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    ‘The Brave Ones’: Exploring Untold Stories of Solidarity

    By
    Tony Ramos
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    Set in the 1940s American Southwest, Michael Orona’s novel “The Brave Ones” shines a light on an important but lesser-known chapter of American history. Through the shared struggles of Indigenous Yaqui miners and African Americans, this story explores the untold partnerships of resilience, unity, and solidarity in the pursuit of racial equality and justice. 

    As Abdu’l-Baha, one of the central figures of the Baha’i Faith, said at a talk in Colorado in 1912:

    The stronger the ties of fellowship and solidarity amongst men, the greater will be the power of constructiveness and accomplishment in all the planes of human activity.

    Drawing from his Apache and Yaqui heritage, an extensive career in foreign policy and advocacy for the rights of Indigenous people, and the Baha’i teachings, Michael Orona’s insights highlight the relevance of these stories for today. 

    Michael Orona

    Radiance Talley: Hi, Michael! Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions with such detail and depth. What inspired you to set “The Brave Ones” in the 1940s American Southwest? How does this time and place shape the story’s themes of collaboration and resistance? 

    Michael Orona: Set in the American Southwest during the 1940s, “The Brave Ones” offers a unique Native American perspective on the struggle for equality and social justice. Rampant social and racial discrimination offered little opportunity for a recently arrived community of Indigenous Yaqui miners from Sonora, Mexico. However, members of this community had the courage to challenge the status quo and forge a new way of life through an unintentional partnership with African Americans. The story offers a unique Indigenous perspective in the struggle for equity, social justice, and racial integration that has long been forgotten or ignored.   

    The setting was chosen because of the critical period that represented a complex intersection of Native American, Latino, and Anglo cultures, with deep-rooted systems of profound racial tension and discrimination, particularly for Indigenous peoples. This era provided a powerful backdrop to explore the themes of a shared humanity, resistance, and collaborative struggles that are central to the book. 

    Stories about Indigenous peoples are often confined to the 1800s due to longstanding stereotypes, historical biases, and the way history has traditionally been taught and represented in popular culture. The “vanishing Indian” stereotype ignores the survival, resilience, and adaption of Native peoples, perpetuating the idea that we belong only to the past. The setting was also chosen to educate readers of the important contributions made by Indigenous peoples prior to the civil rights movement. 

    RELATED: From Media to Movies: Addressing Native American Stereotypes

    This period in American history represented a crucible of racial dynamics — a place where discrimination was explicit and brutal, but also where the seeds of resistance and mutual understanding could take root. The Indigenous community of Yaqui miners that is central to the book, fled from Sonora, Mexico to the United States to escape extreme social and racial barriers. However, in the United States, they were essentially trapped in a system that offered little opportunity beyond dangerous labor in the copper mines and a lack of educational opportunities for their children.  By setting the story in this specific time and place, I wanted to illuminate a powerful, often-forgotten chapter of American history where marginalized communities found strength in unity.

    Also, the 1940s represented a pivotal moment in our nation’s history as that era served as a crucial precursor to the Civil Rights Movement, making the setting an ideal lens to examine these themes. During World War II, large numbers of Native Americans and African Americans volunteered to serve their country in the fight against tyranny abroad, yet systemic racism and segregation at home persisted. This contradiction is a theme also explored in the book.  

    I am a product of a long line of Native American storytellers and artists. The book draws directly from personal and family experiences, particularly stories shared by my Yaqui grandfather and elders about the challenges they faced during that era. The book is based on the struggle for dignity and respect shared with me by my elders and others of that generation. 

    RELATED: Finding Strength and Unity: Native American Proverbs About Life

    Moreover, this period resonates deeply with universal principles of the oneness of humanity and justice that have guided my work. The story becomes not just a historical account, but a testament to the transformative power of recognizing our shared humanity, even, or especially, in the most challenging circumstances. 

    Radiance: Can you share more about the historical relationship between Indigenous Yaqui miners and African Americans? How did their experiences of discrimination intersect?

    Michael: The experiences of Indigenous peoples and African Americans not only in the 1940s, but throughout history, are deeply interconnected through shared experiences of systemic discrimination and oppression. Both communities faced brutal marginalization yet found strength in solidarity — a theme explored in the book and a passion of mine that I find time to underscore in public talks and presentations.  

    For the Indigenous Yaqui community portrayed in the book, life in the American Southwest was defined by limited opportunities. They were essentially trapped due to limitations imposed upon them by a racist system. However, they had the courage to challenge the status quo and forge a new way of life. This mirrors the experiences of African Americans during the same period — albeit that took place largely in another region of the country — constrained by racist systems that limited economic mobility and freedom. 

    What fascinated me was the potential for unexpected solidarity. The book explores how Indigenous and African American communities, both experiencing systemic oppression, could forge an unintentional partnership to challenge the status quo. This wasn’t theoretical solidarity. It was practical, lived cooperation in the face of systemic racism. Both groups understood intimately how discriminatory systems worked to suppress their potential, and they recognized that collaboration offered the best path forward.  They recognized their shared humanity. A lived reality that has been largely overlooked in American historical narratives but is central to the history of this country.

    The book, “The Brave Ones,” isn’t just a historical account. It’s a testament to human resilience, to the power of recognizing our shared humanity even, and especially, when systems are designed to divide us.

    Radiance: As you know, the Baha’i Faith emphasizes the unity of humanity, the elimination of racial prejudice, and the spiritual roles of the standard bearers and the pupil of the eye. How did these teachings influence your depiction of the partnership between Indigenous people and African Americans in “The Brave Ones”? Are there specific Baha’i quotes or principles that guided your writing?

    Michael: The Baha’i teachings and its universal principles were fundamental to me writing “The Brave Ones.” The principles of the Faith weren’t just background — they were the heartbeat of the narrative.

    One of the most powerful guiding principles came from Abdu’l-Baha’s profound statement:

    Attach great importance to the Indigenous population of America…should they be educated and guided, there can be no doubt that they will become so illumined as to enlighten the whole world.

    This quote deeply influenced how I approached the creation of the Indigenous characters in the book — not as victims, but as resilient sources of profound wisdom and transformation.

    The “pupil of the eye” metaphor was particularly transformative in my development of the African American characters. The pupil is the source of light — not just for the eye, but for humanity. Both powerful quotes recognize the unique historical witness of the members of these two powerful communities. Indigenous peoples and African Americans have endured tremendous suffering, which has cultivated an extraordinary sensitivity to oppression and a deep capacity for empathy and social justice.

    RELATED: The Pupil of the Eye: A Cosmic Hole to Unleash Black Girl Magic

    The 2020 letter from the Universal House of Justice was another crucial inspiration. The letter underscores that racism “deprives a portion of humanity of the opportunity to cultivate and express the full range of their capability and to live a meaningful and flourishing life.” This guided my narrative approach, showing how systemic racism constrains human potential, but also how solidarity can break those constraints.

    Another pivotal Baha’i principle I wove throughout the book is the concept of the “two wings” — that humanity can only truly progress when women and men are equal. I use this as an analogy for racial unity as well. Just as a bird cannot fly with one weak wing, society cannot advance while entire communities are marginalized. 

    Shoghi Effendi’s powerful directive from “The Advent of Divine Justice” was always in my mind: Every Baha’i community should feel it their “first and inescapable obligation to nurture, encourage, and safeguard every minority.” This isn’t a theoretical principle for me, but a lived commitment to amplifying voices that have been historically silenced.

    The Faith’s approach of “constructive resistance” was crucial. This isn’t about opposing or fighting, but about transforming through unity, dialogue, education, collaboration, and mutual understanding. My characters don’t just resist — they create alternative possibilities through cooperation and a shared vision.

    Baha’u’llah’s revolutionary message was about more than reform — it was about radical reimagining. His teachings didn’t just challenge racial superiority — they disintegrated those notions entirely. My book attempts to show not just the pain of discrimination, but the transformative power of recognizing our shared humanity.

    Ultimately, “The Brave Ones” is my humble attempt to put these Baha’i principles into narrative form — to show how all communities around the world can transcend historical divisions and create something miraculous together.

    Radiance: How did you develop the characters in “The Brave Ones” to authentically reflect the struggles and triumphs of Indigenous peoples and African Americans during that time?

    Michael: Developing the characters for “The Brave Ones” was intensely personal and deeply rooted in research, investigation, and conversations with individuals and living family members that witnessed this period of history. My approach was rooted in honoring the lived experiences of my ancestors, my grandparents, my elders, and members of the broader Indigenous and African American community.

    First and foremost, I drew from family stories, historical narratives, and my own lived experience growing up in the Southwest. Being from a long line of Native American storytellers — my late father, Dr. Joel Orona, was an Apache author and poet, and my mother, Esther Orona, is of Yaqui heritage who both went through their own trials and tribulations — I had a wealth of generational narratives to draw upon. The characters aren’t fictional constructs, but composites of real people, even family members, who lived through extraordinary times.

    I was intentional about avoiding stereotypical representations. Too often, Indigenous and African American characters are relegated to supporting roles or simplified narratives. I wanted to put Indigenous peoples at the forefront of telling our own stories. This meant creating multidimensional characters with agency, complexity, and inner lives.

    More importantly, I wasn’t interested in creating a narrative of pure victimhood. I wanted the Indigenous and African American characters to demonstrate incredible courage, creativity, and resilience. They challenge the status quo not through grand, Hollywood-style moments, but through daily acts of dignity, solidarity, and hope. 

    I also felt it was important to underscore the internal struggles of characters navigating multiple identities. Life in the Southwestern United States during the 1940s was a complex landscape of racial discrimination, and my characters reflect the nuanced ways people survived and resisted. They’re not just fighting external oppression, but also wrestling with questions of identity, belonging, and possibility. I must say, I appreciate the positive response I have received from members of these communities on how the characters are portrayed in the book.  

    Every character carries the weight of historical trauma, but also the potential for transformation. They embody what Abdul-Baha spoke about — the possibility of being “illumined” and potentially “enlightening the whole world.”

    Ultimately, developing these characters was an act of love — love for my ancestors, for the communities that have been marginalized, and for the potential of human beings to transcend the systems that seek to divide us.  

    Radiance: Why do you think the partnership between Indigenous peoples and African Americans has been largely overlooked in American history, and what do you hope your novel achieves in addressing this gap?

    Michael: This is a question that’s deeply personal and critically important to me.

    Indigenous peoples and African Americans have been forged by historical hardships in this country. Members of both communities have had to transcend unspeakable tragedy and indescribable suffering. This includes the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, forced displacement, assimilation, and genocide.  

    Consider the historical context. From the 1830s to 1850s, when Native Americans were being forcibly removed from their traditional lands through the Indian Removal Act, African Americans were simultaneously being enslaved to produce the cotton on the same Indigenous land that fueled America’s economic rise. These weren’t separate histories — they were interconnected systems of oppression. 

    But there is also a powerful shared humanity — a historical intersection that I have shared in previous presentations. There are numerous historical intersections between Black and Native peoples that have led to groundbreaking collaboration, innovation, and new perspectives that have been ignored, forgotten, or erased to our own detriment. Keeping these communities from recognizing their shared humanity was a deliberate strategy of colonial and post-colonial power structures.

    If humanity is to achieve its full potential, then every individual and support from all members of society are needed to overcome this vital and challenging issue. It’s important to underscore that preventing a segment of humanity from expressing or achieving its full capability is detrimental to the rest of society.

    My novel aims to do several critical things: First, it makes visible a history that has been intentionally obscured. By putting Indigenous peoples at the center of the narrative, I’m challenging the typical marginalization of these communities in American storytelling. Second, I want to demonstrate the power of collective resistance and collaboration between two important communities — Indigenous peoples and African Americans. The characters in “The Brave Ones” don’t just suffer; they create alternative possibilities through cooperation and a shared vision. Third, I hope to inspire contemporary conversations about collaboration and the oneness of humanity. As James Baldwin powerfully said, “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read.” 

    The Baha’i principle of unity deeply informs this approach. We are not separate — we are interconnected. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, “A person is a person because they recognize others as persons.”

    My goal is not just to tell a historical story, but to create a bridge of understanding. By revealing these hidden histories of collaboration, I hope to inspire current and future generations to recognize our shared humanity and work together for justice and equality.

    This isn’t just a book — it’s an invitation to see our history, and ourselves, differently.

    Radiance: Thank you for sharing your inspiration behind “The Brave Ones” and the historical importance of unearthing this shared journey of Indigenous and African Americans. If you all enjoyed this interview, be sure to check out part two where we’ll explore how the characters embody this transformative courage and challenge systemic oppression while holding onto their dignity and hope!

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    Geledés: How Afro Brazilians Are Combatting Racism

    By
    Tony Ramos
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    A quote often attributed to James Baldwin expresses a profound truth, “To be African American is to be African without any memory and American without any privilege.”

    African Americans endure systemic and institutionalized racism as people of African descent, while also not being able to identify with any specific ancestral country — and hold on to the language, culture, and heritage that comes with it — because the passing down of these ancestral roots was forbidden in slavery.

    Initially, I thought this experience was unique to the African American community. However, after speaking with two Afro Latinas — Black women in Brazil who are leading powerful efforts to advocate for Afro-Brazilian rights — I realized that the oppression and cultural homicide for those of us who descend from enslaved Africans is universal across the Americas.

    The Racism and Sexism That Black Women in Brazil Face

    Despite 56 percent of Brazilians identifying as Black — the largest population of African descent outside of Africa — Blackness in Brazil is still often linked to inferiority.

    RELATED: How MLK Sought to Restore Dignity to Black People

    Carolina Almeida, a philosopher, internationalist, and political scientist, shared that as children, they are raised with the understanding that the farther they are away from Blackness, the greater the person they are going to be.

    She says, “So, identifying as a Black woman or as a Black man in Brazil is a great step, actually a great social and, also, emotional step to be achieved, because we are constantly being persuaded by everything around us that being Black is bad, it’s ugly, it’s not interesting.”

    Carolina Almeida

    In a 2022 letter to the Baha’is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Universal House of Justice, the globally elected governing council of the Baha’i Faith, discussed how this “crisis of identity is directly related to the spread of prejudice.”

    Leticia Leobet, a social scientist specializing in anthropology, added:

    In terms of my daily life as a Brazilian, the impact of racism added to misogyny is notable. And more than in my daily life, it has an impact on the construction of [my] self, my inner identity. So, it is an action that devoids you from any perspective of [the] future — who you want to be, what you want to do, and how you see yourself in the world. So you lose all that. We are forged in a way that we don’t believe in our potential, in our capacities.

    Leticia LeobetLeticia Leobet
    Leticia Leobet

    Her experience echoes the insights shared by the Universal House of Justice in a 2020 letter to the Baha’is of the United States, which emphasized how racism suppresses individuals’ abilities to realize their full potential:

    Racism is a profound deviation from the standard of true morality. It deprives a portion of humanity of the opportunity to cultivate and express the full range of their capability and to live a meaningful and flourishing life, while blighting the progress of the rest of humankind.

    Carolina says, “For us Black women in Brazil, especially, we are always hitting this glass ceiling because you can see, but you cannot achieve” due to “social and political barriers.”

    These challenges prevent many from pursuing professions like becoming physicians or engineers, and, as she noted, “In Brazil, the Black women have been at the [bottom] of the social pyramid since slavery.” 

    Stepping into leadership roles in politics is particularly difficult, and this struggle is so ingrained that it affects their mindset, limiting their ability to envision themselves in positions of power. Carolina says, “I would never have imagined I would be working inside the UN [United Nations]…and the Baha’i International Community has helped us a lot on this path.”

    How Geledés Advocates for Afro Brazilians

    Carolina represents Geledés – Instituto da Mulher Negra in the United Nations’ periodic review mechanisms and the G20, while Leticia serves as an international advisor for the organization. Founded by Black women in 1988, Geledés is a Brazilian non-governmental organization that combats racism and sexism in all its forms while ensuring equal access to rights and opportunities for people of African descent.

    In September 2022, Geledés was granted consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), enabling the organization to access various human rights mechanisms and special events. Since obtaining this status, Geledés has been able to independently produce shadow reports requested by UN committees, focusing specifically on the urgent needs of women and girls of African descent in Brazil, who face the harshest violations. These detailed reports assess the current situation and offer recommendations for actions the Brazilian government should take. Notably, many of these recommendations have been integrated into the official guidance provided by UN committees to Brazil.

    Geledés tackles a variety of critical issues, including hunger and poverty, violence against people of African descent, the mass incarceration of Black people, public health disparities, economic crises, climate change, and religious freedom. Additionally, the organization highlights the significant problem of violence against women and girls of African descent within the Public Health System. The UN often cites the data collected by Geledés to advocate for the Brazilian government to take action against femicide.

    RELATED: Over 90,000 Black Women and Girls Are Missing and Forgotten

    Geledés is mentored by Iradj Eghrari, an international consultant and former member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Brazil. As a Baha’i, Iradj recognizes that Geledés’ goals align with one of the missions of the Baha’i Faith, which is to be “an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression.” He expresses his support, stating, “Religion is converting your spiritual principles into action.”

