Melting Snow

Celebrating Race Unity Day on the Second Sunday in June 2016

Jamal (Beauty), 9 Núr (Light), 173 BE - Sunday, June 12, 2016 about 7:46 AM Pacific Daylight Time

"Racism is the most challenging issue confronting America. A nation whose ancestry includes every people on earth, whose motto is E pluribus unum, whose ideals of freedom under law have inspired millions throughout the world, cannot continue to harbor prejudice against any racial or ethnic group without betraying itself."

The Vision of Race Unity1

On the Second Sunday in June we celebrate the unity of the human species. This day was began in 1957 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States to bring attention to racial prejudice.2 Racial prejudice is a barrier to world peace. Racial prejudice can be overcome if we look at it in the eyes while each individual looks within and chooses to take the step beyond his or her own fears and xenophobia.

"O Thou kind Lord! Thou hast created all humanity from the same stock. Thou hast decreed that all shall belong to the same household. In Thy Holy Presence they are all Thy servants, and all mankind are sheltered beneath Thy Tabernacle; all have gathered together at Thy Table of Bounty; all are illumined through the light of Thy Providence."

from a prayer by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá3

Today I celebrate Race Unity Day by looking into my own memories. I was born in Blackwell, Oklahoma, on December 24, at eleven minutes before midnight. Blackwell was what was called a sundown town, what that meant was that black people were not allowed to remain in town after sunset. If a black person entered Blackwell on business or to see a doctor then that person had to have his or her business completed before sunset. If the person didn't leave town before sunset then he or she was either escorted out of town or put in jail.

Because I lived in Blackwell I went to all white grade and junior (middle) schools. Between the year I left junior high and went into high school, we moved to Shawnee, Oklahoma. Shawnee high school was integrated, but not because it was the law. Shawnee was too small to have more then one high school so no matter what color your were, if you wanted to go to high school then you attended Shawnee High School.

I remember watching the "freedom" marches on television. I always thought it was weird that in order for some blacks to gain their freedom the had to march for in when the Declaration of Independence said "We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal;..."4. Obviously this country has a long way to go before every citizen believes every other citizen is created equal not matter what the other person's skin color is.

Prejudice is learned and not innate to the human individual. I have to look at my thoughts and beliefs. I have to change my learning to make sure I treat every individual as my equal. I have to focus on my spiritual beliefs so that I can overcome any prejudices I was taught as a child.

Footnotes
1  https://www.ibiblio.org/Bahai/Texts/English/The-Vision-Of-Race-Unity.html
2  http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Race+Unity+Day
3  http://www.bahaiprayers.org/mankind4.htm
4  http://context.montpelier.org/document/705?gclid=CL3b1Mnuos0CFU6Bfgodov0EpQ