© Bahá’í International Community

Baha'is view racism as America's most vital and challenging issue. Baha'u'llah, the prophet-founder of the Baha'i Faith, taught that the world's peace, prosperity and well being ultimately depend on the recognition of the oneness of humanity.

From the beginning of the Baha'i community in the United States in the 1890s, the Baha'is have taken a strong stand to affirm racial equality.

In 1912, ‘Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'u'llah's son and appointed successor, undertook a nine-month tour of the United States in which he gave many talks, frequently emphasizing the necessity of race unity.

‘Abdu'l-Baha insisted that the places where He spoke be open to people of all races. During this trip, He also addressed the fourth annual convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

In 1921, the National Spiritual Assembly, the governing body of the Baha'is of the United States, started a series of race amity conferences in Washington, D.C. The spirit of those conferences lives on today in race unity activities hosted by Baha'is in localities around the country.

Baha'is believe that wherever there is inequality and injustice, all of society is harmed. They also believe everyone is responsible for working for a just society.

Race unity encompasses equal opportunity, but its implications run deeper. The Baha'i Faith teaches the need for a spiritual transformation that will cause a change in individual and collective behavior.

Baha'u'llah's call for loving fellowship begins with the family. The first Baha'i interracial marriage in the United States took place in 1914, at a time when such marriages were prohibited or not recognized in 25 states. Today, Baha'i parents nationwide are striving to raise a generation of prejudice-free children.

The Baha'i community works to encourage race unity at local, national and international levels. In 1991, the National Spiritual Assembly issued The Vision of Race Unity, a statement to all Americans. The National Spiritual Assembly urged the United States to become a party to the U.N. Convention to Eliminate Racial Discrimination until its ratification in 1994.