Overcoming Racism with Faith, Assurance and Spiritual Teachings: Blacks Must Forget the Past, Whites Must Abandon the Illusion of Supremacyby Loretta Crosby
Editor/Publisher
RecallingHealth.com19 August 2005
The Problem: Racism becomes suspect when there is no other explanation for injustice.Last night I did not sleep very well.
I was up till 4 a.m. drafting a letter to the Administrator of my ex employer.
Briefly, here’s what happened. On 28 July, the morning following my supervisor receiving my letter of resignation, he signed a one-page evaluation, which stated that I was eligible for rehire at the state agency. Three weeks later, this same supervisor presented me with a “revised” form which now stated that I was not eligible for rehire. The form was laden with contradictions as it also stated that I would be excellent in some positions but not others. Which begged the question, “How can one not be eligible for rehire if there are positions at the agency where one would be expected to excel?”
Long story short, my follow-up letter to the Administrator simply pointed out the contradictions on the form, not the least of which being that it rated me “above average” in six areas and “average” in one area of performance, and concluded that therefore I was “average” in total performance.
But the details of the event are not merely as important as the trend that I am seeing as I have worked for two large state agencies in two southeastern states in the last three years. I had transferred to the second state agency hoping to be closer to an aging parent.
The trend that I am witnessing is one of racial bias and discriminatory practices that go unchecked by the powers that be. When administrators allow their management staff to perpetuate such blatant injustices and dishonesty, it is an indictment of their inability to lead in a world that is increasingly crumbling from a lack of moral leadership and a lack of a concentration on the core values and virtues that are needed to allow any organization to flourish in the face of diversity among its workforce.
The Solution: What the Whites Must Give Up, What the Blacks Must GiveSo what is the solution to overcoming racial prejudices, discriminatory practices and the like? Undoubtedly it is a complex one, otherwise it would not have been designated as America’s most challenging issue more than 60 years ago by a spiritual leader who not only articulated the problem, but also gave solutions as to how we might overcome it. It is in the spirit of seeking a resolution to the problem that I offer you some of his words written to a religious community and in the hopes that some gems of wisdom might be uncovered as we as a society take steps to alleviate the problem.
Written in the language of that time, Shoghi Effendi addressed the Negro people, saying:
"...Let the Negroes through a corresponding effort on their part, show by every means in their power the warmth of their response, their readiness to forget the past, and their ability to wipeout every trace of suspicion that may still linger in their hearts and minds. Let neither think that the solution of so vast a problem until the initiative has been taken, and the favorable circumstances created by agencies that stand outside the orbit of their Faith..."
And to the White people, he wrote:
"Let the whites 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’s grandfather, the Master, had previously addressed the White race, saying:
"... I hope that ye may cause that downtrodden 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 coloured 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 for if it is not realized, erelong great difficulties will arise and harmful results will follow ... enmity will be increased day by day and the final result will be hardship and may end in bloodshed."
In another communication to the American community, this same Master wrote:
"The diversity in the human family should be the cause of love and harmony, as it is in music where many different notes blend together in the making of a perfect chord. If you meet those of a different race and colour from yourself, do not mistrust them and withdraw yourself into your shell of conventionality, but rather be glad and show them kindness."
In addressing both races, Shoghi Effendi again wrote:
"...White and Negro, high and low, young and old … all who stand identified with (the Faith) must participate in, and lend their assistance, each according to his or her capacity, experience and opportunities to the common task of fulfilling the instructions, realizing the hopes, and following the example of (the Master). Whether coloured or non-coloured, neither race has the right or can conscientiously claim to be regarded as absolved from such an example. A long and thorny road, beset with pitfalls still remains untraveled, both by the white and the Negro exponents...”
