Obligations of white believers toward racial unity

White Bahá'ís to tend to and overcome defects of wider society

The governed and governors have persistently neglected the duty for the average white American to change his concept and attitude toward his fellow African-American citizen

"No less serious is the stress and strain imposed on the fabric of American society through the fundamental and persistent neglect, by the governed and governors alike, of the supreme, the inescapable and urgent duty-so repeatedly and graphically represented and stressed by `Abdu'l-Bahá in His arraignment of the basic weaknesses in the social fabric of the nation-of remedying, while there is yet time, through a revolutionary change in the concept and attitude of the average white American toward his Negro fellow citizen, a situation which, if allowed to drift, will, in the words of `Abdu'l-Bahá, cause the streets of American cities to run with blood, aggravating thereby the havoc which the fearful weapons of destruction, raining from the air, and amassed by a ruthless, a vigilant, a powerful and inveterate enemy, will wreak upon those same cities."

(Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith, July 28, 1954, pp. 126-7)

Difficulties in South of teaching: Whites have prejudice, are proud, and consider themselves superior

"The Guardian fully realizes the difficulties in the South of teaching both the colored and white. They both have prejudice, and while the white people are proud and consider themselves to be superior, the Negroes are suspicious and oversensitive through suffering and oppression. He hopes, however, that you will be able to confirm believers of both races."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 10/19/41, Microfilm Collection of the Original Letters of Shoghi Effendi, National Bahá'í Archives, Wilmette, IL, in Pupil of the Eye, p. 155)

Whites to cast away fallacious doctrine of racial superiority, encourage the intermixture of races, and tear down barriers

"A tremendous effort is required by both races if their outlook, their manners, and conduct are to reflect, in this darkened age, the spirit and teachings of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh. Casting away once and for all the fallacious doctrine of racial superiority, with all its attendant evils, confusion, and miseries, and welcoming and encouraging the intermixture of races, and tearing down the barriers that now divide them, they should each endeavor, day and night, to fulfill their particular responsibilities in the common task which so urgently faces them."

(Shoghi Effendi, Advent of Divine Justice, p. 33)

Whites to overcome the prejudice built up by conquering and imposing their will

"Both sides [whites and blacks] have prejudices to overcome; one, the prejudice which is built up in the minds of a people who have conquered and imposed their will, and the other the reactionary prejudice of those who have been conquered and sorely put upon."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, letter date 5/27/57 to Bahá'í Inter-racial Teaching Committee, in To Move the World 294, Power of Unity, no. 20, and Pupil of the Eye, no. 12)

Need for kindness and justice by white Bahá'ís

Whites should be kind and just to the colored people

"The whites should likewise be kind and just to the colored people.

"Thus will the world of humanity become like one great flower garden, variegated and multi-colored,—each rivaling the other only in the virtues and graces which are spiritual."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Star of the West, vol. 3, issue 10, pp. 13)

Whites to be just and kind to blacks

"...the whites should be just and kind to the blacks, who in turn should reflect an equal measure of appreciation and gratitude. Then will the world become as one great garden of flowering humanity, variegated and multicolored, rivaling each other only in the virtues and graces which are spiritual."

(Attributed to? 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 113)

Whites to be loving toward blacks

"I pray that you attain to such a degree of good character and behavior that the names of black and white shall vanish. All shall be called human, just as the name for a flight of doves is dove. They are not called black and white. Likewise with other birds.

"I hope that you attain to such a high degree-and this is impossible except through love. You must try to create love between yourselves; and this love does not come about unless you are grateful to the whites, and the whites are loving toward you, and endeavor to promote your advancement and enhance your honor. This will be the cause of love. Differences between black and white will be completely obliterated; indeed, ethnic and national differences will all disappear.

"I am very happy to see you and thank God that this meeting is composed of people of both races and that both are gathered in perfect love and harmony. I hope this becomes the example of universal harmony and love until no title remains except that of humanity. Such a title demonstrates the perfection of the human world and is the cause of eternal glory and human happiness. I pray that you be with one another in utmost harmony and love and strive to enable each other to live in comfort."