    Iradj EghrariIradj Eghrari
    Iradj Eghrari

    How Everyone Can Help Eradicate Misogynoir

    As we think of how we can eradicate misogynoir, this intersectionality of racism and sexism that is wounding Black women in Brazil and across the globe, let’s call to mind the following words from the Universal House of Justice: 

    To distrust, fear, hate, or discriminate against another person or a whole group on the basis of ethnicity is a spiritual disease. It is also a scourge that infects social structures and causes instability. In this light, eradicating ethnic prejudice requires transformation at the level of both the individual and the social environment.

    At the individual level, Iradj says “we have to empower women of African descent to recognize their potential.” This empowerment is “not a question of just giving some tools,” it’s embracing, loving, and being there for them. At the level of the social environment, Iradj expresses the need for us “to have policies established” and change “racist structures.”

    He continued, “So what I can do as an individual is to implement action. This thought of: how can I be of service to another human being?”

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    7 Powerful Prayers for Help From God

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    Tony Ramos
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    Prayer is the sweetest state in the world. Through prayer, we converse and commune with the Architect of the Universe — our Creator who knows us better than we know ourselves. 

    RELATED: 6 Tips for Your Daily Prayers

    Reciting and meditating on the verses of God can refresh, inspire, and heal your body, mind, and soul. Whether you’re experiencing sorrow, crises, or calamities, these powerful Baha’i prayers for help from God can uplift, guide, and assist you when you are in need.

    RELATED: 6 Powerful Prayers for Safety and Protection

    1. A Short Prayer to Ask God for Help During Difficulty

    This short, but powerful, prayer is likely one of the most known and recited prayers by Baha’is around the world. The Bab, the forerunner and herald of Baha’u’llah, the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith, revealed this prayer for us to ask God for help in times of difficulty:

    Is there any Remover of difficulties save God?  Say: Praised be God!  He is God!  All are His servants, and all abide by His bidding!

    2. A Short Prayer Asking for Help and Guidance

    Regardless of what problems we are facing, this short, powerful prayer asks God for help, guidance, and inspiration. Baha’u’llah wrote:

    In regard to his affairs, let him repeat nineteen times:

    ‘Thou seest me, O my God, detached from all save Thee and cleaving unto Thee. Guide me, then, in all mine affairs unto that which profiteth me for the glory of Thy Cause and the loftiness of the station of Thy loved ones.’

    Let him then reflect upon the matter and undertake whatever cometh to mind. This vehement opposition of the enemies will indeed give way to supreme prosperity.

    3. A Prayer for Aid and Assistance

    This has always been one of my favorite Baha’i prayers for aid and assistance. Baha’u’llah beautifully illustrated our journey to be closer to God through these holy words:

    O Thou Whose face is the object of my adoration, Whose beauty is my sanctuary, Whose habitation is my goal, Whose praise is my hope, Whose providence is my companion, Whose love is the cause of my being, Whose mention is my solace, Whose nearness is my desire, Whose presence is my dearest wish and highest aspiration, I entreat Thee not to withhold from me the things Thou didst ordain for the chosen ones among Thy servants. Supply me, then, with the good of this world and of the next.

    Thou, truly, art the King of all men. There is no God but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

    4. A Prayer Asking God to Help Just Governments

    Abdu’l-Baha, the son of Baha’u’llah and the authorized interpreter of the Baha’i writings, revealed this prayer, asking God to help every just government that protects the poor and weak:

    O my God! O Thou Who endowest every just power and equitable dominion with abiding glory and everlasting might, with permanence and stability, with constancy and honour! Aid Thou by Thy heavenly grace every government that acteth justly towards its subjects and every sovereign authority, derived from Thee, that shieldeth the poor and the weak under the banner of its protection.

    I beseech Thee, by Thy divine grace and surpassing bounty, to aid this just government, the canopy of whose authority is spread over vast and mighty lands and the evidences of whose justice are apparent in its prosperous and flourishing regions. Assist, O my God, its hosts, raise aloft its ensigns, bestow influence upon its word and its utterance, protect its lands, increase its honour, spread its fame, reveal its signs, and unfurl its banner through Thine all-subduing power and Thy resplendent might in the kingdom of creation.

    Thou, verily, aidest whomsoever Thou willest, and Thou, verily, art the Almighty, the Most Powerful.

    5. A Prayer for Help in Fulfilling Our Hopes

    In this prayer that Abdu’l-Baha revealed, we ask for divine grace and blessings, imploring God to help us achieve what we have hoped for:

    O God! Grant Thy favour, and bestow Thy blessing. Vouchsafe Thy grace, and give a portion of Thy bounty. Enable these men to witness during this year the fulfilment of their hopes. Send down Thy heavenly rain, and provide Thy plenteousness and abundance. Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty.

    6. A Prayer for Help With Serving Humanity

    Baha’u’llah revealed this prayer to assist us in becoming steadfast in our faith and service to humanity:

    O my God! O my God! I testify that this is Thy Day which hath been mentioned in Thy Books, Thy Epistles, Thy Psalms and Thy Tablets. In it Thou hast manifested that which was hidden in Thy Knowledge and stored up in the repositories of Thine unfailing protection. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the world, by Thy Most Great Name whereby the limbs of the people were shaken, to assist Thy servants and Thy handmaidens to become steadfast in Thy Cause and to arise in Thy service.

    Verily, Thou art potent to do whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all things. Thou protectest whomsoever Thou willest through Thy Power and Dominion. And verily, Thou art the Almighty, the All-Subduing, the Most Powerful.

    7. A Prayer for Assistance in Becoming Strengthened and United

    This prayer by Abdu’l-Baha implores God to strengthen, unite, and “lead us to the well-spring of Life”:

    O Thou divine Providence, pitiful are we, grant us Thy succour; homeless wanderers, give us Thy shelter; scattered, do Thou unite us; astray, gather us to Thy fold; bereft, do Thou bestow upon us a share and portion; athirst, lead us to the well-spring of Life; frail, strengthen us that we may arise to help Thy Cause and offer ourselves as a living sacrifice in the pathway of guidance.

    As Abdu’l-Baha wrote:

    O thou who art turning thy face towards God! Close thine eyes to all things else, and open them to the realm of the All-Glorious. Ask whatsoever thou wishest of Him alone; seek whatsoever thou seekest from Him alone.

    With a look He granteth a hundred thousand hopes, with a glance He healeth a hundred thousand incurable ills, with a nod He layeth balm on every wound, with a glimpse He freeth the hearts from the shackles of grief. He doeth as He doeth, and what recourse have we? He carrieth out His Will, He ordaineth what He pleaseth. Then better for thee to bow down thy head in submission, and put thy trust in the All-Merciful Lord.

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    Sarah Farmer: A Life Sacrificed for Peace

    By
    Tony Ramos
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    I vividly remember all my trips to Green Acre: A Baha’i Center of Learning. 

    I remember watching the peace flag flutter outside in the wind, and I remember praying each morning in the room where Abdu’l-Baha, one of the central figures of the Baha’i Faith, stayed when he visited. While there, I called to mind his wish for all of us that he expressed more than a century ago:

    I want you to be happy in Green Acre, to laugh, smile and rejoice in order that others may be made happy by you. I will pray for you.

    Early Baha’is Horace Holley and Louise Boyle described Green Acre as “a tract of some two hundred acres, situated along the banks of the Piscataqua River in Eliot, Maine, only four miles up from the sea, and opposite the historic city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. On this tract, and also round about the countryside, are magnificent pine groves; the combination of river, sea, pines and sunswept rolling farm lands making an environment of unsurpassed charm and healthfulness.”

    Every time I participated in a program at Green Acre, I met so many Baha’is from around the country. Then, I had not yet known about the sacrificial visionary who is the reason that the center existed. Her name is Sarah Jane Farmer.

    A Photo of Sarah Farmer, Courtesy of the Bahá’í World News Service

    Sarah Farmer’s Family and Early Life

    Sarah Farmer was born on July 21, 1847, to parents Moses Gerrish Farmer and Hannah Tobey Shapleigh Farmer. 

    Moses Gerrish FarmerMoses Gerrish Farmer
    Moses Gerrish Farmer

    Her father, Moses, was a manufacturer and inventor of over 130 inventions, including the first electric railway car and the first electric fire alarm system. Her mother, Hannah, was a prominent philanthropist, abolitionist, and feminist who founded Rosemary Cottage in 1888, a summer retreat in Eliot, Maine, for unwed and weary mothers and their children to regain their health and recover from the effects of inner-city pollution. 

    Hannah Tobey Shapleigh Farmer. Hannah Tobey Shapleigh Farmer. 
    Hannah Tobey Shapleigh Farmer

    Moses and Hannah set a great example for their daughter of being the change they wanted to see in the world. At a time when chattel slavery was legal in the U.S., they opened their home as a way station on the Underground Railroad. Sarah grew up knowing influential writers, abolitionists, and activists like Harriet Beecher Stowe, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman — connections that helped Sarah understand the importance of working for social justice and world peace.

    The Beginning of Green Acre: A Center for Peace

    In 1890, Sarah partnered with four businessmen to open an inn in Eliot. Their goal was to provide a quiet retreat for those seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and relax in a serene environment. However, since Eliot was six miles from the sea, they failed to attract the tourists who visited York Beach nearby, and the enterprise failed. So, Sarah proposed that they use the inn for lectures and founded the “Green Acre Conferences.” 

    “Green Acre was established for the purpose of bringing together all who were looking earnestly toward the New Day which seemed to be breaking over the entire world,” Sarah declared. “The motive was to find the Truth, the Reality, underlying all religious forms, and to make points of contact in order to promote the unity necessary for the ushering in of the coming Day of God.”

    At the dedication of the conferences in 1894, Sarah raised the world’s first known peace flag, saying, “In looking for an emblem, we wanted something that would be a call to everybody and fit everybody and we felt that the Message that had been brought to the world by prophet after prophet was the message of ‘Peace.’ So we have put on a large banner over our heads: PEACE.”

    A photo of Green Acre’s current peace flag in 2015, Courtesy of Radiance Talley

    Although they had many well-known speakers like Dr. George Washington Carver and Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois, and the conferences were well-attended with people from around the world of different cultural and religious backgrounds, Sarah insisted that the programs at Green Acre be free to all and assumed full financial responsibility for everything. Her business partners were not happy with her refusal to turn Green Acre into a corporation. 

    She wrote, “The moment that a corporation gains possession, the Spirit of Green Acre is gone.” Her business partners planned to force her to sell the property at their meeting in December 1899 but were surprised to learn that Sarah had left to take a trip.

    How Sarah Farmer Learned About the Baha’i Faith

    In 1900, Sarah and her best friend sailed from New York to Egypt. They met two other friends on board who, they discovered, were secretly traveling from Egypt to meet Abdu’l-Baha, who was held as a prisoner of conscience in the Ottoman penal colony of ‘Akká, Palestine (now present-day Israel). Sarah asked to join them, and when she returned to the United States, she was excited to share that she was a member of the Baha’i Faith — a Faith centered around oneness — one God, one human race, and one unfolding revelation.

    Years later, after Abdu’l-Baha was freed, he gave talks at Green Acre and said:

    This is a delightful spot; the scenery is beautiful, and an atmosphere of spirituality haloes everything. In the future, God willing, Green Acre shall become a great center, the cause of the unity of the world of humanity, the cause of uniting hearts and binding together the East and the West. This is my hope.

    He later shared that the purpose of the Green Acre Conferences “must be the furtherance of universal peace, investigation of reality, brotherhood, tolerance, sympathy to all mankind, the cultivation of a better understanding between the nations of the world, the elimination of dogmas and superficialities, the illumination of the hearts with the light of truth, mutual assistance and co-operation, social service, the study of the fundamental principles of all the religions and their comparative co-ordination.”

    The Backlash Sarah Farmer Received

    Sadly, some people were not happy that Sarah became a Baha’i and planned to build a university and a second Bahá’í House of Worship at Green Acre. Some relatives were reportedly upset that Sarah was leaving her property to the Baha’is in her will, and special interest groups feared that her new religion might restrict their freedom at Green Acre. 

    The New England press turned against her, and The Portsmouth Herald made false and slanderous statements about the Baha’i Faith, referring to the world religion as “a Persian cult” that Sarah was “obsessed” with. During a time when women expressing strong emotions, like religious exultation, were often dismissed as “hysterical” and subjected to psychological scrutiny and testing, she was later imprisoned in a private sanitarium for many years based on the assumption that she had lost her sanity. 

    She was under the control of Dr. Edward S. Cowles, who heavily drugged, isolated, and administered electroshock therapy to his patients, screened her correspondence, forbade her family visits, and kept her locked up behind bars as battles for control over Sarah and her property ensued. 

    In 1912, Abdu’l-Baha managed to arrange a visit with Sarah and take her on a ride to Green Acre under the watchful eye of Dr. Cowles, who joined them in the car. Dr. Cowles sat in the front seat of the automobile on Tuesday, August 20, 1912, vigilantly guarding against any attempt by the Green Acre crowd to liberate Miss Farmer from his control. An eyewitness reported that Abdu’l-Baha told Sarah, “This is hallowed ground made so by your vision and sacrifice.”

    A photo of Sarah Farmer with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá along the road above the Green Acre grounds on Tuesday, August 20, 1912A photo of Sarah Farmer with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá along the road above the Green Acre grounds on Tuesday, August 20, 1912
    A photo of Sarah Farmer with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá along the road above the Green Acre grounds on Tuesday, August 20, 1912

    The Baha’is were eventually able to obtain a warrant for Sarah’s release. According to another eyewitness account in the local newspaper, “officers wrapped Miss Farmer in blankets and carried her down the stairs. When Dr. Cowles again locked the door and pocketed the key, officers pinned him against the wall. Cowles then tried to prevent the officers from putting his patient in a car, but was again restrained by the police.”

    After she was rescued from that traumatic experience and was able to return home, she collapsed four months later while walking through her family cemetery and passed away at age 69.

    The Legacy of Green Acre

    The inn that Sarah opened in 1890 is now called the Sarah Farmer Inn, one of the many buildings at Green Acre: A Baha’i Center of Learning. 

    In “The Bahá’í World Volume II,” Horace Holley and Louise Boyle wrote:

    Green Acre exists entirely to serve these awakening souls of the new day. Green Acre will serve them first of all by using their capacities at their best, kindled by the vision of what remains to be done in the spot blessed by Miss Farmer’s life and work. Green Acre will draw them out of themselves, teach them the laws and principles of unity and reveal hidden sources of conviction and joy. For a day, for a week, for a season, for a lifetime, Green Acre needs workers — but Green Acre will give more than she takes.

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    From Media to Movies: Addressing Native American Stereotypes

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    Tony Ramos
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    On November 7, The Washington Post reported, “The FBI and authorities in several states are investigating racist text messages sent to Black people nationwide this week saying they would be brought to plantations to work as enslaved people and pick cotton.”

    This recent rise in proud, hateful intimidation tactics reminds me of a racist sign that was waved at a 2020 rally that left the news anchor in shock. The disturbing handwritten poster read: “Coming for Blacks and Indians first…”

    RELATED: 5 Abolitionists Who Show Us What White Allyship Looks Like

    Thinking about all this hate against the two most historically oppressed racial demographics in our nation’s history brings tears to my eyes. Sadly, I’m not surprised that, as the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States wrote, “​​racism continues to work its evil upon this nation.”  In “The Vision of Race Unity” in 1991, they stated:

    The recent resurgence of divisive racial attitudes, the increased number of racial incidents, and the deepening despair of minorities and the poor make the need for solutions ever more pressing and urgent. To ignore the problem is to expose the country to physical, moral and spiritual danger.

    I’ve written articles about the stereotypes fueling misogynoir, and in this article, I’m focusing on the stereotypes driving anti-Indigeneity. After all, aren’t stereotypes the fallacies behind prejudice? I’m grateful to share the perspectives of Native American Baha’i friends on this important matter.

    RELATED: How Chief Sitting Bull’s Great-Great-Granddaughter Became the First Lakota Baha’i

    Native American Stereotypes in Media, TV Shows, and Movies

    Medicine Eagle, a practicing holistic healthcare practitioner and member of the Anishinaabe nation residing on the Omaha Indian Reservation in Macy, Nebraska, wrote in an email to me, “The biggest misconception of Native people is that we are ’savages.’”

    Photo of Medicine Eagle, courtesy of Medicine Eagle.

    As stated in the article “I is for Ignoble: Stereotyping Native Americans,” published online by The Jim Crow Museum, Native Americans are “represented as barbarous, with tomahawk and scalping knife in hand. In contrast, Euro-Americans are depicted as innocent victims of savagery, especially from Indian males.”

    I’m sure many of you have heard of or seen those Westerns depicting our nation’s Indigenous people attacking Euro-American colonizers. In reality, to use the words of the Jim Crow Museum, “many American Indians were taken captive by non-Indians, tortured, incarcerated, murdered, and expelled into slavery. Because Europeans and Euro-American colonists threatened Native peoples, many resisted mightily to defend their families and homelands.”

