Race Unity

One of the pivotal principles of the Bahá'í Faith is the unity of mankind. This principle is more than simply a statement that we are all part of the human family. It requires us to act in order to eliminate every kind of prejudice, be it racial, ethnic, national, economic, or religious. In the present age, the elimination of prejudice and the establishment of unity is vital to the development of a peaceful and just society:
 

"They that are endued with sincerity and faithfulness should associate with all the peoples and kindreds of the earth with joy and radiance, inasmuch as consorting with people hath promoted and will continue to promote unity and concord, which in turn are conducive to the maintenance of order in the world and to the regeneration of nations. Blessed are such as hold fast to the cord of kindliness and tender mercy and are free from animosity and hatred."

~ Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p36
 

Prejudice, as noted above, comes in many flavors. Here in the United States, racial prejudice has been and remains one of the most severe. Indeed, Bahá'ís consider racial prejudice to be America's "most challenging issue."  The division between black and white automatically comes to mind in this context, but in some regions other racial divisions are paramount.

Bahá'u'lláh counsels us to combat the prejudices we harbor in our hearts through association with people of all backgrounds and by remembering that God looks neither at the color of our skin nor the country of our birth nor the value of our possessions, but at what is in our hearts:
 

"O Children of Men!  Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust?  That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created."

~ Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words Arabic #68, p20
 

The steps taken by our society so far to foster racial equality have been significant, but race unity is more than racial equality. We must go farther than legal equality, farther even than equality of opportunity. We must see each other as one human family in the deepest sense.

This does not mean that we should necessarily strive for uniformity of race and culture. Diversity is a good and necessary factor in life. Bahá'u'lláh did not prescribe uniformity, but rather unity in diversity. It is this vision that Bahá'ís strive to bring to fruition.  Elaborating on this idea, 'Abdu'l-Bahá compared humanity to a flower garden, in which differences of form and color make the garden more beautiful:
 

"Consider the flowers of a garden: though differing in kind, color, form and shape, yet, inasmuch as they are refreshed by the waters of one spring, revived by the breath of one wind, invigorated by the rays of one sun, this diversity increaseth their charm, and addeth unto their beauty. Thus when that unifying force, the penetrating influence of the Word of God, taketh effect, the difference of customs, manners, habits, ideas, opinions and dispositions embellisheth the world of humanity. ... How unpleasing to the eye if all the flowers and plants, the leaves and blossoms, the fruits, the branches and the trees of that garden were all of the same shape and colour! Diversity of hues, form and shape, enricheth and adorneth the garden, and heighteneth the effect thereof. In like manner, when divers shades of thought, temperament and character, are brought together under the power and influence of one central agency, the beauty and glory of human perfection will be revealed and made manifest."

~ 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, pp291-2

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