He also noted that:
"...If any discrimination is at all to be tolerated it should be a discrimination not against but rather in favor of the minority, be it racial or otherwise. Unlike the nations and peoples of the earth be they of the East or of the West, democratic or authoritarian, communist or capitalist, whether belonging to the Old World or the new, who either ignore, trample upon or extirpate, the racial, religious or political minorities within the sphere of their jurisdiction, every organized community enlisted under the banner of Bahá'u'lláh should feel it to be its first and inescapable obligation to nurture, encourage, and safeguard every minority belonging to any Faith, race, class or nation within it. So great and vital is this principle that in such circumstances as when an equal number of ballots have been cast in an election, or where the qualifications for any office are balanced as between the various races, Faiths or nationalities within the community priority should unhesitatingly be accorded the party representing the minority and this for no other reason except to stimulate and encourage it and afford it an opportunity to further the interests of the community..."
More Spiritual Ammunition from the Mouths of Holy MenGod Makes No Distinction
"God maketh no distinction between the white and the black. If the hearts are pure both are acceptable unto Him. God is no respecter of persons on account of either colour or race. All colors are acceptable unto Him, be they white, black or yellow. Inasmuch as all were created in the image of God, we must bring ourselves to realize that all embody divine possibilities ... God did not make these divisions; these divisions have had their origin in man himself. Therefore as they are against the plan and purpose of God they are false and imaginary."
(Compilations, Lights of Guidance)
“As to racial prejudice, the corrosion of which, for well-nigh a century, has bitten into the fiber, and attacked the whole social structure of American society, it should be regarded as constituting the most vital and challenging issue confronting the … community at the present stage of its evolution. The ceaseless exertions which this issue of paramount importance calls for, the sacrifices it must impose, the care and vigilance it demands, the moral courage and fortitude it requires, the tact and sympathy it necessitates, invest this problem, which the American believers are still far from having satisfactorily resolved, with an urgency and importance that cannot be overestimated. White and Negro, high and low, young and old … all who stand identified with it must participate in, and lend their assistance, each according to his or her capacity, experience, and opportunities, to the common task of fulfilling the instructions, realizing the hopes, and following the example, of (the Master). Whether colored or non-colored, neither race has the right, or can conscientiously claim, to be regarded as absolved from such an obligation, as having realized such hopes, or having faithfully followed such an example. A long and thorny road, beset with pitfalls, still remains untraveled, both by the white and the Negro …. On the distance they cover, and the manner in which they travel that road, must depend, to an extent which few among them can imagine, the operation of those intangible influences which are indispensable to the spiritual triumph of the American believers and the material success of their newly launched enterprise.
Let them call to mind, fearlessly and determinedly, the example and conduct of (the Master) while in their midst. Let them remember His courage, His genuine love, His informal and indiscriminating fellowship, His contempt for and impatience of criticism, tempered by His tact and wisdom. Let them revive and perpetuate the memory of those unforgettable and historic episodes and occasions on which He so strikingly demonstrated His keen sense of justice, His spontaneous sympathy for the downtrodden, His ever-abiding sense of the oneness of the human race, His overflowing love for its members, and His displeasure with those who dared to flout His wishes, to deride His methods, to challenge His principles, or to nullify His acts.
To discriminate against any race, on the ground of its being socially backward, politically immature, and numerically in a minority, is a flagrant violation of the spirit that animates the Faith ... The consciousness of any division or cleavage in its ranks is alien to its very purpose, principles, and ideals. Once its members have fully recognized the claim of its Author, and, by identifying themselves with its Administrative Order, accepted unreservedly the principles and laws embodied in its teachings, every differentiation of class, creed, or color must automatically be obliterated, and never be allowed, under any pretext, and however great the pressure of events or of public opinion, to reassert itself…. In the light of this principle, and bearing in mind the extreme desirability of having the minority elements participate and share responsibility in the conduct of Bahá'í activity, it should be the duty of every Bahá'í community so to arrange its affairs that in cases where individuals belonging to the divers minority elements within it are already qualified and fulfill the necessary requirements, Bahá'í representative institutions, be they Assemblies, conventions, conferences, or committees, may have represented on them as many of these divers elements, racial or otherwise, as possible. The adoption of such a course, and faithful adherence to it, would not only be a source of inspiration and encouragement to those elements that are numerically small and inadequately represented, but would demonstrate to the world at large the universality and representative character of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, and the freedom of His followers from the taint of those prejudices which have already wrought such havoc in the domestic affairs, as well as the foreign relationships, of the nations.