    When Native Americans are not stereotyped as savage in these movies and television shows, they are rarely represented at all. 

    Medicine Eagle continued, “Depictions of the Indian peoples in the media are always that of Natives, not human beings that are doctors, lawyers, teachers, artists, farmers, etc.”

    He shared that his dear friend, an actor on a popular Western television program, “went into show business to dispel the type cast, only to face the reality that he can only be cast as a Native.”

    Every person wants to be seen as a multifaceted individual, recognized for their diverse talents, professions, perspectives, and qualities, rather than being confined to a race-based role and the harmful stereotypes that reduce their full humanity.

    In addition to being depicted as savages, Native Americans are often portrayed as impoverished, uneducated, and struggling with addictions. Louise Profeit-LeBlanc, a retired National Indigenous Arts Administrator for the Canada Council of Canada and member of the Nacho N’yak Dän First Nation of central Yukon, Canada, explained that “so much of the media only portrays the weakness of Indigenous people.” 

    Louise Profeit-LeBlanc, a retired National Indigenous Arts Administrator for the Canada Council of Canada and member of the Nacho N’yak Dän First Nation of central Yukon, Canada Louise Profeit-LeBlanc, a retired National Indigenous Arts Administrator for the Canada Council of Canada and member of the Nacho N’yak Dän First Nation of central Yukon, Canada
    Photo of Louise Profeit-LeBlanc, courtesy of Louise Profeit-LeBlanc.

    “These stereotypes have weakened the people and also have prevented those who might like to get to know us from doing so,” wrote Louise Profeit-LeBlanc, whose Northern Tutchone name is Tsé Itsoh — Beaver Woman.

    Nadema Agard — whose Lakota name is Winyan Luta, meaning Woman Holy Red — is a Cherokee, Lakota, and Powhatan artist, educator, consultant, curator, and storyteller. She also emphasized how these highly sexualized images of Native Women are contributing to the high rates of assaults, kidnapping, and murder of Indigenous women.

    How We Can Combat These Harmful Stereotypes Against Native Americans

    Medicine Eagle wrote, “We need to return to our original teachings, and the teachings of the Baha’i Faith that there is only one race — the human race. This understanding will aid in eliminating racism.”

    Certainly, at a talk in Paris in 1911, Abdu’l-Baha, one of the central figures of the Baha’i Faith, said:

    For God created us all of one race. There were no differences in the beginning, for we are all descendants of Adam. In the beginning, also, there were no limits and boundaries between the different lands; no part of the earth belonged more to one people than to another. …How can we uphold war caused by an illusion?

    Louise Profeit-LeBlanc suggested that we “work with Indigenous people to find the sacred line of reconciliation and build a new world together.” She shared that “there are many books that have been written by Indigenous people, and there are many filmmakers, theater artists, poets, and educators who can be called upon to help bring better understanding.”

    Nadema Agard highlighted the importance of having a “better Native American curriculum in our school system and more exposure in the media.” She also stressed the need for allies “to support the Native community members but not speak for them.”

    Photo of Nadema Agard, courtesy of Nadema Agard.

    Louise Profeit-LeBlanc wished that more people understood that Indigenous people are “community-minded” and want to share their “knowledge of what the land has taught [them] with the rest of the population.” She wrote, “We have always been hard workers, thinkers, healers, providers, hunters, etc. who care about our human family.” 

    So, let’s all care about them and work together to dispel these harmful Native American stereotypes that are stoking hatred and oppression. 

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    ‘The Heart’s Code’: The Power of Heart-to-Heart Connections

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    Tony Ramos
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    Scott Mayhew had been working on his family’s SUV when it slipped off the jack and crushed him. “I was kind of on my side, reaching for a wrench when the car started to come down. I couldn’t move at all,” Scott recalled in an interview with ABC News in 2015. 

    He felt the car crushing him as he lay trapped, with six broken ribs and internal injuries, crying out for help for over an hour. He prayed for his wife, who was at work that Monday morning, to come home immediately.

    Meanwhile, his wife, Nicole Mayhew, said, “I had this feeling come over me that I needed to go home and check on my husband.” Fortunately, she came home just in time to lift the car off her husband’s chest, with the help of her neighbor, and call 911.

    RELATED: How Intuition Saved My Life

    “I consider him extremely lucky,” said paramedic Chad Pate. “I really think with her coming home as fast as she did in the time that she did, he could have lost his life had he been under the car much longer than that.”

    But was it luck that made Nicole intuitively know to come home? Or was it their heart-to-heart connection? Baha’u’llah, the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith, wrote:

    …the nightingale of the heart hath other songs and secrets, which make the heart to leap and the soul to cry out, but this mystery of inner meaning may be whispered only from heart to heart…

    What Is a Heart-to-Heart?

    In a talk given to Laura Barney that was recorded in “Star of the West,” Abdu’l-Baha, one of the central figures of the Baha’i Faith, said:

    …we should speak in the language of heaven—in the language of the spirit—for there is a language of the spirit and heart. It is as different from our language as our own language is different from that of the animals, who express themselves only by cries and sounds. When we pray to God, a feeling fills our hearts. This is the language of the spirit which speaks to God.

    During my prayers and meditations, I have felt that warm feeling spread throughout my heart, illumine my countenance, and invigorate my spirit. It’s a beautiful sensation that makes you place your hand on your heart and smile to yourself, gratefully basking in it all. Have you ever felt that heartfelt glow, not just from prayer and meditation, but also from connecting with another soul? Abdu’l-Baha wrote:

    The beloved of God must, like the roses of the rose-garden, send fragrant messages from one to another, receive strength from one another, and co-operate together, by the strength of the Kingdom. There is no greater means than communion and communication. ‘Communication is half a meeting.’

    While communication is the exchange of information and messages, communion is the sharing of intimate thoughts and feelings. It’s that heart-to-heart that bonds two people at such a profound level.

    The Lasting Effect and Power of Heart-to-Heart Connections

    “Research shows that, by comparing electrocardiograms, one person’s heartbeat can be measured in another person,” wrote Dr. Paul Pearsall, a psychoneuroimmunologist and author of the book “The Heart’s Code: Tapping the Wisdom and Power of Our Heart Energy.” 

    “The impact of heart energy connection seems most measurable and noticeable when we are closest together, particularly when we physically touch. When we hold hands, we are on some level acting like two ECGs connecting,” exchanging energy and “creating cellular memories.”

    Our hearts can spiritually influence other hearts as well. Abdu’l-Baha wrote:

    By God, the True One, verily pure hearts are as clear and brilliant mirrors which imprint the one on the other, and hearts discover the secrets of hearts.

    This connection with and imprint on a heart can last even after a person has passed away. In “The Heart’s Code,” Dr. Paul Pearsall shared his recount of a meeting he arranged with a widow, Glenda, and the young man who received her husband’s heart. The donor recipient was late, and Paul was about to ask Glenda to leave, thinking the man had changed his mind about coming.

    When Paul stood up, Glenda said, “Oh no, we have to wait. He’s here in the hospital. I felt him come about thirty minutes ago. I felt my husband’s presence. Please wait with me.”

    At that moment, the donor recipient and his mother arrived. “Sorry we’re late,” he said. “We got here a half hour ago but we couldn’t find the chapel.” 

    After introductions, Glenda asked if she could feel his heart. Glenda’s husband, David, passed away after a car crashed through their windshield. Before the car crash, they weren’t speaking because they just had an argument. Unfortunately, that time, they didn’t have the opportunity to apologize because those headlights headed straight for their car moments later.

    Glenda’s hand trembled as she touched the young man’s heart, crying softly, she whispered, “I love you David. Everything is copacetic.”

    The young man’s mother said, “My son uses that word ‘copacetic’ all the time now. He never used it before he got his new heart, but after his surgery, it was the first thing he said to me when he could talk. I didn’t know what it means. He said ‘everything was copacetic.’ It is not a word I know in Spanish.”

    Glenda’s eyes widened, and she said, “That word was our signal that everything was OK. Every time we argued and made up, we would both say that everything was copacetic.”

    How We Can Create Powerful Heart-to-Heart Connections

    Of course, you don’t have to be married or related to someone to have a heart-to-heart connection with them. Abdu’l-Baha explained that we can create these spiritual bonds of love and unity from meetings that are “very different in character.” He explained:

    It is a universal gathering; it is heavenly and divine in purpose because it serves the oneness of the world of humanity and promotes international peace. It is devoted to the solidarity and brotherhood of the human race, the spiritual welfare of mankind, unity of religious belief through knowledge of God and the reconciliation of religious teaching with the principles of science and reason.

    It promotes love and fraternity among all humankind, seeks to abolish and destroy barriers which separate the human family, proclaims the equality of man and woman, instills divine precepts and morals, illumines and quickens minds with heavenly perception, attracts the infinite bestowals of God, removes racial, national and religious prejudices and establishes the foundation of the heavenly Kingdom in the hearts of all nations and peoples. 

    The effect of such an assembly as this is conducive to divine fellowship and strengthening of the bond which cements and unifies hearts.

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    Meet Miami’s First Black Millionaire, Who Worked to Worship

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    Tony Ramos
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    Meet Miami’s first Black millionaire — Dana Albert Dorsey, a real estate magnate, philanthropist, Miami’s most famous early Black resident, and a Baha’i.

    Dorsey, a sharecropper’s son, was born in 1872 in Quitman, Fulton County, Georgia, as the first child in his family to be born free — not born into slavery. He had only a fourth-grade formal education, and afterward went on to become a self-made man, a generous and celebrated philanthropist, and a follower of the Baha’i Faith. Therein lies an amazing tale.

    As a young man, Dorsey moved to Miami in 1897. A carpenter by trade, he worked for the Florida First East Coast Railroad Company, owned by Henry Morrison Flagler. During this time, he realized that there was a need to provide housing for Black workers — so Dorsey began to invest in real estate.

    RELATED: A Love Letter to the Pupil of the Eye

    By custom and Jim Crow-era law, Black people were not allowed to own or rent residences or commercial properties in white-dominated Miami during that time. This racist policy was enforced by race-restrictive covenants in property deeds, prohibiting Black people from purchasing or leasing property in areas where white people lived — and promoting the income inequality that still exists between Black people and other people in the United States today.

    In 1896, when the city first incorporated, Miami’s original Charter even called for a separate area to be set aside for African Americans. More than half a century later, on May 3, 1948, in the landmark case of Shelley v. Kraemer, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that such racial covenants in housing were unconstitutional.

    So, in what was originally and derogatorily known as “Colored Town”— its name was changed in 1937 to Washington Heights, but the area is popularly known today as Overtown — in Miami’s northwest sector, Dana Dorsey purchased his first parcel of land for $25, with income he gained using his carpentry skills. On this small plot of land, in an area near the old Seaboard Station at N.W. 7th Avenue and N.W. 19th Street, Dorsey designed and constructed a small rental house. He continued to buy lots for $25 each, and soon accumulated large blocks of real estate. In this way, Dorsey began to make his fortune as a real estate developer. (For a detailed description of the area’s history, see: Paul S. George, “Colored Town: Miami’s Black Community, 1896–1930,” Florida Historical Quarterly Vol. 56, No. 4 (April 1978), pp. 432–447.)

    newspaper-ad-dana-albert-dorsey-bahainewspaper-ad-dana-albert-dorsey-bahai
    A newspaper ad for Dana A. Dorsey real estate.

    But Dana Albert Dorsey wasn’t only interested in making money. He invested in real estate and built homes with the higher and more altruistic goal of improving the condition of the Black community by providing affordable housing, educational opportunities, and wholesome recreation. In an era of lynching, vicious prejudice, and the patent evils of racism, he exemplified the Baha’i ideal of work as worship, when done in service to humanity:

    It is enjoined upon every one of you to engage in some form of occupation, such as crafts, trades and the like. We have graciously exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship unto God, the True One. Ponder ye in your hearts the grace and the blessings of God and render thanks unto Him at eventide and at dawn. Waste not your time in idleness and sloth. Occupy yourselves with that which profiteth yourselves and others. …

    Hold ye fast unto the cord of material means, placing your whole trust in God, the Provider of all means. When anyone occupieth himself in a craft or trade, such occupation itself is regarded in the estimation of God as an act of worship; and this is naught but a token of His infinite and all-pervasive bounty. – Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah, p. 26.

    Work done in the spirit of service is the highest form of worship. – Abdu’l-Baha, Divine Philosophy, p. 83.

    In 1914, Dana Dorsey was listed as the only African American real estate agent in Miami. In 1918, he purchased Elliot Key and the barrier island now known as Fisher Island (today an exclusive luxury island in Biscayne Bay near Miami Beach) so he could provide a public beach for African Americans to enjoy —since “white” beaches did not accept them. That same year, the Miami Daily Metropolis reported that Dorsey had purchased Fisher Island:

    … to form a company for the development of the tract as a high-class colored resort and subdivision with a hotel, cottages for well-to-do men of his own race and boats to convey them back and forth between the mainland and the island so there will be no conflict of the races in the project.

    Dana-Albert-Dorsey-Bahai-HouseDana-Albert-Dorsey-Bahai-House
    The Dorsey House.

    Dorsey’s accomplishments not only served Miami’s Black community, but they also soon became historically important. For instance, Dorsey helped organize South Florida’s first Black-owned bank, the Mutual Industrial Benefit and Saving Association. He later owned Florida’s Negro Savings Bank. His Dorsey Hotel was the first Black-owned hotel in Miami. As a community leader, Dorsey served as chairman of the Colored Advisory Committee to the Dade County School Board, and also gave of his time as registrar for Black men during World War I.

    Success as a real estate developer led to Dorsey’s legacy as a philanthropist, and his contributions to Miami are lasting and significant. For instance, in the 1930s, Dorsey donated, to the Miami-Dade School District, the property located at Northwest 71st Street and 17th Avenue in the Liberty City area of Miami, on which the Miami Dorsey High School was built in 1936. In 1970, that school was converted to what is now the D.A. Dorsey Technical College (a.k.a. D.A. Dorsey Educational Center), the longest-running successful adult education program in Miami-Dade County.

    As a benefactor, Dorsey financially backed the historically Black Bethune-Cookman College (now University), according to one of his granddaughters, LaShonne Edwards. On February 14, 1940, just fifteen days before his death, Dorsey donated the land on which the future Dorsey Memorial Library would be built. Opened on August 13, 1941, the Dorsey Memorial Library was located in segregated Overtown. On January 17, 2018, the city of Miami held a ceremonial groundbreaking to launch a $1.3 million renovation project for the historic preservation of one of the hallmark monuments of Black Miami, saying in its official report:

    The Dorsey Memorial Library is significant for its historical associations and stands as a testament to the segregation of the races, and in Miami, the lingering prejudice towards people of color. The building played a key role in the education of many African American citizens who lived in the Overtown area during a time when there were few educational options. In the all-too-recent past, African Americans in Miami suffered egregious treatment and limited civil rights, as they were severely limited in their choices of places to live, socialize, recreate and educate.

    But before his library dedicated to the education of Black Miami opened, on Thursday, February 29, 1940, Dorsey died. Flags were flown at half-staff in Overtown, and businesses closed during funeral services when Dorsey’s body was laid to rest in Lincoln Memorial Park, Miami’s African American cemetery during the Jim Crow era. Some 2,000 mourners attended.

    RELATED: Remembering John Lewis: A Life of Courage and Service

    By today’s standards, Dana Albert Dorsey would have been a billionaire at the time of his passing. Dorsey owned property not only in Dade and Broward counties, but in Cuba and the Bahamas as well. His extensive land holdings are considered to be the largest ever held by a Black man in Dade County.

    To honor Dorsey, Third Avenue in Overtown was renamed “D. A. Dorsey Way” (also designated NW 3rd Avenue Business Corridor). The D. A. Dorsey House (250 NW 9th Street, built in 1913 for his second wife, Rebecca Livingston) in Overtown is a historical landmark. Adding to his legacy is the Dana Dorsey Memorial Park.

    This, in brief, highlights what we now know about D.A. Dorsey’s illustrious life and legacy of service to humanity. However, very little is known of Dorsey’s connection with the Baha’i Faith. In “How Miami’s Renowned Black Entrepreneur Became a Baha’i,” I explored D.A. Dorsey’s introduction to the Baha’i teachings of interracial harmony and the oneness of humanity, which he welcomed and readily embraced.

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    Just For Fun – Happy Multicultural April Fool’s Day!

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    Tony Ramos
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    Many of the world’s cultures have a traditional time of the year set aside just for fun and laughter, when tricks, comedy, pranks, and practical jokes prevail. That’s why April Fool’s Day has become a tradition.

    Anthropologists call these holidays “renewal festivals,” because they purposely upend the established social order with hilarity, mayhem, and misrule.

    RELATED: A Funny Thing Happened on My Spiritual Journey

    This kind of intentional fun resonates for Baha’is all around the world, no matter what culture they come from. Abdu’l-Baha constantly encouraged happiness and laughter among the Baha’is, for example, saying that smiles and laughter are “a spiritual state:”

    Laughter is caused by the slackening or relaxation of the nerves. It is an ideal condition and not physical. Laughter is the visible effect of an invisible cause. For example, happiness and misery are super-sensuous phenomena. One cannot hear them with the ears or touch them with his hands. Happiness is a spiritual state.

