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. 40)
As I watch in horror as a week of protests, in the wake of yet another black man senselessly killed by a white police officer, led to rioting and looting across America, I hear a lot of my white brothers and sisters wonder what we can do. I’m glad Shoghi Effendi has made it easy for those of us with white privilege to find a place to start. If we look at this quote as a series of steps we can take, we can examine our actions.
- make a supreme effort in their resolve to contribute their share to the solution of this problem
- abandon their usually inherent and at times subconscious sense of superiority
How can I do these things? There are many sites online giving lots of ideas. I can start there, to educate myself and find ways to change my behaviour.
- correct their tendency towards revealing a patronizing attitude towards the members of the other race
This can include deeply hurtful statements like:
- I don’t see colour.
- My best friend is black.
- All lives matter.
- There’s only one race – the human race.
- persuade them through their intimate, spontaneous and informal association with them of the genuineness of their friendship and the sincerity of their intentions
I can find ways to form genuine friendships and include them in activities.
- 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
I can let go of any expectation that they can simply just “get over it”
Knowing there are concrete steps I can take to change my behavior, instead of protesting, I am grateful!
What jumped out for you as you read today’s meditation? I’d love it if you would share so we can all expand our knowledge of the Writings!
If you liked this meditation, you might also like my book Letting Go of Anger and Bitterness
Hi
…”the white…”
…”abandon….”
…”their usually inherent and at times subconscious sense of superiority”…
One definition of inherent is: “existing as a permanent, essential or characteristic attitude.”
“This can include deeply hurtful statements like:
I don’t see colour.
My best friend is black.
All lives matter.
There’s only one race – the human race.”
Why would any of these be hurtful?
The latter 2 are surely statements all Baha’is would agree on. The first one is consistent with the dream of MLK. The second is surely not objectionable in and of itself.
I am commenting because I have liked a lot of what I have seen from you online but I don’t think identity politics and the Baha’i Faith are compatible – our true identity is not determined by our so-called race or other arbitrary characteristics but by our spiritual qualities – we are all on the same team and we should not let leftist ideology (any more than old-fashioned racism) foment discord between us.
I totally agree, Vafa. Our true identity is not determined by our so-called race but by our spiritual qualities, and I’m so grateful to have learned this from the Writings of our Faith. Nevertheless, in response to the most recent protests, we are being urged by our Institutions to have discussions about the “most vital and challenging issue” of eliminating racial prejudice both inside and outside the Baha’i community. For me, this means listening to the voices of the black people, who are telling me that these statements are hurtful and dismissive of their realities. I have found these 2 images very helpful in letting me see exactly where some of my blind spots are:
Thanks for this definition Lynne. Through the dialogues coming out of the protests, I’m discovering my own inherent attitudes, which I was blind to before, and I am grateful!
As Baha’is we are taught that indeed there is only one race, the human race: “God maketh no distinction between the white and the black. If the hearts are pure both are acceptable unto Him.” (Abdu’l-Baha, The Advent of Divine Justice). “The fundamental purpose of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh is the realization of the organic unity of the entire human race…” (Universal House of Justice, letter to all National Assemblies, July 13, 1972).
As such, saying that “you don’t see color”, or that “There’s only one race – the human race” cannot be hurtful statement unless they are used to blind yourself to the suffering of some segments of humanity.
Thanks Sebastien, See my comments to Vafa (above)
The four Apocalypse horses depict the malignant forces of Power Politics, Widespread Warfare, Economic Injustice, and Callous Selfishness. Their breeding ground…is…prejudice of race and nation, of religion, of political opinion; and the root cause of prejudice is blind imitation of the past imitation in religion, in racial attitudes, in national bias, in politics (‘Abdu’l-Baha Letter to Martha Root, SWA .) taken from Apocalypse Secrets by Dr John Able
Thanks so much for adding that, Jack. I hadn’t seen it before. “Blind imitation” really resonates with me as I explore the roots of my own sense of entitlement.
“I hope,” Abdu’l-Baha wrote to Louis Gregory, “that thou mayest become . . . the means whereby the white and colored people shall close their eyes to racial differences and behold the reality of humanity, and that is the universal unity which is the oneness of the kingdom of the human race. . . .”
So beautiful!
I agree, it’s beautiful, Sebastien. I love reading the story of Louis and Louise Gregory. They certainly didn’t have an easy life, but for sure, they broke a LOT of taboos and laid the foundation for unity and oneness.
If people don’t have time to read the book, there’s a wonderful summary of his life on Wikipedia.
I think that the above statements under discussion, such as there’s only one race, the human race, is not inherently offensive or hurtful. I think if we utter any of those statements to someone of color, it would all depend on the context and intent of making that statement, the nature of the relationship with the recipient, and the situation. In the wrong context, those statements could indeed be viewed as defensive, or dismissive and minimizing of the pain that people of color have suffered from discrimination, prejudice and oppression throughout the centuries. However, viewed within the context of the Baha’i scripture and perspective, they are only affirming, uplifting and inspiring statements intended to teach us our true reality and identity as members of One human family, created by the same One God. But still, let’s not forget, most people of color do not possess the Baha’i framework and perspective in which to interpret those potentially “hurtful” statements as totally benevolent.
I like this moderate point of view, Brook. Thank you for helping me get out of “black and white” thinking.
Dear Brook, Vafa,
Most people do not possess the Baha’i framework and perspective, it’s not just people of colour.
When black lives matter as much as white lives matter in all aspects of society, when all people of every colour are seen as equals, then we can say that there is no race but the human race.
If we want to build a truly just, equal society, the experiences people who have suffered racism, whether through the organised systems and structures of society or personal insults and attacks must be heard with humility and sincerity by those who have not lived these experiences, i.e. white or perceived white people.
Of course all lives matter, of course there is only one race. This is not the issue. When we say ‘but there is only one race’ and ‘all lives matter’ we are showing our ignorance and disregard for the reality of pervasive and pernicious racism that riddles, dare I say, every society and nationality on this earth.
I say again, it is our duty as inheritors of white privilege – even if we are not of European decent – to humbly and sincerely listen to those who live under the menace of racism, to make inventory of our own unconscious biases and strive day-by-day to change them, and to challenge those biases and prejudices written into societal systems.
There is more shame in denying racism, in denying our own prejudices than there is in recognising our mistakes. We must endeavour to educate ourselves and others so that we can eliminate all forms of prejudice for good.
Apologies for the long message.
Thank you Susan for your ever humble, sincere, loving, spiritual, thoughtful contributions and great, great service!
Thanks for such a loving, kind, caring response, Taraneh! I agree with everything you said.