Abolishing racial prejudice within the Bahá'í community

To categorize (from Power of Unity)

"Redouble your efforts in connection with the promotion of interracial amity and understanding. Urge the believers to show more affection, confidence, fellowship and loving kindness to the colored believers. No trace of mistrust, no sense of superiority, no mark of discord and aloofness should characterize the relations of the white and colored believers. They should openly, bravely and sincerely follow the example of our Beloved and banish prejudice from their hearts. May He reinforce and bless your efforts in such an important field of work."

(Shoghi Effendi, letter to Zia Bagdadi, in Bahá'í News Letter, no. 18 (June 1927) 5, in Power of Unity, no. 52)

"White American Bahá'ís, he feels, although they have very much less prejudice than the American people, are nevertheless tainted to some extent with this national evil, perhaps wholly unconsciously so. Therefore, it behooves every believer of white extraction to carefully study his own attitude, and to see whether he is condescending in his relations with his fellow-Bahá'ís of Negro extraction...."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, letter dated 5/27/57 to Inter-racial Teaching Committee, in To Move the World 293, in Power of Unity, no. 54)

"Nothing will so deeply affect the hearts of people who have been hurt and offended by the attitude of white supremacy as to consort with them as full equals—-as indeed they are...."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, letter dated 2/2/56 to individual believer, attached to letter dated 2/4/85 on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States, in Power of Unity, no. 55)

"The Negroes, though they themselves may not realize it, have a contribution to make to the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh. His teachings and the Society He has come to establish are for every race and every nation, and each one of them has his own part to play and the gift of his own qualities and talents to give to the whole.

"The Cause of God has room for all. It would, indeed. not be the Cause of God if it did not take in and welcome everyone—poor and rich, educated and ignorant, the unknown, and the prominent—God surely wants them all, as He created them all."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, letter dated 12/10/42 to individual believer, attached to letter dated 2/4/85 on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States, in Power of Unity, no. 56)

"He was also very pleased to hear about the new Negro element in the Cause, and he hopes that the Bahá'í Assemblies and Committees will utilize this new talent to the full. Perhaps great suffering for America could be averted if the Cause were not only more widely and quickly spread but the solidarity of races within its ranks more conspicuously demonstrated. He deeply appreciates your services in this important field of Bahá'í activity—racial unity."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, letter dated 3/13/44 to individual believer, attached to letter dated 2/4/85 on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States, in Power of Unity, no. 57)

"The teaching campaign, now in full swing in the United States and Canada, should, under no circumstances affect the progress, or detract from the importance & urgency of the racial amity work that challenges & confronts the believers in that continent."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, letter dated 11/11/36 to Louis G. Gregory, in To Move the World 244, in Power of Unity, no. 58; also at https://bahai-library.com/writings/shoghieffendi/uncompiled_letters/1930s/1936-11-11%20Concerning%20the%20racial%20amity%20conferences.html )

See also

• Freedom from racial prejudice
• Race unity

To-dos for this page

• Could check the original Power of Unity to find quotes not in online copy which only contains quotes not readily available elsewhere online (also add them to the BL copy.