    The Universal House of Justice, the democratically-elected global leadership body of the world’s Baha’is, has written that:

    Humour, happiness, joy are characteristics of a true Baha’i life. Frivolity palls and eventually leads to boredom and emptiness, but true happiness and joy and humour that are parts of a balanced life that includes serious thought, compassion and humble servitude to God are characteristics that enrich life and add to its radiance.

    So in the pursuit of some of that joy, let’s explore the multicultural origins of April Fool’s Day.

    One of the oldest known renewal festival traditions came from ancient Persia. Modern-day Iranians and others still celebrate Sizdah Bedar on the 13th day of the Persian Naw-Ruz or New Year, which (because of the lunar calendar) usually falls sometime around April 1st. On that day, since 536 BC, Persians have celebrated the coming of spring by going outside for picnics and playing jokes and pranks on each other. 

    Sizdah Bedar may have emerged from the ancient Zoroastrian belief that laughter and joy symbolize the expelling or throwing away of all bad thoughts.

    Similarly, the ancient Romans celebrated a festival on March 25th called Hilaria, which they observed by wearing masks, holding masquerades, and promoting “general good cheer.”

    The April Fool’s Day tradition in France and French-speaking Canada is called poisson d’avril, which means April’s fish. On April 1, pranksters try to secretly attach a paper fish to peoples’ backs. Italy and Belgium also celebrate April’s Fish, which historians believe emerged from the idea that a young, innocent fish was the easiest one to catch.

    Poland celebrates prima aprilis (Latin for the first day of April) as their national day of jokes, when people concoct elaborate hoaxes and pranks – which can and do originate even from government and public institutions. For the Poles, not much that is serious happens on prima aprilis.

    During March in India, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors, with fun for children, general merrymaking, parades and public games. Holi celebrants mark the coming of spring with bonfires, throwing colored powder and perfume on each other, and generally ignoring, for a short period, any distinction of class and caste.

    In late February the world’s Baha’is celebrate Ayyam-i-Ha, or Intercalary Days, the four or five days (in Leap years) before the last month of the year in the Baha’i calendar. The Baha’is rejoice during Intercalary Days, and their celebrations include parties, feasting, hospitality, the giving of gifts, and charity for the poor.

    In the West, April Fool’s Day – sometimes called “All Fools Day” – probably evolved from many cultures at around the same time, all centered on vernal equinox celebrations and the giddy joy and excitement of the coming of spring. 

    The April Fool’s tradition probably began sometime around 1582 in the West, when France adopted Pope Gregory XIII’s Gregorian calendar and shifted their New Year’s celebration from the first days of spring to January 1st. Without mass communication the new calendar didn’t reach everyone quickly, and even when it did many people refused to throw out the Julian calendar. Eventually those people were called fools, and were subject to ridicule, practical jokes, and “fool’s errands.” As time passed, the harassment turned into more gentle pranks, tricks, hoaxes, and practical jokes.  

    By the way, your shoe is untied. No, seriously.

    One fun April Fool’s Day site – www.museumofhoaxes.com – reports that some of the best-known April Fool’s jokes have been mass media-perpetrated:

    • On 1 April 1957, the respected BBC news show Panorama announced that thanks to a very mild winter and the virtual elimination of the dreaded spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. It accompanied this announcement with footage of Swiss peasants pulling strands of spaghetti down from trees. Huge numbers of viewers were taken in. Many called the BBC wanting to know how they could grow their own spaghetti tree. To this the BBC diplomatically replied, “place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best.”
    • The April 1998 issue of the New Mexicans for Science and Reason newsletter contained an article claiming that the Alabama state legislature had voted to change the value of the mathematical constant pi from 3.14159 to the ’Biblical value’ of 3.0. Soon the article made its way onto the internet, and then it rapidly spread around the world, forwarded by email. It only became apparent how far the article had spread when the Alabama legislature began receiving hundreds of calls from people protesting the legislation. The original article, which was intended as a parody of legislative attempts to circumscribe the teaching of evolution, was written by physicist Mark Boslough.
    • During an interview on BBC Radio 2, on the morning of April 1, 1976, the respected British astronomer Patrick Moore announced that an extraordinary astronomical event was about to occur. At exactly 9:47 am, the planet Pluto would pass directly behind Jupiter, in relation to the Earth. This rare alignment would mean that the combined gravitational force of the two planets would exert a stronger tidal pull, temporarily counteracting the Earth’s own gravity and making people weigh less. Moore called this the Jovian-Plutonian Gravitational Effect.

      Moore told listeners that they could experience the phenomenon by jumping in the air at the precise moment the alignment occurred. If they did so, he promised, they would experience a strange floating sensation. At 9:47, Moore declared, “Jump now!” A minute passed, and then the BBC switchboard lit up with dozens of people calling in to report that the experiment had worked! A Dutch woman from Utrecht said that she and her husband had floated around the room together. Another caller claimed she had been seated around a table with eleven friends and that all of them, including the table, had begun to ascend. But not everyone was happy. One angry caller complained he had risen from the ground so rapidly that he hit his head on the ceiling, and he wanted compensation.

    So today, on April Fool’s Day, go ahead, play a (gentle) joke on those around you, and create some joy.

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    Hazel Scott: A Famous Black Pianist, Singer, and Baha’i

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    Tony Ramos
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    Often, when women of color are vocal about discrimination, they become the targets of hostile sexism and are tone policed or silenced.

    And, if you were a Black woman during segregation, speaking up about racial injustice — regardless of how famous and talented you were — could cost you your career.

    RELATED: Benevolent vs. Hostile Sexism: When Race and Gender Collide

    That’s what happened to Hazel Dorothy Scott, a famous Black musician, jazz singer, and actress, after she stood up for what was right. She was blacklisted, and her legacy was almost forgotten, but the truth can’t be buried forever. Here is her story.

    Hazel Scott

    Hazel Scott was born on June 11, 1920 in Port of Spain, Trinidad to R. Thomas Scott, an academic scholar, and Alma Long Scott, a classical pianist, saxophonist, and music teacher. 

    Musically gifted from a young age, Hazel was able to play the piano by ear at just three years old. Whenever her mother’s music students would hit a wrong note, she would even yelp with disapproval. No one realized that Hazel’s cries were a sign of her sensitive ear until she went to the piano one day and played “Gentle Jesus” — a church hymn that her grandmother sang to her during her nap times. 

    Abdu’l-Baha, one of the central figures of the Baha’i Faith, said:

    All art is a gift of the Holy Spirit. When this light shines through the mind of a musician, it manifests itself in beautiful harmonies. …These gifts are fulfilling their highest purpose, when showing forth the praise of God.

    When Alma noticed her daughter’s natural talent, she set aside her own dreams of making it in the music industry and focused on developing Hazel’s gift. In 1924, Alma moved to Harlem, New York, with her daughter and mother. She played in several all-female bands and became friends with several famous African-American musicians, including Art Tatum, Lester Young, and Fats Waller, who helped guide Hazel with her music. In 1928, Hazel auditioned for enrollment in the Juilliard School of Music. Although students had to be at least 16 to enroll, eight-year-old Hazel was given the chance to audition with the help of her family friends.

    Baha’u’llah, the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith, described “music as a ladder for [the] souls, a means whereby they may be lifted up unto the realm on high…” And Professor Oscar Wagner was definitely uplifted after he heard Hazel’s rendition of Rachmaninoff’s “Prelude in C-Sharp Minor.” He realized that she was a musical genius and offered her a scholarship, so he could teach her privately.

    Not long after she graduated from high school, Hazel debuted in the Broadway musical revue, “Sing Out the News.” The next year, when singer Billie Holiday could no longer perform at Café Society, New York City’s first fully integrated night club, she insisted that Hazel replace her, and Hazel became the nightclub’s new headliner. She was both a talented pianist and singer, and her “Bach to Boogie” recordings broke sales records across the country. 

    Hazel never let her rising fame prevent her from standing up for racial justice. She was one of the first Black performers to refuse to play before segregated audiences. She asked:

    Why would anyone come to hear me, a Negro, and refuse to sit beside someone just like me?

    As a promising actress, Hazel also spoke about racism in the film industry as well. She demanded pay equal to her white counterparts and refused to play subservient, stereotypical roles. She even advocated for other Black female actresses to be dressed in proper attire in films as well.

    Before she became a Baha’i, she already understood, that “racial prejudice, the corrosion of which, for well-nigh a century, has bitten into the fiber, and attacked the whole social structure of American society” should “be regarded as constituting the most vital and challenging issue” in the United States. 

    Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, described the “ceaseless exertions which this issue of paramount importance calls for, the sacrifices it must impose, the care and vigilance it demands, [and] the moral courage and fortitude it requires.”

    flyer for the Hazel Scott Showflyer for the Hazel Scott Show
    Flyer for the Hazel Scott Show

    After word spread about her efforts to bring about racial equality in Hollywood, she stopped receiving movie offers, and her concert dates became very limited. Even her television show, the Hazel Scott Show, came to an end after a few months despite the great ratings it received. She was the first African American to host a television show.

    Hazel was brilliant — she spoke seven languages and could play two pianos simultaneously. She was an inspiring activist and artist to live up to, sacrificing her career to stand up for racial justice. She became a Baha’i on December 1, 1968, after she learned about the Baha’i Faith from Dizzy Gillespie. She passed away in 1981.

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    The Universal House of Justice: Leading With Humility and Love

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    Tony Ramos
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    Comprehending the unique Baha’i administration means understanding the men and women who take part in it — not just to establish historical facts and system paradigms, but to examine human motivation.

    This kind of knowledge is not knowledge of logical truths, nor the knowledge of how to do things, nor even the knowledge nurtured by belief. It is more like the knowledge we claim of a friend, of his or her character, of his or her ways of thought and action, the intuitive sense of personality and feeling. 

    RELATED: What Is the Universal House of Justice?

    It is individuals, men and women, youth and children, that have made the Baha’i world — its unprecedented unity, its widespread global presence, its embryonic institutions, its pioneering community service — all building a unique administrative order out of the external, corporeal world of human effort. This unparalleled, democratically-elected Baha’i administrative system, without clergy or ecclesiastical orders, without political parties or partisanship of any kind, is characterized in this way in the Baha’i writings:

    The Most Holy Book is the Book to which all peoples shall refer, and in it the Laws of God have been revealed. Laws not mentioned in the Book should be referred to the decision of the Universal House of Justice. …

    Should there be differences of opinion, the Supreme House of Justice would immediately resolve the problems. Whatever will be its decision, by majority vote, shall be the real truth, inasmuch as that House is under the protection, unerring guidance, and care of the one true Lord. … The Supreme House of Justice should be elected according to the system followed in the election of the parliaments of Europe.

    And when the countries would be guided the Houses of Justice of the various countries would elect the Supreme House of Justice. At whatever time all the beloved of God in each country appoint their delegates, and these in turn elect their representatives, and these representatives elect a body, that body shall be regarded as the Supreme House of Justice.

    Philosophers and theologians have dreamed about a democratically-run religion for centuries, and now the world has one in the Baha’i Faith. 

    To better understand this subject means understanding the members of the Universal House of Justice; after all, the plausibility of Baha’i administration rests upon the possibility of having exemplary members, and much of the esteem of institutions springs from the way they are enacted. Moreover, loyalty and talent are important in organizing Baha’i administrative bodies and in explaining institutional coherence. Focusing on members’ lives, therefore, is entirely relevant — although the Baha’i community knows that there are no Baha’i leaders in the sense of individual authority. The leader principle cedes to the collegial principle as the bedrock of Baha’i administration.

    Upon meeting these members of the House of Justice, the most striking impression, the one that remains, is how human imperfection is preserved and displayed on the public stage. No attempt is ever made to boast moral attributes or to imitate virtue. Affectations of sanctity or pretense to mystical knowledge may be the favorite means of advertisement in the sham spirituality of the medieval cloister or of modern creeds, but in this unique membership, human virtue is compressed, not in the flourishing company of ‘wit or worth’ but in another pair of attributes, of the vulnerable and forgotten kind — humility and unconditional love, a love given freely and forgivingly. It is flaws, not hypocrisy, that triumph.

    Rather than cast a shade on the Faith they profess, such shortcomings are the particular terms of endearment of these members of the Universal House of Justice. 

    After they are elected once every five years, there is no pomp or special robe to enhance ceremonial rank, no headdress to announce protocol, no artificial redolence to flatter personal connection, no kissing of hands, no booming sermon behind the pulpit, no ornamental embroidery to drape ecclesiastical superintendence, no braying of canticles by rote. In the presence of the Universal House of Justice members, any air of mutual satisfaction is non-existent, without false estimates of character to betray ambition and free of vestiges of supremacy. The legitimacy of these members does not depend on their title but on a position that rests on the permanent assurance of Baha’u’llah that “God will verily inspire them with whatsoever He willeth …”

    This unique office emancipates the Universal House of Justice members from holding any opinion of their own rectitude or from trading personifications of perfection or pitching penitence. Instead, the repercussions of their solemn obligation exercises them in the habits of humility, meekness, and patience. 

    RELATED: Hope for the World: The Universal House of Justice

    Members of the first Universal House of Justice, elected in 1963

    Such are my perceptions, but infinitely more worthwhile and valuable it is to hear directly from one who had the inestimable honor of serving the Universal House of Justice the longest, the now-deceased Baha’i Ian Semple. He writes in his diary: 

    Hushmand [Fatheazam] returned from a visit to England on 29th January 1967, bringing to nine the number of [Universal House of Justice] members present in the Holy Land. I note a comment in my diary at that time which I think is important. I wonder if this first Universal House of Justice is especially blessed, or if this love and harmony among the members will always continue? In a sense it has been a little like a love affair. The first incomparable days and months when we were all overwhelmed and were bound together in an ecstatic affection, ignorant though most of us were of one another’s natures, helplessly relying on the guidance of God for what the future would reveal. Now, after nearly four years [1967] we all know one another so much better, both our virtues and capacities and our faults and shortcomings. The early rapture only recurs from time to time, but its place has been taken by a profound respect and love for one another — each one knowing the others and knowing that others know him — yet for all our human frailties, for all our bygone strongly held disagreements in consultations — no barrier has been raised between any two of us. I can see, as I observe my fellow- members, how they are growing in spiritual stature, understanding and breadth of vision; and I know how I myself have grown and how I am even now aware of so many faults of which I must rid myself.

    Time and again we stumble, but each time we pick ourselves up and strive once more to be worthy of the high calling which our fellow believers have thrust upon us. Now, thirty years since I wrote those words, I can testify that the same spirit still exists, and has persisted through all the vicissitudes and changes of membership which those years have seen.

     It is the genius of Baha’u’llah’s world order that the genuine humility of its serving administrators in this legalistic landscape of rule and order, rank and hierarchy, ensures that no one seeks favor or celebrates fame. That timeless eschatological promise — the coming of the Promised One — now enshrines an ethos of loving service amongst its followers.

    This article is adapted from the book “The Last Refuge: Fifty Years of the Ministry of the Universal House of Justice” by Shahbaz Fatheazam.

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    Do We Have Spiritual Ancestors? Meet Pocahontas Pope

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    Tony Ramos
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    We all have physical ancestors—but do you think we have spiritual ancestors?

    Meet Pocahontas Pope, the first African American Baha’i of Washington, D.C., and a woman I think of as my spiritual ancestor.

    A salt-of-the-earth, Black, former Baptist seamstress, Pocahontas Pope (c. 1865–1938) received a beautiful letter from Abdu’l-Baha, who drew upon Baha’u’llah’s “pupil of the eye” metaphor in a racially uplifting way.  

    Photograph which may include Pocahontas Pope

    RELATED: Invisible No Longer: Robert Turner as a Doorway to the Kingdom

    Pocahontas’ family history (and ancestry) is difficult to reconstruct. Relying largely on the meticulous research of Paula Bidwell along with my own independent investigation, we can tentatively reconstruct Pocahontas’ background:

    Pocahontas’ mother was Mary Cha, born Mary Sanling, and her father was John Kay. They married on January 11, 1861, and later had Pocahontas. Then, on November 11, 1876, Mary (Cha) Kay married Lundy Grizzard, who then became stepfather to Pocahontas. Lundy and Mary Grizzard went on to raise several children (Pocahontas’ step-siblings). Mary died in May, 1909.

    On Dec. 26, 1883, John W. Pope (1857–1919)—born and raised in Rich Square, NC—and “Pocahontas Grizzard” married in Northampton (or Halifax) County, NC. John was 26. Pocahontas (née Grizzard) was 18. As to “Race,” each is listed as “White.” (Recall that the first African American Rhodes Scholar, Alain Locke, who became a Baha’i in 1918, was also listed as “White” on his birth certificate on September 13, 1885.)

