About

In 2017 the U.S. Bahá’í Office of Public Affairs, in collaboration with the Peace and Justice Studies Program and the Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies at the Catholic University of America, began hosting a Dialogue among faith-based actors with the aim of addressing racism. At a time of heightened racial discord in the United States, we convened 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. Faith groups work to address racism in different ways, such as service, community building, advocacy, and policy. The Dialogue focused primarily on the level of thought, recognizing that though we must change structures and behavior, if we do not also change our thought, we cannot fully address racism.

Because religion has historically shown an unrivaled capacity to unite disparate peoples in a shared sense of identity and purpose, even though at times it has been perverted to divide people against one another with disastrous consequences, the role of faith communities in society is critical. What is more, the faith-based voice may offer distinctive insights and resources for overcoming the gridlock of a national conversation on racism increasingly defined by mistrust, entrenchment, and talking past one another. Although this Dialogue took place primarily among individuals who belong to communities of faith, the hope was that their insights, arising from religious thought and life, would be relevant and resonant in the broader conversations taking place in society beyond religious spaces.[...]

Dialogue participants identified with different racialized and religious groups and had a robust exchange of ideas. But just as important were the relationships they formed and the support they provided each other regarding the challenging work they were all involved with. The aim was to build capacity among participants to engage in what were at times difficult conversations, and to facilitate similar efforts with others. The group learned through experience the importance of creative and constructive responses that can foster understanding and love when tensions arise. For example, once, when a challenging moment that threatened to disrupt the process occurred between two participants, the group decided to visit a few museums together to gain a shared understanding of the diverse narratives that informed the varied experiences of the group. This greatly enriched the Dialogue process, deepening bonds of trust and connection. The group also developed the practice of having a meal together at meetings and starting conversation sessions with an “open forum,” a time and opportunity for participants to share what was in their hearts. All these initiatives helped create a distinctive space where, even though individuals were coming together as professionals, their conversations involved and impacted their personal and religious lives. Participants became supports and resources for each other, and through doing the work they built community.

In this spirit of learning, the conversations were framed by a series of discussion papers that the group would read and respond to. The papers were prepared by the Office, building on themes and questions that emerged in the conversations, responding to the evolving discourse on racism in America, and drawing on insights from the teachings of the Baháʼí Faith and the experience of Bahá’í community.

After five years, the Office decided to distill the salient insights from the conversations and explore them with an even larger group at a summit of Dialogue participants and others from their networks. Drawing on the discussion papers, as well as notes from the sessions, a summary document was drafted and refined in consultation with the Dialogue participants. The aim was to articulate a truly multifaith perspective, one based not on the lowest common denominator of ideas, but on a stronger religious and spiritual perspective that resonated with all the participants.

One of the most heartening aspects of the Dialogue was learning that the materials developed were being used by individuals and organizations to create new spaces for conversation on the role of religion and the faith community in eliminating racism at the local level, and to good effect. For example, the discussion papers served as the foundation for an interfaith dialogue in Charlotte, North Carolina and as part of a community conversation series on race in a neighborhood in Southern California. This unexpected but encouraging development demonstrated the broader utility of these materials, further prompting us to make them more widely available.

Thus, as the Office continues engaging the national discourse on overcoming racism, we feel this summary document could be useful to others interested in the role of faith communities in eliminating racism, including those who might want to convene similar discussion spaces. This document can be used as a standalone piece, although we recommend it be used together with the description of discussion parameters and an introductory note — both of which were refined over the course of the Dialogue. The discussion papers, have, in the spirit of the Dialogue, been refined to reflect insights accrued from the Dialogue and from the Office’s ongoing learning process.

As these materials reflect a multifaith voice, an addendum has been included that offers more directly reflections on eliminating racism from the perspective of the Office for those who might be interested.

We offer this website and a related book as a tool to support the arduous, consequential, and sacred work of bringing diverse people together in profound conversation in order to contribute to the evolution of thought and action so necessary for constructive change. We hope this will inspire, support, and encourage anyone who wants to pursue this aim.