(`Abdu'l-Bahá, address at Howard University, Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 44-46)

Whites to recognize equality and work for mutual advancement and to unite with black in service to humanity

Whites to cause the down-trodden black race to become glorious and joined with the white race in serving humanity (relying on faith, assurance, and the Baha'i teachings)

"`I hope,' He [`Abdu'l-Bahá] thus addresses members of the white race, that ye may cause that down-trodden race to become glorious, and to be joined with the white race, to serve the world of man with the utmost sincerity, faithfulness, love, and purity. This opposition, enmity, and prejudice among the white race and the colored cannot be effaced except through faith, assurance, and the teachings of the Blessed Beauty.' `This question of the union of the white and the black is very important,' He warns, `for if it is not realized, erelong great difficulties will arise, and harmful results will follow.' `If this matter remaineth without change,' is yet another warning, `enmity will be increased day by day, and the final result will be hardship and may end in bloodshed.'"

(Shoghi Effendi, Advent of Divine Justice, p. 33; also in Lights of Guidance, no. 1790)

White to express kindliness and recognition of equality to the black, accomplish fellowship, cement a bond of brotherhood, and assist in mutual advancement; otherwise, fellowship and brotherhood will be not possible

"Strive earnestly," He [`Abdu'l-Bahá] again exhorts both races, "and put forth your greatest endeavor toward the accomplishment of this fellowship and the cementing of this bond of brotherhood between you. Such an attainment is not possible without will and effort on the part of each; from one, expressions of gratitude and appreciation; from the other, kindliness and recognition of equality. Each one should endeavor to develop and assist the other toward mutual advancement...."

(Shoghi Effendi, Advent of Divine Justice, pp. 32-3)

Consort with blacks as full equals to affect the hearts of those hurt and offended by the attitude of white supremacy

"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, The Power of Unity, p. 77, #55)

Negative attitudes and behaviors for whites to avoid in relation to black believers as well as positive to embrace

The white should abandon their usually inherent and sometimes subconscious sense of superiority, to correct their tendency toward a patronizing attitude, to informally and intimately associate, and master impatience at a lack of responsiveness

"Let the white make a supreme effort in their resolve to contribute their share to the solution of this problem, to abandon once for all their usually inherent and at times subconscious sense of superiority, to correct their tendency towards revealing a patronizing attitude towards the members of the other race, to persuade them through their intimate, spontaneous and informal association with them of the genuineness of their friendship and the sincerity of their intentions, and to master their impatience of any lack of responsiveness on the part of a people who have received, for so long a period, such grievous and slow-healing wounds."

(Shoghi Effendi, Advent of Divine Justice, p. 33; also in Lights of Guidance, no. 1791)

White American Bahá'ís are tainted to some degree by prejudice, possibly unconsciously, so should study their own attitude for condescension, insulting, or patronizingly kind, and come to not think of them in terms of color

"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, whether he ever unconsciously insults them by using the term `nigger' or being patronizingly kind, whether he invites them freely to his home, and makes friends of them to such a point that he no longer knows whether they are colored or white, but only thinks of them as Bill or Mary, so to speak."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá'í Inter-Racial Teaching Committee, 5/27/57, Microfilm Collection of the Original Letters of Shoghi Effendi, National Bahá'í Archives, Wilmette, IL; published in Pupil of the Eye, p. 100, no. 5-33 and Power of Unity, no. 54)

Whites to show more affection, confidence, fellowship, and loving kindness to the colored believers, without mistrust, a sense of superiority, discord, or aloofness, but openly, bravely, and sincerely following 'Abdu'l-Baha to banish prejudice from their hearts

"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, Bahá'í News Letter, No. 18, 6/27, p. 5)

White Baha'is should actively and continuously demonstrate a lack of discrimination, contempt, or prejudice and instead esteem Negroes for their great gifts

"The Negroes, likewise, are, one might say, a key problem and epitomize the feelings of color prejudice so rife in the United States. That is why he has so constantly emphasized the importance of the Bahá'ís actively and continuously demonstrating that in the Faith this cruel and horrible taint of discrimination against, and contempt for, them does not exist but on the contrary is supplanted by a feeling of esteem for their great gifts and a complete lack of prejudice in every field of life."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Bahá'í News, No. 188, 10/46, pp. 3-4)

See also

• Obligations of black believers toward racial unity
• Obligations of white and black believers toward racial unity
• Race unity