    Pocahontas’ husband, “J.W. Pope,” was one of three “Managers” of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Rich Square, NC, in 1896–1897. As an institution, the venerable AME Church is the oldest living African American organization. In summer 1898, John and Pocahontas moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked for the U.S. Census Office. But, in early 1902, he was fired by Director Merriam, along with other “Negro clerks.” John Pope landed a job in the U.S. Government Printing Office.

    In June 1902, John W. Pope was elected first vice-president of the “Second Baptist Lyceum,” and Pocahontas Pope as assistant recording secretary. Established in 1848, the Second Baptist Church is one of the oldest African American congregations in Washington, D.C. Pocahontas Pope was described as “intensely religious”: “Even among our own race the woman with a past is intensely religious.” (The Colored American, 21 March 1903, p. 16.)

    The Rev. John W. Pope died on March 30, 1918. Fast forward to 1920: according to the United States Census, 1920 “Pocahontas Pope” is listed as “Widowed.” As to “Race,” she is listed as “Mulatto.” According to the United States Census, 1930 “Pocahontas Pope” is classified as “Negro.” Pocahontas Pope died on November 11, 1938, in Hyattsville, Prince George’s County, Maryland. She is buried in National Harmony Memorial Park Cemetery.

    In 1906, Pocahontas Pope became a Baha’i. This is how it happened:

    Pauline Hannen was a white Southerner who grew up in Wilmington, NC. In 1902, she became a Baha’i in Washington, D.C. There, her sister, Miss Alma Knobloch, employed Pocahontas Pope as a seamstress. Then, as fate would have it, Pauline chanced upon this this passage from Baha’u’llah:

    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. Since We have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest. Such is My counsel to you, O concourse of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye may obtain the fruit of holiness from the tree of wondrous glory. – Baha’u’llah, The Hidden Words, p. 20.

    This passage struck Pauline in a lightning flash of sudden insight. After realizing the profound implications of Baha’u’llah’s words regarding the oneness and equality of the human race—in the singular—this is what happened next:

    One snowy day, during the Thanksgiving season, Pauline came across a black woman trudging through the snow. Pauline noticed that the woman’s shoelaces were untied. Arms full from the bundles she was carrying, the woman was unable to do anything about it. Inspired by this passage from The Hidden Words, Pauline knelt down in the snow to tie this woman’s shoes for her. “She was astonished,” Pauline recalled, “and those who saw it appeared to think I was crazy.” That event marked a turning point for Pauline: she resolved to bring the Baha’i message of unity to black people. — Christopher Buck, Alain Locke: Faith and Philosophy (2005), pp. 37–38.

    RELATED: The Black Pupil of the Eye: The Source of Light

    By July 1908, fifteen African Americans had embraced the faith in Washington, D.C. In a letter dated May 1909, Pauline Hannen wrote:

    Pauline and Joseph HannenPauline and Joseph Hannen
    Pauline and Joseph Hannen

    The work among the colored people was really started by my sainted Mother and Sister Alma [Knobloch,] though I was the one who first gave the Message to Mrs. [Pocahontas] Pope and Mrs. Turner. My Mother and Sister went to their home in this way, meeting others, giving the Message to quite a number and started Meetings. Then my sister left for Germany where she now teaches, I then took up the work. During the Winter of 1907 it became my great pleasure with the help of Rhoda Turner colored who opened her home for me… to arrange a number of very large and beautiful Meetings. Mrs. Lua Getsinger spoke to them here several times at Mrs. Pope’s as Mirza Ali Kuli Khan, Mr. [Howard] McNutt and Mr. Hooper Harris spoke in Mrs. Turner’s home. Mr. [Hooper] Harris spoke at Mrs. Pope’s [at] 12 N St. N.W. for my sister before his leaving on his trip to Acca and India. Mr. Hannen also spoke several times. My working to being to run around and arrange the meeting. At these Meetings we had from twenty to fourty [sic] colored people of the intellectual class. – Qtd. in Buck, Alain Locke: Faith and Philosophy, p. 38.

    The next article will describe, in detail, the “Tablet”—or special letter—from Abdu’l-Baha to Pocahontas Pope.

    Special thanks to Steven Kolins for his research assistance.

    Gravestone of Pocahontas PopeGravestone of Pocahontas Pope
    Courtesy of The InShaw Blog
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    The Legacy of May Maxwell, Dorothy Baker, and Patricia Locke

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    Tony Ramos
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    Several years ago in Akka, Israel, a woman taught me a lesson about how to walk.

    A fellow Baha’i pilgrim—a dancer—took my arm as we strolled toward the sea. “Walking begins at the hip. Not the knee. Like this.” She swayed in front of me, supple and free. Her blue and white skirt brushed her ankles, like foam.

    Akka is an ancient city, crusting the northern shore of the Mediterranean. The founder of the Baha’i faith, Baha’u’llah, was exiled here in 1868, a prisoner of the Ottoman Empire. He was banished from his native Persia for declaring a new religion. He taught that all people, of all faiths, have a common source; and that diversity is integral to human oneness. He also established the absolute equality of women and men.

    In the lives of early Baha’i women, a powerful stance of love and service exists. These women were educators, journalists, mothers, and artists from both privileged and humble backgrounds. But a certain ardor—an eager flame—binds their stories together.

    RELATED: Patience and Perseverance: The Story of Bahiyyih Khanum

    May Maxwell

    May Maxwell
    May Maxwell

    May Maxwell always knew. As a child in New Jersey, she had dreams of blinding light, dreams of a single word uniting the earth. But at 21 years old, she changed from a healthy and active young woman to a pale, bed-ridden invalid. For years, no doctor could diagnose the cause of her illness. Then, in 1898, a friend shared with her the peace-bringing message of the Baha’i faith. The next year, May boarded a ship bound for Palestine.

    She visited Akka, welcomed by the family of Baha’u’llah. During this pilgrimage, May received deep kindness and clarity. When she departed, she felt that “all the cords of life were breaking”—an overwhelming sense of both loss and release. She had gained a new sense of her presence and purpose in the world. Could she keep her balance once she left the Holy Land? While her physical weakness remained, May’s burden transformed into joyful service. Many people were attracted by her tender heart. Her home became Montreal’s first Montessori school and the center of community activity. She died in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to the last sharing the belief that divine unity flows “through the inmost realities of all things.”

    Dorothy Baker

    Dorothy Baker
    Dorothy Baker

    Dorothy Beecher Baker was born in 1898, the year May Maxwell accepted the Baha’i faith. Related on her father’s side to the famous author Harriet Beecher Stowe, Dorothy was a bright and studious child. At age 22, she worked as a teacher in a Newark slum. She brought a vivid charisma to her classrooms. She “just burst upon us,” remembers a former pupil. “She was poetic, she was picturesque, she was graphic… We used to sit spellbound at her feet.”

    Those feet covered a lot of ground—and withstood many tests—including the loss of a daughter and brushes with tuberculosis. To share the practical Baha’i teachings on justice and peace, Dorothy traveled through North America, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America, Europe, Africa, and India. She too visited the Holy Land. But no matter how global her reach, Dorothy’s guiding rule was to “make a joyous thing of the little services, because you can never tell which is little and which is big in God’s sight…”

    RELATED: Remembering the Trailblazing Life of Dr. Helen Elsie Austin

    Patricia Locke

    Patricia LockePatricia Locke
    Patricia Locke

    Her Lakota name was Tawacin Waste Win, which means “compassionate woman.” Raised on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in Idaho in the 1930s, Patricia Ann McGillis Locke was a leader and an educator. She had a deep love of family—her human family. She was often called Unchi, Grandmother. I could list Locke’s many accomplishments: preserving tribal languages, establishing Lakota colleges and language institutes, serving as a delegate to the 1995 Beijing Women’s Conference, being awarded a MacArthur Fellowship. But I am drawn to her story by a different thread.

    In the Lakota spiritual tradition, White Buffalo Calf Woman is a prophet with the powers of salvation and insight into the human heart. She taught the Lakota their sacred ceremonies, promising she would return. Baha’u’llah, too, describes receiving his mission through a feminine embodiment of the Holy Spirit, explaining in physical terms the mystical experience of divine revelation:

    While engulfed in tribulations I heard a most wondrous, a most sweet voice, calling above my head. Turning my face I beheld a Maiden — the embodiment of the ‘remembrance’ of the name of my Lord…

    Patricia saw parallels between this heavenly Maiden and White Buffalo Calf Woman. As Indigenous peoples have long known, our world will be sick and unbalanced until women’s experiences and contributions are fully integrated. Patricia’s voice impacted policy, culture, and thought. Her activism helped lead to the passage of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, while her educational programs brought values of global citizenship and spiritual empowerment to young people around the country.

    In the lives of May Maxwell, Dorothy Beecher Baker, and Patricia Locke, I see a powerful integrity at work. Despite illness and injustice, they learned to channel the flame burning within. They flowed with, rather than fought against, faith’s electrifying current. These women walked with attention and strength, always ready to catch the light and magnify it.

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    Coralie Franklin Cook: A Famous Suffragist, Speaker, and Baha’i

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    Tony Ramos
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    An African American woman, who was born into enslavement, later became a famous public speaker, inspiring suffragist, and devoted Baha’i. Learn about the life of Coralie Franklin Cook.

    Coralie Cook’s Background, Family, and Career

    Coralie Cook was born in 1861 in Lexington, Virginia to enslaved parents, Albert and Mary Elizabeth Edmondson Franklin. 

    Coralie Franklin Cook

    She was a great-granddaughter of Brown Colbert — the grandson of Elizabeth Hemings, the matriarch of the enslaved Hemings family at President Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Elizabeth Hemings was the mother of Sally Hemings — the famous enslaved woman who was impregnated at least six times by her enslaver, Thomas Jefferson, who was 30 years older than her.

    In 1880, Coralie became the first known descendant of people enslaved by Thomas Jefferson to earn a college degree when she graduated from Storer College in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. She taught English and elocution at Storer College and purchased her own home from the college in 1884 when she was just 23 years old.

    Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia in 1865Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia in 1865
    Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia in 1865

    She later moved to Washington D.C. and became a faculty member at Howard University. She was the Chair of Oratory at Howard and taught elocution there. That’s where she met her husband, George Cook.

    Like Coralie, her husband, George, was born into slavery in Winchester, Virginia, in 1855. He managed to escape from slavery, attend school, and graduate from Howard University with a bachelor’s degree in 1886 and a law degree in 1898. He was the Professor of Commercial and International Law and the Dean of the School of Commerce and Finance. Coralie and George got married on August 31, 1898, and had one son, George William Cook Junior.

    In addition to teaching at Howard University, Coralie was the second woman of color to be appointed by the judges of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia to the Board of Education. She held this position for 12 years — the longest term held by any board member. She was also the director of the Home for Colored Children and Aged Women and a member of the Red Cross, the Juvenile Protective Society, and the NAACP.

    Coralie Cook’s Work As A Famous Writer, Speaker, and Suffragist

    Coralie was an ardent activist, dedicated to obtaining equal rights for women, especially the right to vote.

    RELATED: In Pursuit of Equality: 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage

    As Abdu’l-Baha, one of the central figures of the Baha’i Faith, said at a talk at a women’s suffrage meeting in New York in 1912:

    The most momentous question of this day is international peace and arbitration, and universal peace is impossible without universal suffrage.

    In a talk in Paris, he addressed how:

    the female sex is treated as though inferior, and is not allowed equal rights and privileges. …Neither sex is superior to the other in the sight of God. Why then should one sex assert the inferiority of the other, withholding just rights and privileges as though God had given His authority for such a course of action?

    He also spoke about the unique and vital role that mothers have in society:

    In the necessity of life, woman is more instinct with power than man, for to her he owes his very existence.

    If the mother is educated then her children will be well taught. When the mother is wise, then will the children be led into the path of wisdom. If the mother be religious she will show her children how they should love God. If the mother is moral she guides her little ones into the ways of uprightness.

    It is clear therefore that the future generation depends on the mothers of today.

    In her editorial, “Votes for Mothers,” published by the NAACP magazine, “The Crisis,” Coralie wrote:

    Mothers are different, or ought to be different, from other folk.  The woman who smilingly goes out, willing to meet the Death Angel, that a child may be born, comes back from that journey, not only the mother of her own adored babe, but a near-mother to all other children.  As she serves that little one, there grows within her a passion to serve humanity; not race, not class, not sex, but God’s creatures as he has sent them to earth.

    It is not strange that enlightened womanhood has so far broken its chains as to be able to know that to perform such service, woman should help both to make and to administer the laws under which she lives, should feel responsible for the conduct of educational systems, charitable and correctional institutions, public sanitation and municipal ordinances in general.  Who should be more competent to control the presence of bar rooms and ‘red-light districts’ than mothers whose sons they are meant to lure to degradation and death?  Who knows better than the girl’s mother at what age the girl may legally barter her own body?  Surely not the men who have put upon our statute books, 16, 14, 12, aye be it to their eternal shame, even 10 and 8 years, as ‘the age of consent!’

    If men could choose their own mothers, would they choose free women or bondwomen?  …I transmit to the child who is bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh and thought of my thought; somewhat of my own power or weakness.  Is not the voice which is crying out for ‘Votes for Mothers’ the Spirit of the Age crying out for the Rights of Children?

    votes for womenvotes for women
    Suffragette Banner

    Coralie was a founding member of the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs and a member of the National American Women’s Suffrage Association. Coralie, who was recognized nationally as an excellent public speaker, was the only African American woman who was invited to speak at Susan B. Anthony’s 80th birthday party in 1900. 

    However, she had spent so much of her life advocating for the rights of women and women of color and had grown disappointed by white women’s reluctance to work with Black women within the suffrage movement. Disheartened that the movement had, in her words, “turned its back on the woman of color” and did not view the rights of African American women as a priority, Coralie expressed her grievances in her speech.

    …no woman and no class of women can be degraded and all womankind not suffer thereby.

    Coralie said, “…And so Miss Anthony, in behalf of the hundreds of colored women who wait and hope with you for the day when the ballot shall be in the hands of every intelligent woman; and also in behalf of the thousands who sit in darkness and whose condition we shall expect those ballots to better, whether they be in the hands of white women or Black, I offer you my warmest gratitude and congratulations.”

    She would later refuse to participate in white-dominated suffragist organizations and activities and became very active in the fight against Jim Crow laws.

    As author and college professor Paula Giddings wrote, “Throughout their history, Black women also understood the relationship between the progress of the race and their own feminism. Women’s rights were an empty promise if Afro-Americans were crushed under the heel of a racist power structure. In times of racial militancy, Black women threw their considerable energies into that struggle—even at the expense of their feminist yearnings.” 

    Coralie Cook’s Life As a Baha’i and Racial Justice Activist

    Coralie and George learned about the Baha’i Faith in 1910 and became Baha’is in 1913. In the Baha’i Faith, racism is regarded as “the most vital and challenging issue” confronting the United States. 

    RELATED: 5 Inspirational Baha’i Women in American History

    Howard University in 1868

    Coralie and George organized Baha’i events at Howard University, including one talk by Abdu’l-Baha, and they even won awards for their social welfare work in the African American community. 

    In a letter she wrote to Abdu’l-Baha in 1914, she described how egregious racism was in the U.S.:

    Knowledge of the progress of the colored people during their fifty years of freedom has astounded the world and incited the envy and hatred of those who prophesied their extinction and argued their inability to work for themselves. 

    In the midst of unfriendly surroundings they have accumulated $7,000,000,000 worth of property raising a million and a half of dollars in the past year alone for educational work, coming out of slavery with 95 percent of their whole number unable to read or write to say that number is reduced to only 30 percent an advance surpassing that of the whites during the same period. 

    Instead of this marvelous achievement appealing to all that is best and noblest in the whites, it has seemed to have a contrary effect. Laws are being passed in many sections compelling colored people to live in segregated districts, where they have had handsome houses among white residences these houses have been attacked, lives endangered, valuable property ruthlessly destroyed, anonymous orders to vacate, if ignored, have even resulted in the use of dynamite and total destruction of a house and its contents, the Law Courts offer no redress for the word of a black man is not taken against that of a white man where Judge and Jury are all of the dominant class.

    She believed that the Baha’i teachings are “not only the last hope of the colored people, but must appeal strongly to all persons regardless of race or color…” So, she encouraged Baha’is to “stand by the teachings though it requires superhuman courage…” 

    She worked for racial justice and taught the oneness of humanity until she passed away in 1942. What a remarkable woman in our history to look up to.

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    Can Science Unravel the Power of Prayer and Meditation?

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    Tony Ramos
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    Since time immemorial, prayers have been offered by individuals during times of sickness and collectively in ceremonies to celebrate the Divine Reality and to ask for blessings. 

    Current scientific exploration of metaphysical issues — such as the dynamics of prayer and meditation in healing — is fraught with challenges because of our inability to measure non-material aspects of these phenomena. On the other hand, Baha’u’llah, the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith, expounded on the future of science and stated that one of the two signs for the coming of age of the human race will be the emergence of science as a “divine philosophy.” “This is an indication of the splendours of the future stupendous expansion of knowledge.” Although we are far from reaching humanity’s coming of age, we might envision the possibility that the expansion of knowledge would include unraveling the spiritual power of prayer and meditation.