Freedom from racial prejudice, in any of its forms, should, at such a time as this when an increasingly large section of the human race is falling a victim to its devastating ferocity, be adopted as the watchword of the entire body of the American believers, in whichever state they reside, in whatever circles they move, whatever their age, traditions, tastes, and habits. It should be consistently demonstrated in every phase of their activity and life, whether in the Bahá'í community or outside it, in public or in private, formally as well as informally, individually as well as in their official capacity as organized groups, committees and Assemblies. It should be deliberately cultivated through the various and everyday opportunities, no matter how insignificant, that present themselves, whether in their homes, their business offices, their schools and colleges, their social parties and recreation grounds, their Bahá'í meetings, conferences, conventions, summer schools and Assemblies. It should, above all else, become the keynote of the policy of that august body which, in its capacity as the national representative, and the director and coordinator of the affairs of the community, must set the example, and facilitate the application of such a vital principle to the lives and activities of those whose interests it safeguards and represents.
"O ye discerning ones!" Bahá'u'lláh, Prophet and Founder of the Bahá'í Faith, wrote, "Verily, the words which have descended from the heaven of the Will of God are the source of unity and harmony for the world. Close your eyes to racial differences, and welcome all with the light of oneness." "We desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations," He proclaims, "...that all nations should become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should cease, and differences of race be annulled." " Bahá'u'lláh hath said," writes 'Abdu'l-Bahá, "that the various races of humankind lend a composite harmony and beauty of color to the whole. Let all associate, therefore, in this great human garden even as flowers grow and blend together side by side without discord or disagreement between them." " Bahá'u'lláh," 'Abdu'l-Bahá (the Master) moreover has said, "once compared the colored people to the black pupil of the eye surrounded by the white. In this black pupil is seen the reflection of that which is before it, and through it the light of the spirit shineth forth."
"God," 'Abdu'l-Bahá Himself declares, "maketh no distinction between the white and the black. If the hearts are pure both are acceptable unto Him. God is no respecter of persons on account of either color or race. All colors are acceptable unto Him, be they white, black, or yellow. Inasmuch as all were created in the image of God, we must bring ourselves to realize that all embody divine possibilities." "In the estimation of God," He states, "all men are equal. There is no distinction or preference for any soul, in the realm of His justice and equity." "God did not make these divisions," He affirms; "these divisions have had their origin in man himself. Therefore, as they are against the plan and purpose of God they are false and imaginary." "In the estimation of God," He again affirms, "there is no distinction of color; all are one in the color and beauty of servitude to Him. Color is not important; the heart is all-important. It mattereth not what the exterior may be if the heart is pure and white within. God doth not behold differences of hue and complexion. He looketh at the hearts. He whose morals and virtues are praiseworthy is preferred in the presence of God; he who is devoted to the Kingdom is most beloved. In the realm of genesis and creation the question of color is of least importance." "Throughout the animal kingdom," He explains, "we do not find the creatures separated because of color. They recognize unity of species and oneness of kind. If we do not find color distinction drawn in a kingdom of lower intelligence and reason, how can it be justified among human beings, especially when we know that all have come from the same source and belong to the same household? In origin and intention of creation mankind is one. Distinctions of race and color have arisen afterward." "Man is endowed with superior reasoning power and the faculty of perception"; He further explains, "he is the manifestation of divine bestowals. Shall racial ideas prevail and obscure the creative purpose of unity in his kingdom?" "One of the important questions," He significantly remarks, "which affect the unity and the solidarity of mankind is the fellowship and equality of the white and colored races. Between these two races certain points of agreement and