Ten years ago, Michael O’Neal started a program to help dispel racial tension in the Savannah public schools. Called Parent University, the Baha'i-inspired program has attracted more than 4,000 participants and earned numerous awards. Recently the city of Savannah hired Mr. O’Neal and his staff to help 100 at-risk families.

The biggest personal reward, says Mr. O’Neal, a long-time member of the Faith, is that Parent University laid the foundation for a more exalted goal: getting at-risk youth and their families involved in activities that nurture the spirit.

“Being of service -- lessening the suffering of our fellow man -- is a key principle of the Baha'i Faith,” says Mr. O’Neal, who serves in an appointed position to assist local Baha'i communities. “And so is sharing the Faith with others.”


Michael O'Neal Offering children's classes at the Baha'i Center in Savannah seemed an ideal way to serve others through sharing the teachings of the Faith. Classes began last year and within a year, 60 children -- Baha’is and those of other faiths -- were learning about virtues and building character through the core principles of the Baha'i Faith.

The majority of the participants are from underserved communities. Their families were worried about their future and thought the interactive nature of the classes might be just what their kids needed.

If behavior is an indication of success, new, improved kids started coming home. They recited prayers. Obeyed their parents. Helped out at home.

Curious and pleasantly surprised, their parents came to the center to see how their children were being transformed.

One of these parents was Johnnie Mae Baker. Her children -- Jasmine, 17; Desrae, 14; and Kayla, 10 -- were so enthralled with taking classes at the center that Ms. Baker says she no longer had trouble getting them out of bed in the morning.

Like a number of the other parents who visited the center, she became as captivated as her offspring by the Baha'i Faith’s messages of unity, oneness and service to mankind. She and others wanted to learn more about what it means to be a Baha'i.

In response, the Baha'i Center began offering study circles. These free public gatherings, typically held once a week, examine the Baha'i writings and how they can be put into action.

The rest is history -- an astonishing history. Class enrollment is the highest it’s ever been. And a number of parents have joined the Baha'i Faith, increasing the number of Baha’is in Savannah from 90 to close to 200.

Ms. Baker is one of the new members of the Faith. Known in town for helping run her family’s restaurant, she now is also known for nurturing souls by eagerly spreading the word of Baha’u’llah.

“I became a Baha'i in November, and since then I feel free in mind, free in heart,” she says. “When I go to the center, I feel like I’m wrapped in an old-fashioned hug. When I leave, I still have that feeling. I’m happy, my kids are happy and my fiancé, who also joined the Faith, is happy.”

So is Mr. O’Neal, who says, “We’re creating a culture whose mission is Baha’u’llah’s mission: to bring about the spiritual rebirth and the unity of mankind, which He said would lead to the establishment of permanent world peace and the Kingdom of God on Earth.”


Related items:
U.S. Baha’i Newsreel: Click on “It Takes a Village” to view a newsreel video on the Savannah community.

January 20, 2007 - WTOC, Savannah television news story on Parent University