    “It is the language of the soul to commune with its Creator, a way of giving expression to spiritual aspirations.”

    RELATED: Progress on the Spiritual Path: Through Prayer or Action?

    In their 2009 book “How God Changes Your Brain,” neuroscientist Andrew Newberg and therapist Mark Robert Waldman wrote that “Most dictionaries define prayer as the act of communicating with a deity, especially in the form of a request or a petition for help. Meditation, however, is commonly defined as a contemplative reflection or mental exercise designed to bring a heightened level of spiritual awareness.” For people living in ancient times, prayer was the only means of seeking solace and security. It is the language of the soul to commune with its Creator, a way of giving expression to spiritual aspirations. 

    As to meditation, Abdu’l Baha, the son of Baha’u’llah, said in a speech in 1913, “It is an axiomatic fact that while you meditate you are speaking with your own spirit. In that state of mind you put certain questions to your spirit and the spirit answers: the light breaks forth and the reality is revealed.”

    A 2016 Gallup poll of religiosity in the United States revealed that 89% of American adults believe in God or a Universal Spirit. In another survey, 87% of participants said that religion was important in their lives. Additional research shows that 76% of Americans pray daily, with many acknowledging that they turn to prayers for assistance to overcome disease.

    Sir Francis Galton

    While the adherents of religions exercise the practice of prayer as a matter of faith, scientists have been interested in the health benefits of prayer since at least the 19th century. In 1872 Sir Francis Galton, for instance, conducted a retrospective study of the effects of prayer on the British monarchs. In more recent times, similar research has been vigorously pursued. Its goal is to discover the nature and depth of prayer’s healing effect on distress and disease as well as on people’s well-being.  In a carefully designed study of 990 cardiac patients using randomized, controlled, double-blind, and prospective investigation it was found that intercessory prayers may be effective as an addition to standard treatment of these patients. A Swedish study of kidney transplant patients also reported that those patients who were prayed for were better able to cope with stress and had less organ rejection.

    However, some people feel that researchers who are seeking hard evidence of the power of prayer have misunderstood its nature, judging its benefits solely by its physical effect on an individual.  Prayers, and meditation, for that matter, can be viewed as tools for relaxation and serenity — having neurophysiological effects on the brain, heart, blood pressure, and muscle tension. But from the perspective of religion and spirituality, they may have other effects that are not measurable by means available to science.  

    Abdu’l-Baha tells us, “There are two ways of healing sickness, material means and spiritual means.  The first is by the use of remedies of medicine; the second consists in praying to God and in turning to Him.  Both means should be used and practiced.” Medical science uses clinical observation and technology to diagnose and treat disease and to restore health. Prayer is a spiritual process that enhances healing and restores hope and wholeness. Together these two complement one another.  In his 2002 book “Inner Quest,” author Pandit Rajmani Tigunait wrote that “Spirituality is a complete science that entails a comprehensive study of the intrinsic nature of the soul and its relationship both to the external world and to universal consciousness.” 

    In a talk in London in 1913, Abdu’l-Baha stated that “Meditation is the key to opening the doors of mysteries; in that subjective mood he is immersed in the ocean of spiritual life and can unfold the secrets of things-in-themselves. To illustrate this, think of man as endowed with two kinds of sight; when the power of insight is being used the outward power of vision does not see.” Abdu’l-Baha nevertheless draws our attention to the fact that “some thoughts are useless… But if the faculty of meditation is bathed in the inner light and characterized with divine attributes, the results will be confirmed.”

    Exploring the mystery of the effect of prayer and meditation on our mind and soul is a daunting task. Research in neuroscience has shown that meditation and prayer have beneficial effects on the frontal cortex and limbic system of the brain, bringing a sense of joy, love, and optimism. The effect of meditation on the brain is particularly important because, as Newberg and Waldman wrote, “it counteracts our biological propensity to react to dangerous situation with animosity or fear.  However, it also appears to make us more sensitive to the suffering of others.”

    RELATED: Three Reasons to Greet Each Morning with Dawn Prayers

    Can science find any pathway of healing through faith and prayers?  As Newberg and Waldman also wrote in their book, it has been hypothesized that our neuropeptides — the transmitters of neurons — and immune system are biological pathways that may connect mental processes, including prayer and meditation. In addition, a research study at Harvard University showed that meditation might help to prevent brain degeneration and cognitive decline. The more we meditate on the Word of God, or for a specific objective, the more the thalamus — the center of information processing — in the brain is activated and increases in size.  Spiritual practices can have an effect on neurotransmitters. “For example, a 65 percent increase in dopamine was found when individuals practice yoga nidra, a form of meditation in which a person maintains conscious awareness,” wrote Newberg and Waldman 

    Researchers have found more biologically beneficial effects from meditation than from prayer.  This may be partially because there has been more research conducted with respect to the former, but it may also be due to the spiritual nature of prayer, which does not lend itself to scientific measurement. For example, scientific research has found a significant reduction in stress, anxiety, blood pressure, and suppression of the release of cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, in those who regularly meditate. Researchers have also noted a boost to the immune response, positive mood states, relaxation, and more tolerance to pain. However, while meditation and prayer may have positive physical and physiological effects on the body, such changes do not explain the mystery nor define the mechanism of such effects.  

    Although many research studies on the effect of prayer on healing have been favorable, some others reported negative results. This should not be surprising due to the intangible and spiritual nature of prayer, which is dependent not only on the sincerity of the individual who offers prayers but also on the wisdom of divine intervention.  From a Baha’i point of view, while prayer and meditation are important and praiseworthy, people must remain mindful that ultimately it is God’s will that determines whether a cure will be granted or not.

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    The Spiritual Meaning and Significance of Spring

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    Tony Ramos
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    Every year, around the vernal equinox, the world seems to come alive. Depending on where you live in the Northern Hemisphere, trees and bushes that were once icy and barren begin to bear buds, leaves, flowers, or fruit. The grass becomes greener, hibernating animals come out to explore, and insects that were burrowed under the ground hatch from their eggs and emerge to the surface.

    “In the spring there are the clouds which send down the precious rain, the musk-scented breezes and life-giving zephyrs; the air is perfectly temperate, the rain falls, the sun shines, the fecundating wind wafts the clouds, the world is renewed, and the breath of life appears in plants, in animals and in men,” said Abdu’l-Baha, one of the central figures of the Baha’i Faith. “Earthly beings pass from one condition to another.”

    If all of this rebirth and renewal is happening during spring to every plant and animal in the world, what kind of spiritual transformation is happening to people?

    The Significance of Spring for Our Spiritual Transformation

    I remember my winter during the height of the coronavirus quite clearly…

    Just like many other living beings, I spent the winter hibernating and staying cooped up indoors — because I had no interest in being out in the cold unless I had to, and I also happened to be a germaphobe during COVID-19. So, when the clouds disappeared, and the temperature finally hit 70 degrees, I couldn’t help but step outside and take a few long deep breaths. I inhaled and exhaled — the air was so sweet, I felt like I could taste it. As I walked and soaked in the warm heat of the sun, my body felt soothed, and my mind felt at ease. I knew that my spirit was being revived just like the rest of the world.

    Abdu’l-Baha said it’s as if the Earth is dead and lifeless during the winter. But when spring comes, “it finds a new spirit, and produces endless beauty, grace and freshness. Thus the spring is the cause of new life and infuses a new spirit.” 

    I could feel that I was becoming alive with this new spirit. Of course, this spiritual regeneration and renewal didn’t happen like clockwork once the sun came out. I spiritually recuperated for 19 days from the beginning of March until the first day of spring – the Baha’i new year.

    RELATED: Fasting: Spring Cleaning for the Soul

    During these 19 days, Baha’is fast — we do not eat or drink anything from sunrise to sunset. But this abstention from food is merely symbolic and is, as Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, explained, “ a reminder of abstinence from selfish and carnal desires.”

    He also wrote that the fasting period is “essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make the necessary readjustments in his inner life, and to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in his soul. Its significance and purpose are, therefore, fundamentally spiritual in character.” 

    Every year during March, I make sure to prioritize my spiritual health and tune into my spirit. I engage in self-reflection, clarify what goals I’d like to accomplish in the coming year, and work on breaking old unwanted habits. I thank God for my blessings, ask forgiveness for my wrongdoings, and strive to cleanse and purify my heart and soul. That way, when I emerge from my hibernation, I feel both physically and spiritually refreshed and transformed.

    “Jesus Christ said ‘Ye must be born again’ so that divine Life may spring anew within you,” said Abdu’l-Baha at a talk in Bristol, England in 1911.

    Be kind to all around and serve one another; love to be just and true in all your dealings; pray always and so live your life that sorrow cannot touch you. Look upon the people of your own race and those of other races as members of one organism; sons of the same Father; let it be known by your behaviour that you are indeed the people of God. Then wars and disputes shall cease and over the world will spread the Most Great Peace.

    The Spiritual Meaning of Spring for Humanity

    Baha’is believe that world peace is not just a naïve hope or wishful thinking, but it is actually inevitable. We understand that the world is going through very turbulent and trying times, but as Shoghi Effendi wrote:

    We stand on the threshold of an age whose convulsions proclaim alike the death-pangs of the old order and the birth-pangs of the new.

    “The whole earth,” wrote Baha’u’llah, the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith, “is now in a state of pregnancy. The day is approaching when it will have yielded its noblest fruits, when from it will have sprung forth the loftiest trees, the most enchanting blossoms, the most heavenly blessings.”

    Just like the Earth goes through different seasons and cycles, Baha’is believe that humanity goes through various stages of development. And in every stage, God sends Messengers (i.e., Zoroaster, the Buddha, Krishna, Moses, Jesus Christ, Mohammed, the Bab, and Baha’u’llah) to reveal more of His unfolding revelation to society. 

    Right now, humanity is in its turbulent adolescence age. But Baha’is believe that “when the impetuosity of youth and its vehemence reach their climax,” we will reach maturity and enter the stage of adulthood. We believe that the revolutionary teachings of Baha’u’llah — such as the equality of men and women, the harmony of science and religion, the elimination of the extremes of wealth and poverty, the abolition of all forms of prejudice, and the oneness of humanity — will help usher humanity towards maturity.

    As Abdu’l-Baha wrote: 

    This period of time is the Promised Age, the assembling of the human race to the “Resurrection Day” and now is the great “Day of Judgment.” Soon the whole world, as in springtime, will change its garb. The turning and falling of the autumn leaves is past; the bleakness of the winter time is over. The new year hath appeared and the spiritual springtime is at hand.

    The black earth is becoming a verdant garden; the deserts and mountains are teeming with red flowers; from the borders of the wilderness the tall grasses are standing like advance guards before the cypress and jessamine trees; while the birds are singing among the rose branches like the angels in the highest heavens, announcing the glad-tidings of the approach of that spiritual spring, and the sweet music of their voices is causing the real essence of all things to move and quiver.

    This “spiritual spring” is so meaningful and significant because, as Abdu’l-Baha said, it’s the “age of spiritual awakening” where “the world has entered upon the path of progress into the arena of development, where the power of the spirit surpasses that of the body. Soon the spirit will have dominion over the world of humanity.”

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    ‘Crossing the Desert’: The Autobiography of Payam Zamani

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    Tony Ramos
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    Do you understand what it’s like to lack the legal freedom to express your faith, religion, and spiritual beliefs — enduring harassment, attacks, and the denial of human rights, such as access to higher education, solely because you are a religious minority? Payam Zamani does, and he is now sharing his story with the world.

    In his new book, “Crossing the Desert: The Power of Embracing Life’s Difficult Journeys,” Payam Zamani, an entrepreneur, philanthropist, investor, and co-founder of BahaiTeachings.org, offers an inside look into the religious persecution of the Baha’is in Iran — Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority.

    A Photo of Payam Zamani, Courtesy of Payam Zamani

    The Baha’i Faith is a world religion that centers around oneness — one God, one human race, and one unfolding revelation. Baha’u’llah is the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith. His title in English means “The Glory of God,” and Baha’is believe that His coming was prophesied in many world religions. The Baha’i writings say:

    To Israel He was neither more nor less than the incarnation of the ‘Everlasting Father’, the ‘Lord of Hosts’ come down ‘with ten thousands of saints’; to Christendom Christ returned ‘in the glory of the Father’; to Shí’ah Islám the return of the Imám Ḥusayn; to Sunní Islám the descent of the ‘Spirit of God’ (Jesus Christ); to the Zoroastrians the promised Sháh-Bahrám; to the Hindus the reincarnation of Krishna; to the Buddhists the fifth Buddha.

    “Of course, speaking of Baha’u’llah and his forerunner, the Bab, as ‘prophets’ strikes some followers of other religions as objectionable, if not blasphemous,” wrote Payam in his book. “This is what makes being [a] Baha’i so dangerous in certain parts of the world—especially in the Middle East, where extremists believe that Muhammad was God’s final prophet and that believing otherwise was an insult worthy of death.”

    These Muslim extremists drowned Payam’s maternal grandfather in a river and ran down Payam’s sister with a car, leaving her in a coma until she recovered. They tried to kill Payam when he was in sixth grade. Over the school loudspeakers, one of the teachers announced, “Today, we’re going to get rid of the Baha’is!” As soon as Payam and his Baha’i friend stepped through the gates, a mob of their classmates started spitting and throwing rocks at them.

    Payam wrote, “We guarded our heads and tried to walk as fast as we could as some came closer and beat us with sticks, and kicked us, spitting directly in our faces and all over our bodies. One of them picked up a half-broken brick to throw, but he missed and hit one of their own instead.”

    Thankfully, both Payam and his friend made it to their homes. When Payam’s parents heard what happened, they asked one of the teachers how they could let that happen to kids. His response was, “Well, we tried to kill them today. On another day, we will. So I encourage you to leave town. Now.”

    Payam and his family moved from town to town in Iran. Payam wrote, “The belief that my parents held was that by going to these particular areas and living in a way that showed they were part of a peaceful and progressive religion, one focused on uniting people through love and service, some of the violence and harassment might stop—not only for the Baha’is, but for everyone.”

    The Baha’i writings say:

    To be a Bahá’í simply means to love all the world; to love humanity and try to serve it; to work for universal peace and universal brotherhood.

    Payam continued, “By comparison, during the early days of the Baha’i Faith, in the mid-1800s, nearly twenty thousand Baha’is were killed in Iran—just for believing as they believed. …No religion has come about without sacrifice.”

    It would take years before each member of Payam’s immediate family decided to escape Iran and make the difficult and dangerous journey across the desert in pursuit of a better life. Although this autobiography details his early traumatic experiences, his goal is “to show how every one of us can learn from the challenges we face, and then act—as individuals, as communities, as companies, as countries, as part of humanity itself—in order to help make life better for us all.”

    Read “Crossing the Desert: The Power of Embracing Life’s Difficult Journeys” to learn about Payam’s upbringing in Iran, his journey to the United States, his entrepreneurial success that led him to be one of the “Top 30 Under 30” wealthiest people in the country in 1999, and his efforts to infuse spirituality into business.

    Payam wrote, “The entirety of my life’s journey led me to where I am today: to a belief that capitalism needs to change. Together, we can learn from the triumphs and woes of our past and present in order to create a system that will allow our economic life to be an inseparable part of our service life.”

    Click here to preorder his book now.

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    Lessons on Spiritual Courage: Reclaiming Native Narratives

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    Tony Ramos
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    In “The Brave Ones,” Michael Orona’s compelling narrative transcends beyond physical courage and delves into spiritual courage and resilience, highlighting the power of remaining steadfast in the face of oppression. As Baha’u’llah, the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith, wrote:

    The source of courage and power is the promotion of the Word of God, and steadfastness in His Love.

    Inspired by his personal experiences, family history, and the Baha’i teachings, Michael Orona discusses how the characters in his novel embody this spiritual courage and steadfastness, reflects on the ongoing fight for representation, and explores the lessons his book offers for today’s social justice movements.

    Michael Orona

    Radiance Talley: Hi, Michael! The title “The Brave Ones” suggests acts of courage. How do your characters embody spiritual courage, and how does this align with the Baha’i view of steadfastness in the face of injustice?

    Michael Orona: The title “The Brave Ones” carries deep spiritual significance that goes far beyond physical courage. It’s about a profound inner transformation and the courage to reimagine human possibility in the face of systemic oppression.

    Spiritual courage, from a Baha’i perspective, isn’t about confrontation, but rather the ability to maintain dignity, hope, and foresight when every system is designed to break your spirit. My characters embody this through their refusal to be defined by their circumstances.

    Consider the Baha’i principle articulated by Shoghi Effendi about the American believers’ special calling — to have the “moral courage and fortitude” to address fundamental issues facing humanity. The characters in the book live by this principle. They’re not just fighting against discrimination; they’re creating alternative models for the advancement of not only their own community, but also for the advancement of their oppressors. 