points of distinction exist which warrant just and mutual consideration. The points of contact are many.... In this country, the United States of America, patriotism is common to both races; all have equal rights to citizenship, speak one language, receive the blessings of the same civilization, and follow the precepts of the same religion. In fact numerous points of partnership and agreement exist between the two races, whereas the one point of distinction is that of color. Shall this, the least of all distinctions, be allowed to separate you as races and individuals?" "This variety in forms and coloring," He stresses, "which is manifest in all the kingdoms is according to creative Wisdom and hath a divine purpose." "The diversity in the human family," He claims, "should be the cause of love and harmony, as it is in music where many different notes blend together in the making of a perfect chord." "If you meet," is His admonition, "those of a different race and color from yourself, do not mistrust them, and withdraw yourself into your shell of conventionality, but rather be glad and show them kindness." "In the world of being," He testifies, "the meeting is blessed when the white and colored races meet together with infinite spiritual love and heavenly harmony. When such meetings are established, and the participants associate with each other with perfect love, unity and kindness, the angels of the Kingdom praise them, and the Beauty of Bahá'u'lláh addresseth them, 'Blessed are ye! Blessed are ye!'" "When a gathering of these two races is brought about," He likewise asserts, "that assemblage will become the magnet of the Concourse on high, and the confirmation of the Blessed Beauty will surround it." "Strive earnestly," He 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.... Love and unity will be fostered between you, thereby bringing about the oneness of mankind. For the accomplishment of unity between the colored and white will be an assurance of the world's peace." "I hope," He thus addresses members of the white race, "that ye may cause that downtrodden 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,
The Advent of Divine Justice)
Overcoming Ego So that the Spirit Can Take Charge So what does it all mean? As a person who has known and felt the effects of discrimination and racial bias, and as a person who is charged by Faith with seeing the “one good quality in a person and disregarding the ten negative ones”, I can tell you that getting a handle on how to deal with such issues poses a major dilemma.
As someone who is also charged with adhering to holy words that ask me to “breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art thyself a sinner,” further complicates how one can best bring to light the fact that he or she has been mistreated.
So taking the route of public humiliation of my victimizers is not the solution, nor can it ever be an option. Instead, as the writings of Shoghi Effendi and the Master and Bahá'u'lláh have suggested, I am charged with the tasks of extending forgiveness and of wiping out my suspicion that certain acts have been deliberately perpetuated against me because of my brown skin and kinky hair.
I have accepted to engage in a spiritual solution to racism, imploring faith, assurance and adherence to the Holy Writings. I will therefore “close my eyes to racial differences, and welcome all with the light of oneness”, for I know of no other effective way that would adequately resolve the issue.
Of course, the flip side to what I am charged to give as a person of color is that white people must give up or “abandon once and for all their usually inherent and at times subconscious sense of superiority” and “ to correct their tendency towards revealing a patronizing attitude towards the members of the other race”.
Then too I recognize that not everyone will approach the issue from a spiritual perspective, and while I may forgive and forget the past, unless my white brethren do their part, the lasting solution to the problem will continue to evade the American community.
Having a spiritual foundation and spiritual laws in which to address such issue of racial inequality is the only way that I can get through these periodic, though more constant than necessary, episodes of expressions of racial bias and attitudes of white supremacy.
Is my “Racism Radar” Just Ultra Sensitive or Is the Problem So Rampant that It Touches One Person Over and Over Again in the Work Environment and Other Areas?
Finally--and oftentimes--the victim of such acts of racism begins to question whether he or she is being overly sensitive, and may think that perhaps the suspicion of being discriminated against may not even be a valid one.
