

The world more than ever is in
need of spiritual nourishment.

You are the chosen ones to render
this service to the lifeless

world in this present age."

Varan: Now it's hard to delineate whether
Locke already had formed his pivotal

ideas before discovering the Faith.

In fact, the resonance of those
ideas may have been why he was

attracted to the Faith in the
first place. Or whether it was the

Faith that helped form these ideas.

But the point is that his
Faith is interacting with the

development of these ideas.

And in the process helping to shape
the race discourse in America.

Now, these are just examples of how these
great thinkers are interacting with the

Faith and the development of these ideas.

To be clear, the Faith attracted many
other amazing Black adherenants as well.

Many of the most influential Black
Americans of the day, including

people like Robert Abbott, the
editor of the Chicago Defender

that I referred to earlier.

Now, the Defender

was a Chicago newspaper, but copies
of the Defender were distributed

nationwide through a network of Black
railroad workers because Chicago was

the nexus of the National Rail Network.

So the Defender was America's
national Black newspaper.

Scholars estimate that over one and a
half million Black Americans found the

courage to migrate from South to North

directly because of the efforts of Robert
Abbott and his Chicago Defender. This

is what we call the Great Migration.

I mean, this is such an incredibly
profound impact, and many scholars

consider this Great Migration to be
another pivotal foundation to the rise

of the modern Civil Rights movement.

So here too, the contributions
of Robert Abbott

are significant.

Similarly, there's George Henderson, the
founder of the Henderson Business College.

That's that Black university
we referred to earlier.

So here George Henderson and the Baha'i
faculty at this university are literally

educating thousands of Black Americans.

Another significant influence.

Or there's Miss Ida Wells

considered one of the greatest
journalists in American history and

the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize.
Miss Wells's coverage of lynchings,

and particularly the painstaking
evidence she would discover to prove

that the victims were innocent of
the crimes they were accused of,

this was riveting journalism

at its best.

She was probably the best
known African-American.

Woman of her day, the
Oprah Winfrey of her times.

Now we don't know a great deal about
her interaction with the Faith.

This is something that future historians
will have to study. But we do know that

she embraced the Faith and signed on
to our membership roles.

Or consider Mr.Dana Dorsey,

the wealthiest Black American in
Florida, who hoped to build a model

city in Florida for Black Americans
and had dedicated land for future

Temple as part of that initiative.

I mean, even though this project
didn't come to fruition, he's an

example of another giant with great
influence in the Black community.

Or is the case of the pastor of the
First Emmanuel Church in Harlem, pastor

Richard Bolden, who in 1920 got his
entire congregation to embrace the faith.

I mean, these were many of America's
best known African-Americans.

I mean, they were truly

influential. And you can see the
deep and profound interaction

of the Faith in their lives.

So you can see in these examples how
the contributions of the Baha'is in these

early years had a profound interaction
with Black America and with the evolution

of the modern Civil Rights movement.

Now understanding the contours of just
how extensive this influence really was,

remains a task for future historians.

But it is clear that there WAS an
influence, and it's clear that this

interaction between Baha'is and the
Civil Rights Movement helped shape

its ultimate course and destiny.

A quick postscript for reflection.

As I mentioned, I don't think the
early American Baha'is realized just

how profound their contributions
to the race discourse really was.

Although they had their
moments of victory,

following the Race Amity Conventions,
for example, for the most part,

they felt they had fallen short.

As I mentioned earlier, large
numbers didn't embrace the Faith.

They didn't immediately
turn the tide of racism.

Race riots continued to break out.

To see their contributions, you
needed a longer lens to history.

I don't think they understood or fully
appreciated, for example, just how

influential their work ultimately was.

But one thing is clear, even if
they didn't see that potential.

Abdul-Baha clearly saw this potential.

He not only gave instructions for the
first of these Race Amity Conventions,

but He pleaded that they continue.

Similarly, Shoghi Effendi repeatedly
encouraged the American Baha'i communities

to revisit and continue hosting them.

Even the Universal House of Justice made
a similar appeal, writing the American

Baha'i community in 1987, asking them to
revisit and host Race Amity Conventions.

Despite our early victories in this
arena, these conventions really came to a

close in the early 1930s and haven't been
occurring with any regularity ever since.

Now, if Abdul-Baha and Shoghi Effendi and the
Universal House of Justice, all keep

pleading for us to host these conferences...

Hmm.

Don't you think that's
something we should consider?

I'll leave that as
something for you to ponder

and reflect on.

Well, this brings our special trilogy
on the contributions of Abdul-Baha,

and the generation He inspired, on the
race discourse in America, to a close.

Naturally, we'll be revisiting the
race discourse in future episodes.

It's one of the best examples
of how we can engage in society

building, so we have much to look
forward to in future episodes.

I wanna give a huge shout out to
thank my special guest today in

order of their appearance,

Dr. Robert Stockman,

Gail Morrison,

Dr. Chris Buck, and

Dr. Guy Emerson Mount.

These scholars were incredibly generous
with their time, and they're the true

expert on this topic, having written
numerous books and articles on it.

So I'd encourage you to read
their work to learn more.

In season one, we talked a lot about the
future and we talked a lot about the past.

Now in season two, we're gonna focus
more on the present, and we're gonna

kick this all off in our next episode
by exploring the guidance from the

Universal House of Justice in that amazing
December 30th, 2021 message, which lays

out our mandate for society building.

So join me again next time as we
explore this amazing guidance from

the Universal House of Justice. And
thanks once again for joining the

Conversation for Social Transformation.

I'll see you again next
time on Society Builders.

Society Builders pave the way t
o a better world to a better day.

A united approach to
building a new society.

There's a crisis facing in humanity.

People suffer from a lack of unity.

It's time for a better
path to a new society.

Join the conversation, for social transformation.
Society Builders.

So engage with your local communities
and explore all the exciting possibilities.

We can elevate the atmosphere in
which we move. The paradigm is shifting.

It's so very uplifting.

It's a new beat, a new song,
a brand new groove.

Join the conversation, for Social transformation.

Society Builders.

The Baha'i Faith has a lot to say,

helping people discover a better way with
discourse and social action framed by unity.

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.