    The Indigenous peoples in the story — members of the Yaqui Nation from Sonora — represent this beautifully. They could have accepted their limited circumstances. Instead, they dream beyond their immediate reality and then act. Their dreams and the action to make them a reality symbolize hope — a spiritual act of resistance that transcends physical constraints.

    Abdu’l-Baha’s teachings profoundly influenced how I conceived spiritual courage. He spoke about the Indigenous peoples of America having the potential to “enlighten the whole world” if properly educated and guided. My characters embody this — they’re not victims waiting to be saved, but transformative agents with inherent spiritual power.

    “The Brave Ones” is a testament to this spiritual courage — a celebration of Indigenous peoples who refuse to be broken, who see beyond current realities to potential futures of unity and justice. I believe this embodies us as Native people, it’s who we are. 

    Radiance: Did you draw from personal experiences, oral histories, or Baha’i teachings on the value of diverse cultures?

    Michael: The book is deeply rooted from personal experience, family narratives, and the Baha’i teachings that have shaped my life.

    Growing up, I was steeped in my Indigenous cultural heritage in large part to the profound support of my late Apache father, Dr. Joel Orona, and my Yaqui mother, Esther Orona. Storytelling wasn’t just a tradition in our family — it was a way of preserving history, of maintaining cultural identity, and spiritual development. The oral histories my grandparents and elders shared with me as a child were living histories, not just personal narratives but collective experiences of resistance, resilience, and survival. It was through these stories that I was taught the importance of being of service not only to my own community, but to the global community. It was through these stories that I was reminded of the responsibility to honor the legacy of my ancestors. 

    As a child of the 1970s, I was acutely aware of the lack of diversity and limited representation of Indigenous peoples in the media. I remember watching television or going to the movies and rarely seeing people on screen who looked like me. Those rare times when Indigenous people were portrayed, it was done by non-Native actors in a demeaning manner.  The watershed moment for me was watching Alex Haley’s “Roots” on television — a chronicle that brought the history of African Americans to the forefront. The importance of seeing the struggle and unique perspective from another marginalized community gave me hope that someday I would have the opportunity to share the historical challenges and success of my own people.  

    The Baha’i teachings were instrumental in shaping my perspective on cultural diversity. Baha’u’llah’s message on this topic was revolutionary, it was not about reforming existing social norms, but fundamentally shattering the very notion of racial superiority. This wasn’t just a social justice message, but a message of spiritual transformation.

    Abdu’l-Baha’s teachings were particularly profound in the writing of the book. He spoke about the unique spiritual potential of Indigenous peoples, stating we will “enlighten the whole world” and serve as spiritual “standard bearers.”  This isn’t patronizing but rather the sincere belief, acknowledgment, and recognition of the inherent spiritual wisdom found within Indigenous communities that have been historically and systematically marginalized.

    Ultimately, the book is an embodiment of the Baha’i principle of the oneness of humanity. It’s not just about documenting historical struggles, but about creating a vision of human potential that transcends racial, cultural, and historical divisions. 

    "The Brave Ones" by Michael Orona"The Brave Ones" by Michael Orona
    “The Brave Ones” by Michael Orona

    Radiance: How do the themes of “The Brave Ones” resonate with today’s social justice movements? What lessons can readers draw from this historical narrative?

    Michael: The story of “The Brave Ones” is not just a historical account, but a powerful lens through which we can understand the ongoing struggles for equity, solidarity, and human dignity. I believe the narrative of Indigenous peoples fighting for equality in partnership with African Americans speaks directly to the intersectional nature of social justice movements today.

    First and foremost, the book illuminates the power of unexpected alliances. At a time of profound racial discrimination, these communities found strength in their shared marginalized experience.  Today, we see similar dynamics in modern social justice movements — whether its organizations focused on Indigenous rights, economic empowerment, or struggles against systemic oppression. The lesson is clear: solidarity and collaboration across different marginalized communities is not just possible, but essential.

    The book underscores how systemic discrimination creates seemingly insurmountable barriers. Members of the Yaqui community in the book faced limited opportunities, forced to live under difficult circumstances with little hope for advancement. This mirrors the ongoing challenges faced by Indigenous peoples around the world and other communities of color — unequal access to education, economic opportunities, and social mobility. Yet, the story is ultimately one of hope and resistance, showing how collective action can challenge and ultimately transform unjust systems.

    Moreover, the narrative underscores the importance of telling our own stories. For too long, Indigenous peoples have been relegated to the margins of historical narratives, our experiences either silenced or misrepresented. “The Brave Ones” is part of a broader movement to reclaim our narrative, to center Indigenous voices and perspectives. This resonates deeply with contemporary calls for authentic representation and self-determination.

    The themes of dignity, resilience, and a shared humanity are particularly relevant in our current social and political climate. We continue to grapple with historical injustices, systemic racism, and the ongoing impacts of colonization. The book offers a blueprint for understanding how communities can come together, recognize their common struggles, and work toward collective liberation.

    I was inspired to write this story by the experiences shared by my grandparents and their generation — a reminder that our current struggles are deeply connected to historical experiences of oppression and resistance. The book is not just about the past; it’s a call to action for today’s generation to continue the work of building a more just and equitable society.

    Ultimately, “The Brave Ones” teaches us that change is possible when we recognize our shared humanity, when we have the courage to challenge the status quo, and when we stand in solidarity with one another. It’s a message of hope that I believe is more crucial now than ever before.

    Radiance: A reviewer mentioned that this story “finally broke the barrier” for Indigenous people to tell their own stories. What challenges do Indigenous authors face in having their narratives published and recognized, and how does the Baha’i Faith encourage perseverance in such efforts?

    Michael: The publishing world has long been a gatekeeping system that marginalizes Indigenous voices. For generations, our stories have been told through a colonial lens — filtered, misinterpreted, and often romanticized or vilified by non-Indigenous writers. Breaking through these barriers requires persistent courage and a commitment to authentic storytelling.

    Indigenous authors face multiple systemic challenges. First, there’s the structural inequality in publishing: limited representation in editorial boards, fewer publishing opportunities, and a publishing industry that historically prioritizes mainstream narratives. Many publishers view Indigenous stories as niche or unmarketable, failing to recognize the universal humanity and complexity of our experiences.

    Our narratives are often expected to conform to stereotypical expectations — stories of trauma, historical suffering, or exotic cultural experiences that fit comfortable narratives about Indigenous peoples. But we are not museum artifacts or historical footnotes. We are a living, evolving people with rich, nuanced stories that speak to contemporary human experiences.

    The Baha’i Faith has been instrumental in giving me the spiritual strength to persist. The principles of the Baha’i Faith, including the oneness of humanity, universal education, and the independent investigation of truth, are not philosophical concepts, but active guides for my writing and activism. The Faith encourages us to see beyond divisive boundaries, to recognize the inherent worth of every human being, and to work tirelessly for justice and understanding.

    When I face rejection or encounter systemic barriers, I draw strength from the Baha’i teachings about perseverance. We believe that true progress comes through consistent, compassionate effort. Just as the members of the Yaqui community in my book refused to be defined by their circumstances, I refuse to let institutional barriers silence our stories.

    The process of writing “The Brave Ones” was itself an act of spiritual and cultural resistance. By centering Indigenous agency, showing our community’s resilience, and highlighting our partnerships across racial lines, I’m challenging the dominant narratives that have historically marginalized us.

    Moreover, my work is part of a broader movement of Indigenous authors reclaiming our narrative space. Indigenous authors have been instrumental in breaking down these barriers, proving that our stories are not just important — they are essential to understanding the full complexity of the human experience.

    My Faith teaches me that every voice matters, that every story has the potential to bridge understanding. By persistently sharing our narratives, we challenge systemic inequities and create opportunities for genuine dialogue and mutual respect.

    This is why “The Brave Ones” is more than a book. It’s a testament to the power of storytelling as a form of cultural preservation, resistance, and hope.

    Radiance: Thank you, Michael, for sharing your profound insights and reflections. If you all are enjoying this Q&A, be on the lookout for part three where we’ll discuss practical actions we all can take to promote justice and harmony!

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    A Legendary Scientist Asks: Do We Survive Death?

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    Tony Ramos
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    How do the world’s most renowned scientists and theorists regard the spiritual realm? Can science and spirituality, so long at odds, find common ground? Can a scientist believe in the afterlife?

    Kurt Gödel, the renowned logician and mathematician who had an immense effect on logic, on philosophy, and on the emerging field of theoretical computer science certainly did — he said “If the world is rationally constructed and has meaning, then there must be such a thing [as an afterlife].”

    RELATED: Where Do We Go When We Die?

    Young Kurt Gödel as a student in 1925

    Among the remarkable constellations of geniuses that populated the early and mid-twentieth-century landscape, Gödel was a close friend to individuals like Einstein and Von Neumann. Gödel developed theorems that put hard limits on the “truths” we can access using formal logical systems. 

    I recently read this fascinating Aeon article —  “We’ll meet again” by Alexander Englert — which details some of Gödel’s private thoughts about the afterlife, revealed in four letters he wrote to his mother in 1961.

    In Englert’s article, I learned for the first time about Kurt Gödel’s fourteen-point outline of his deepest philosophical thoughts. As a scientist and as a person of faith, this really intrigued me, since it resonated strongly with many of the ideas that I’ve found in my studies of the Baha’i Faith. Here are Gödel’s fourteen points:

    1. The world is rational.
    2. Human reason can, in principle, be developed more highly (through certain techniques).
    3. There are systematic methods for the solution of all problems (also art, etc.).
    4. There are other worlds and rational beings of a different and higher kind.
    5. The world in which we live is not the only one in which we shall live or have lived.
    6. There is incomparably more knowable a priori than is currently known.
    7. The development of human thought since the Renaissance is thoroughly intelligible.
    8. Reason in mankind will be developed in every direction.
    9. Formal rights comprise a real science.
    10. Materialism is false.
    11. The higher beings are connected to the others by analogy, not by composition.
    12. Concepts have an objective existence.
    13. There is a scientific (exact) philosophy and theology, which deals with concepts of the highest abstractness; and this is also most highly fruitful for science.
    14. Religions are, for the most part, bad — but religion is not.

    Englert’s Aeon essay provides some background to a few of these points via Gödel’s letters. For example on the first point, “The world is rational,” Gödel explained in a letter to his mother dated 23 July 1961:

    Does one have a reason to assume that the world is rationally organized? I think so. For it is absolutely not chaotic and arbitrary, rather — as natural science demonstrates — there reigns in everything the greatest regularity and order. Order is, indeed, a form of rationality.

    In another passage, Gödel went on to explain why the world’s rationality motivates his belief in an afterlife:

    If the world is rationally organized and has meaning, then it must be the case. For what sort of a meaning would it have to bring about a being (the human being) with such a wide field of possibilities for personal development and relationships to others, only then to let him achieve not even 1/1,000th of it?

    This also relates to Gödel’s fifth point: “The world in which we live is not the only one in which we shall live or have lived.”  

    Remarkably, these ideas were first formulated by Abdu’l Baha, who originally stated them more than half a century earlier in his 1906 book “Some Answered Questions”:

    … nature is subject to a sound organization, to inviolable laws, to a perfect order, and to a consummate design, from which it never departs. To such an extent is this true that were you to gaze with the eye of insight and discernment, you would observe that all things—from the smallest invisible atom to the largest globes in the world of existence, such as the sun or the other great stars and luminous bodies—are most perfectly organized, be it with regard to their order, their composition, their outward form, or their motion, and that all are subject to one universal law from which they never depart.

    Abdu’l-Baha reinforced that point in another passage from “Some Answered Questions”:

    … if a human life, with its spiritual being, were limited to this earthly span, then what would be the harvest of creation? Indeed, what would be the effects and the outcomes of Divinity Itself? Were such a notion true, then all created things, all contingent realities, and this whole world of being—all would be meaningless. God forbid that one should hold to such a fiction and gross error.

    RELATED: Can We Die Joyously?

    Compare, as well, Gödel’s fourth point “There are other worlds and rational beings of a different and higher kind,” with the views shared in the even earlier 19th-century writings of Baha’u’llah, the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith: “Know thou that every fixed star hath its own planets, and every planet its own creatures, whose number no man can compute” and “Know thou of a truth that the worlds of God are countless in their number, and infinite in their range. None can reckon or comprehend them except God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

    Did the Baha’i teachings anticipate and foresee the insights of renowned scientists and thinkers like Gödel? In the next essay in this short series, we’ll look at the evidence in one specific area: reincarnation.

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    The Life and Legacy of the First Colombian Baha’i

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    Tony Ramos
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    In the mid-20th century, Colombia experienced a spiritual shift as the teachings of the Baha’i Faith began to spread throughout the country. 

    RELATED: Forging a Path From Mexico: The First Latino Baha’i Community

    At the heart of this historic development was Aura María Bernal de Sánchez, the first Colombian to declare her belief in the Baha’i teachings, inspiring countless souls to follow in her footsteps. Learn about her life and legacy.

    Aura María Bernal de Sánchez’s Upbringing, Family, and Introduction to the Baha’i Faith

    Aura María Bernal was born on June 18, 1899, in Bogotá, Colombia. For 12 years, she received a strict religious education at a Catholic convent school. Alongside her sister Juanita Bernal, she studied nursing, preparing herself for her career as a nurse and midwife.

    In 1930, Aura married Luis Augusto Sánchez Cuervo in 1930, and they had two kids — Luis and Gloria. Little did their children know how much their lives would be transformed by their parents’ spiritual search.

    Aura María Bernal de Sánchez

    Aura’s husband was a freethinker who was open to exploring a variety of spiritual movements and philosophies, affiliated with Theosophy and the Rosicrucian school. Aura often accompanied her husband to the activities of the different associations he was involved in.

    It was at a Theosophical meeting where Aura and Luis were introduced to the Baha’i Faith, a world religion centered around oneness — one God, one human race, and one progressive divine revelation. As Baha’u’llah, the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith, wrote:

    The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men.

    In 1942, a Canadian Baha’i of German ancestry spoke about the Faith to the Theosophical group while visiting on one of his business trips, inspiring Luis and Aura to invite him to their home. From then on, they met every week to talk about the Baha’i teachings.

    At one of these meetings, he gave the couple the book “Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era” — the sole Baha’i book available in Spanish at the time. Aura began to read this book and asked questions at the weekly talks.

    Aura María Bernal de Sánchez’s Life as the First Colombian Baha’i

    In 1942, Aura became the first Colombian Baha’i, and her husband, Luis, followed suit, declaring his belief months later.

    Sadly, sometimes, people make fun of what seems different and unfamiliar to them. Aura was no exception and faced shock and ridicule from those around her for being the first Colombian Baha’i. However, she refused to let this mockery deter her, following the advice of Abdu’l-Baha, one of the central figures of the Baha’i Faith, who said in a 1912 talk in New York:

    ​Let not your heart be offended with anyone. If someone commits an error and wrong toward you, you must instantly forgive him.

    So, she continued to share the revolutionary teachings of the Baha’i Faith with everyone around her, including the eradication of all forms of prejudice, the elimination of the extremes of wealth and poverty, the equality of women and men, the agreement of science and religion, the truth and oneness of all religions, the independent investigation of truth, and the importance of a universal language and education.

    Several of her friends embraced the Baha’i Faith, and the number of Baha’is quickly grew, allowing them to elect the first Local Spiritual Assembly in Colombia.

    Local Spiritual Assemblies are composed of nine elected members in a Baha’i community who, as Abdu’l-Baha described, focus their discussions on “spiritual matters that pertain to the training of souls, the instruction of children, the relief of the poor, the help of the feeble throughout all classes in the world, kindness to all peoples, the diffusion of the fragrances of God and the exaltation of His Holy Word.”

    A 1954 letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, states:

    When a person becomes a Bahá’í, actually what takes place is that the seed of the spirit starts to grow in the human soul. This seed must be watered by the outpourings of the Holy Spirit. These gifts of the spirit are received through prayer, meditation, study of the Holy Utterances and service to the Cause of God.

    “From the first moment of her life as a Bahá’í, her orientation and guidance were the Sacred Teachings, her behaviour exemplified simplicity, humility, and determined collaboration, both within and outside the community,” wrote the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Colombia.

    “Parallel to teaching the Faith, she devoted her best efforts to the education of her two children, giving them the responsibility of demonstrating ‘a model of Bahá’í life.’”

    Aura and Luis’s son Luis Augusto Sánchez BernalAura and Luis’s son Luis Augusto Sánchez Bernal
    Aura and Luis’s son, Luis Augusto Sánchez Bernal

    During the 1950s, Aura and her daughter Gloria traveled throughout Colombia, sharing the unifying message of the Baha’i Faith in regions like Santander and La Guajira. By 1960, she relocated to Manizales to establish a Local Spiritual Assembly there to help achieve the goal of electing Colombia’s first National Spiritual Assembly at Riḍván 1961. Her hard work paid off.

    In her memoriam, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Colombia wrote: 

    She always had deep conviction in the truth of Baha’u’llah and His Teachings, and was surrounded with the feeling of service. The last 15 years of her life were devoted to the care of the Bahá’í Center, and whoever entered into that house received affection and attention from her, in one way or another.

