From otherness to oneness: working toward an America free from racial prejudice.

The U.S Baha’i Office of Public Affairs works to promote racial justice and racial unity, driven by the principles of the oneness of humankind and the need to abandon all forms of prejudice. In this connection, the Office has focused on developing relationships with a variety of actors, working together to create spaces that nurture collective understanding and will to engage in challenging dialogue.

The Office also seeks to identify and distill constructive solutions to racism in the United States. We believe that racism stifles the potentialities of its victims, corrupts its perpetrators, and blights human progress. Addressing this fundamental issue requires understanding the history of racism in the United States and the mechanisms through which it lives and operates.

What is the role of religion in the elimination of racism?

At a time of heightened racial discord in the United States, we convene an ongoing dialogue with a group of religiously and racially diverse participants who are leaders and representatives from national-level groups in Washington, D.C. in hopes of creating a space for deeper consideration of the role of the faith community in promoting racial justice and unity in this country.

Because religion has historically shown an unrivaled capacity both to unite disparate peoples in a shared sense of identity and purpose and also to divide them against one another with disastrous consequences, the role of faith communities in society is critical. We also explore distinctive insights and resources the faith-based voice may have to offer for overcoming the gridlock of a national conversation on race that is increasingly defined by mistrust, entrenchment, and talking past one another.