As I contemplate that scenario, my mind drifts back to Israel and my four years of volunteer religious service there. I am reminded of an incident that happened one afternoon as I was walking home, an incident in which this little Israeli boy, who I estimated could not have been any older than 10, I am reminded of the words he uttered when he saw me. Whoever tells you there is no Hebrew word for nigger has obviously never walked the streets of this Jewish nation under cover of dark skin.
It is time that this worldwide view of people of African descent that is perpetuated and exported by the American media be examined and put in a rest home, much like Billy Jo Thornton (or is it Bobby Joe) put his father in a rest home after his dad disrespected this lead actor’s black woman (Halle Berry) in the film Monster’s Ball.
The myth of Black people as lazy, shiftless and no good had to be created as a degradation technique to keep them in check during slavery, but now that slavery is no longer an economic reality, isn’t it really time to put racism to rest in a home where s/he can die a natural death?
Isn’t it really time to acknowledge what the Persian Prophet—a Man of vision Who was charged with ushering in the age of mankind’s spiritual maturity and the realization of the oneness of humankind—isn’t it time we listen to what He told us in the 1800s, namely:
“The earth is one country and mankind its citizens”The other story that comes to mind as I contemplate whether my radar is off the chain when it comes to detecting racism is a phenomenon that actually has nothing to do with racism, well almost nothing. The similarity, if any, would have to be noted that both acts occur as a result of hate, ignorance, and sometimes just plain tradition.
I refer to the issue of domestic violence (DV). In my travels, I have often found it to be quite perplexing the number of times I have lived next door or across the hall from men who physically abuse their spouses or significant others.
In the states I have encountered this problem two to three different times. In Israel, once.
So the question is whether I am ultra sensitive to the issue of DV, and that is the reason I encounter it so frequently or whether the perpetualization of the act is the reason for the sensitivity.
I would argue that racism, regrettably, is still quite prevalent in our society and abroad, and often goes unchecked. I would also argue that DV is quite prevalent in our society as well.
Leaning not to my own understanding…My letter to the agency Administrator of my ex employer asked her to give reasons for why my final performance evaluation had been altered to reflect a negative rating. It also asked that in the alternative that the rating be revised to reflect what was placed in the initial document.
It advised that if I could not find suitable employment in a reasonable amount of time due to the effects of an unjustified “not eligible for rehire” rating, that I would seek counsel to remedy the injustice.
But regardless of what the outcome is, I can rest easy in the knowledge that I made a report of the dishonesty. That I took a stand to help the agency move forward, knowing that if a man places his feet on my head and holds it there, that neither he nor I will be able to move.
Racism causes stagnation and is truly a pigment of the imagination.
So again I find myself trusting on my Father’s Word when He proclaims that
“Nothing save that which profiteth them can ever befall My loved ones…”
And to those who casually brush aside this notion of racism, white or black, thinking “Now I really don’t think this issue concerns me,” I leave you with the words of one of America’s own native sons, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who said:
“Since justice is indivisible, injustice anywhere is an affront to justice everywhere.”
This is Lo…and I gotta go.
Remember always,
“The only thing necessary for evil to flourish is that good men do nothing.” —Edmund Burke
P.S. A friend of mine called me the morning I had written this article, and I explained the circumstance under which it was conceived. I told her that while in prayer I had asked the Father why the incident had happened, and it came to me that perhaps I needed to address this all pervasive issue of racism.
My friend then recounted a comparable incident surrounding her departure from yet another state agency in another part of the country.
Unlike me, she had managed to escape the oppression without being black balled by the agency through their use of the “not in good standing” provision.
There are many stories to be told. If you’ve got one to tell, feel free to join in the discussion with a comment of your own.
PS II -- A big thanks to my friend Deb, who encouraged me to approach the issue from a spiritual perspective. What would the world be without Sisters Holding Strong, an organization dedicated to helping women be the best that they can be.
--God is Most Glorious------------------------------
1 September 05
A little update to this post.
Today I got a letter from the agency administrator. Justice has prevailed!