    Everyone who met her called her ‘Mamita.’ Until the last moment of her life, she counselled her family to be firm and constant, emphasising that the only real and enduring things are noble and pure acts in service to the Kingdom and to humanity.

    She passed away peacefully on August 15, 1986, at her son’s home in Bogotá. Today, there are more than 30,000 Baha’is in Colombia. Let’s honor Aura María Bernal de Sánchez’s role in paving the way for generations to come.

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    Dizzy Gillespie, Music, and the Baha’i Faith

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    Tony Ramos
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    …music, sung or played, is spiritual food for soul and heart. The musician’s art is among those arts worthy of the highest praise, and it moveth the hearts of all… – Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 112.

    Within the New York City Baha’i Center sits the John Birks Gillespie Auditorium, dedicated to the late jazz great, affectionately referred to as “Dizzy” due to his playful on-stage antics. Of course, many folks will remember his trumpeting skills; some might recall his mischievous humor, and still others may fondly think of his famous bent trumpet and puffy cheeks. People may also know of his numerous awards and accolades. However, perhaps not as many may know that this trumpet virtuoso and famous bebop musician was a Baha’i. Dizzy Gillespie wrote:

    Becoming a Baha’i changed my life in every way and gave me a new concept of the relationship between God and man—between man and his fellow man—man and his family… I became more spiritually aware, and when you’re spiritually aware, that will be reflected in what you do… The [Baha’i] writings gave me new insight on what the plan is—God’s plan—for this time, the truth of the oneness of God, the truth of the oneness of the prophets, the truth of the oneness of mankind.

    John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie

    RELATED: How Electronic Dance Music Brought Me Closer to God

    Born in South Carolina, John Birks Gillespie was the youngest of nine children. He began learning piano at the tender age of four, when many of us were playing at the park, and not quite ready for school. As his father was in a band, he was around many instruments as a child. By the age of 12, Dizzy had taught himself to play the trumpet. His high-caliber talents eventually earned him a musical scholarship to the Laurinburg Institute in North Carolina.

    This gifted young man went on to create remarkable music. In addition to playing the trumpet, Dizzy was also a scat singer and composer, an innovator, and an improviser.

    Watching YouTube videos of his performances alongside other musicians, demonstrating his fantastic horn techniques, showcasing his charming demeanor, and using his characteristic bent trumpet was not only entertaining but inspiring. But his musical prowess only reveals one mere facet of this talented man; he was also a spiritual being, attracted to the writings of Baha’u’llah—the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith.

    The William Sears’ book “Thief in the Night”—a great book that reads like a mystery novel and encourages independent investigation of reality—impacted Dizzy’s soul and led him to the Baha’i Faith. Learning about the spiritual side of this musical genius reminded me how music can cheer our hearts, and take our minds off our worries and sadness. Music is an art form that truly can “moveth the hearts.” I’ve felt this power firsthand when I’ve struggled through challenging times—times when listening to an upbeat song helped take my mind off my pain.

    Music is, in fact, so vital to all of us that Baha’u’llah discusses this topic in his book of laws:

    We, verily, have made music as a ladder for your souls, a means whereby they may be lifted up unto the realm on high; make it not, therefore, as wings to self and passion. – The Most Holy Book, p. 38. 

    Isn’t that a lovely analogy? Thinking of music as a “ladder for [our] souls” provides a mental picture of that spiritual ladder quite literally lifting us off the ground. In other words, music helps connect us to the ethereal side of ourselves and lets us forget about worldly matters. 

    In yet another excerpt from the Baha’i writings, music is used as an important metaphor for teaching us about unity in diversity:

    The diversity in the human family should be the cause of love and harmony, as it is in music where many different notes blend together in the making of a perfect chord. – Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 53.

    RELATED: How the Power of Music Heals Racism

    This quote from the Baha’i teachings is a particular favorite of mine, and I’m sure many people can relate to its gentle reminder that, despite our superficial physical differences, we are all one human race, and we should be loved and appreciated for the uniqueness of our individuality. When united, different musical notes create a beautiful song, just as different human personalities, ethnicities, sizes, and shapes create our beautiful global human family.

    The life of this jazz legend, and the importance of music to our spiritual existence, cannot be solely contained within the confines of this short article. The legacy of Dizzy’s music will endure for future generations to enjoy. His timeless songs, and the joyfulness of his music will continue on, inspiring, uplifting and feeding our souls. 

    I hope this essay will encourage readers to learn more about Dizzy’s life, listen to his music, and delve deeper into the Faith he followed.

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    Honoring the Birth of Baha’u’llah

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    Tony Ramos
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    Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i Faith, came into this world at the hour of dawn on this day in 1817, bringing the means for the establishment of the long-awaited unity of the entire human race. 

    When he began teaching his new Faith in the spring of 1863, Baha’u’llah promised that the religious, racial, and nationalistic hatreds dividing the world’s peoples would soon be overcome. 

    He promised, as well, that the war and fanaticism which separates human beings was now annulled. 

    RELATED: Honoring the Birth of Baha’u’llah – Joyously!

    Baha’u’llah challenged all people to transcend their prejudices and the things that keep them apart as one human family. 

    Pathway to the Shrine of Baha’u’llah in Acre, Israel.

    He brought a blueprint for a new international order, which opens the way for lasting world peace based on a deeply spiritual foundation. 

    He raised the great call for the unity of all peoples and cultures, all nations and religions, which the prophets of old had promised would one day appear:

    We desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations …. That all nations should become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should cease, and differences of race be annulled … Yet so it shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the ’Most Great Peace’ shall come …. These strifes and this bloodshed and discord must cease, and all men be as one kindred and one family …. Let not a man glory in this, that he loves his country; let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind …. – 

    Every one of those profound reasons, and many more, inspire the global Baha’i community to enthusiastically and joyously celebrate this holy day — the Birth of Baha’u’llah, the second of the Baha’i Twin Holy Days.

    Every year Baha’is anticipate this day with great joy. In the same way that Buddhists annually celebrate Vesak, the birth of Gautama Buddha; in the same way that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus every year on Christmas; in the same way that every great Faith annually commemorates the birth of its founder, Baha’is view the advent of Baha’u’llah as a major turning point in the world’s evolution:

    The Revelation which, from time immemorial, hath been acclaimed as the Purpose and Promise of all the Prophets of God, and the most cherished Desire of His Messengers, hath now, by virtue of the pervasive Will of the Almighty and at His irresistible bidding, been revealed unto men. The advent of such a Revelation hath been heralded in all the sacred Scriptures. 

    To Baha’is, Baha’u’llah’s birth represents hope and joy and the advent of a spiritual springtime, when the whole world awakens to his hopeful, beautiful message of love, peace, and unity. Baha’is believe that Baha’u’llah, the most recent messenger and founder of a global Faith, has provided humanity with the latest channel of God’s grace. 

    Born in 1817 in Tehran, the capital city of Persia, Baha’u’llah grew up as the son of a government minister and nobleman. Rather than pursuing his father’s career as expected, early in his adulthood Baha’u’llah began devoting his life to the service of the poor and needy.

    A “Taj” or head-dress worn by Baha’u’llah

    He sought no position or prominence and accepted the new religion of the Bab — which subjected Baha’u’llah and his family to terrible privation, persecution, and imprisonment. Thirteen years after the government’s execution of the Bab in 1850, Baha’u’llah announced that he was the one heralded by the Bab, God’s messenger for humanity’s golden age of unity and peace, foretold in all of the world’s scriptures:

    O peoples of the world! The Sun of Truth hath risen to illumine the whole earth, and to spiritualize the community of man. Laudable are the results and the fruits thereof, abundant the holy evidences deriving from this grace. This is mercy unalloyed and purest bounty; it is light for the world and all its peoples; it is harmony and fellowship, and love and solidarity; indeed it is compassion and unity, and the end of foreignness; it is the being at one, in complete dignity and freedom, with all on earth.  

    RELATED: Who Is Baha’u’llah, and What Does His Revelation Mean?

    Among his teachings on unity and harmony, Baha’u’llah taught that no distinction of station exists between any of the prophets of God — in fact, Baha’is view all of the messengers and prophets of God as one. Baha’u’llah’s message is intended not for one people or culture, one language or nation, but is meant for all peoples. 

    The Baha’i teachings say that the coming of age of the human species, the time when the human race can recognize itself as one, discover its fullness and its common humanity, has arrived.

    Door to the Shrine of Baha’u’llah.Door to the Shrine of Baha’u’llah.
    Door to the Shrine of Baha’u’llah.

    So this day — the birthday of Baha’u’llah — is holy because it marks the first day in human history, which can be celebrated as sacred by all peoples, no matter what their background. In it, Jewish people have discovered the birth of the Messiah, and Christians recognized the return of Christ, while Muslims celebrate the reappearance of the Hidden Imam or the birth of the promised Qa’im. Zoroastrians rejoice at the birth of their king, the Shah Bahram; Buddhists can find in Baha’u’llah the Maitreya Buddha, the supremely enlightened One; and Hindus can recognize the reincarnation of Krishna, born to reestablish righteousness on Earth. 

    Happy Birthday of Baha’u’llah!

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    What Are the 5 Different Types of Social Support?

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    Tony Ramos
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    When we experience the different types of social support, we feel close to and cared for by our community. In contrast, as noted in chapter 11 of “Health Promotion in Health Care – Vital Theories and Research,” published online by the National Library of Medicine, “The opposite of social support is loneliness.”

    This chapter explained that “social support is a predictor of physical and mental health, and a buffer that protects (or ’buffers’) people from the bad effects of stressful life events,” having a significant “impact on psychological distress, quality of life, loneliness, burden of care, as well as anxiety, depression, hope, meaning, self-transcendence, and mortality risk.”

    RELATED: The 9 Different Types of Safety: From Physical to Emotional

    A robust culture of social support fosters an environment where, as the Universal House of Justice puts it, “Fear of failure finds no place. Mutual support, commitment to learning, and appreciation of diversity of action are the prevailing norms.”

    Learn about the following five different types of support and how you can practice them in your everyday interactions.

    1. Emotional Support

    Emotional support involves acts of physical and emotional comfort that express sympathy, empathy, care, and concern. Abdu’l-Baha, one of the central figures of the Baha’i Faith, highlighted the importance of consoling those in need, asking us to “raise the fallen” and “comfort the sorrowful.” Examples of this type of social support include:

    • Hugging someone who has had a bad day.
    • Checking in with someone who is going through a difficult time to let them know that you are there for them.
    • Visiting someone in a hospital, hospice, or nursing home to brighten their day and take their mind off of their injury or illness.
    • Listening to someone’s problems without interrupting, judging, criticizing, or changing the subject.
    • Being physically present with someone as you empathize with their feelings and validate their experiences.

    2. Esteem Support

    definition of encouragement for esteem supportdefinition of encouragement for esteem support

    “The friends everywhere need encouragement,” wrote the Universal House of Justice in a 1996 message to the Baha’is of the world.

    Esteem support refers to encouraging messages that boost someone’s self-esteem and confidence in their abilities. Examples of esteem support include:

    • Offering positive feedback to motivate someone who has taken on a new project or challenge.
    • Recognizing someone’s accomplishments and celebrating their successes.
    • Letting someone know that you believe that they have what it takes to achieve their dreams.
    • Praising a person’s positive qualities and attributes and complimenting their talents and skill sets.
    • Challenging a person’s negative beliefs about themselves by reminding them of what they are capable of.

    3. Social Network Support

    social network supportsocial network support

    “Social network support is defined as the messages that help to enhance one’s sense of belonging to a specific group with similar interests or situations,” according to a journal article titled “Understanding the Different Types of Social Support Offered by Audience to A-List Diary-Like and Informative Bloggers,” published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. Here are examples of social network support:

    • Organizing regular gatherings to bond and connect people who share the same interests and values.
    • Connecting someone with other friends in their social network who would be interested in supporting their initiatives.
    • Ensuring that all members of a community feel welcomed and included.
    • Collaborating on projects with others who have similar goals.
    • Introducing someone to a mentor who can provide personalized guidance and help them feel more connected and supported within a professional network.

    4. Informational Support

    Informational support is the advice, guidance, or knowledge that helps individuals solve problems, make informed decisions, or understand situations more clearly. Examples of this type of social support include:

    • Teaching someone about a topic that they are interested in.
    • Offering guidance based on your area of expertise.
    • Directing someone to informative resources that would enhance their understanding.
    • Conducting detailed research for someone to help inform their decision.
    • Giving advice about how to solve a problem.

    Of course, make sure that you ask a person if they would like your advice before you offer it. Studies have shown that too much unsolicited advice and undesired critical feedback can actually worsen a person’s mental and physical health, as well as their relationship satisfaction.

    5. Tangible Support

    At a talk in London in 1911, Abdu’l-Baha said, “We know that to help the poor and to be merciful is good and pleases God, but knowledge alone does not feed the starving man, nor can the poor be warmed by knowledge or words in the bitter winter; we must give the practical help of Loving-kindness.” 

    “Practical help” is what tangible support is all about. Tangible support, also referred to as instrumental support, encompasses the physical acts of service and responsibilities we take on to help alleviate someone’s burden. Examples of tangible support include:

    • Giving money to the homeless and financially destitute.
    • Offering a ride to someone who doesn’t have a car.
    • Taking meals to someone who is too sick to cook for themselves.
    • Helping someone pack and move to their new home.
    • Offering to babysit for someone who needs to attend an important appointment.

    All of these different types of support are expressions of love for those around us. As Abdu’l-Baha advised:

    Strive to increase the love-power of reality, to make your hearts greater centers of attraction and to create new ideals and relationships.

    First of all, be ready to sacrifice your lives for one another, to prefer the general well-being to your personal well-being. Create relationships that nothing can shake; form an assembly that nothing can break up; have a mind that never ceases acquiring riches that nothing can destroy.

    By understanding and practicing these types of social support, we can strengthen our relationships and create a more compassionate and connected community. Social support truly is the glue that binds strong and lasting relationships together.

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    How to Turn Your Grief into Creativity

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    Tony Ramos
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    If you’ve ever grieved over a major loss in life, you know how profoundly painful it can be – so is there a way to creatively transform that pain into something else, something better?

    Grief and loss can trigger many emotions and physical responses, some we can anticipate, some of which we cannot. 

    But despite how terrible we may feel in our grief and loss, this passage from Abdu’l-Baha humbly reminds us of the deep purpose and power of grief in our own personal development: “Grief and sorrow do not come to us by chance, they are sent to us by the Divine Mercy for our own perfecting.”

    RELATED: The Power of Art to Transform Souls and Society

    Emotions of grief and loss can be triggered through the death of a loved one, but also by the loss of a relationship or a job, or a decline in health, or even from tragedies that happen to others. Oftentimes, when we experience such traumatic events, we feel unlike ourselves, clouded, heavy-hearted and out of sorts with the world. Other issues such as depression, physical illness, and confusion begin to come to the surface. As a result we feel out of control and develop the inability to articulate in words how we feel and how we process our loss or trauma. 

    No one avoids suffering in this life – but, in the following words of Abdu’l-Baha, without suffering, we cannot progress: 

    Men who suffer not, attain no perfection. The plant most pruned by the gardeners is that one which, when the summer comes, will have the most beautiful blossoms and the most abundant fruit. The labourer cuts up the earth with his plough, and from that earth comes the rich and plentiful harvest. The more a man is chastened, the greater is the harvest of spiritual virtues shown forth by him.

    So the next time you find yourself grieving, make art. The arts offer us all a wonderful opportunity to process grief, express our inner thoughts, and channel unspeakable and difficult-to-verbalize feelings. 

    RELATED: How Can Art Promote Social Justice?

    Participating in a creative activity encourages us to use our imaginations, and detach ourselves from the pain we feel in moments of sadness. Unlike bottling up our feelings inside, the arts invite us to nurture our emotions in creative ways in a safe space. By being creative in times of loss and grief, we give ourselves license to express our imaginative powers and become open to divine inspiration. When we open our hearts to grieving through art and creation, we open ourselves to a conversation, one of meditation and spiritual communion: 

    A conversation can be held, but not as our conversation. There is no doubt that the forces of the higher worlds interplay with the forces of this plane. The heart of man is open to inspiration; this is spiritual communication. As in a dream one talks with a friend while the mouth is silent, so is it in the conversation of the spirit. – Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks

    Engaging in any creative process gives us a break from cogitating, talking and doing, to simply being in the moment. By taking part in an artistic practice, it can act as the thread between our heads, hearts and hands. Reflecting on the outcome of our creative process often enables us to tell our story and process our emotions outside the moments of loss and grief. 

    Creating beauty out of pain can be incredibly cathartic, and also reinforces our resiliency as humans. For many artists, experiences of grief, sorrow, and adversity often lead to some of their greatest works. This is not to say that all artists should attempt to lead miserable lives, or continuously torture themselves, but that adversity could also present future opportunities and a depth in their work that otherwise could not be achieved: 

    O sincere servant of the True One! I hear thou art grieved and distressed at the happenings of the world and the vicissitudes of fortune. Wherefore this fear and sorrow? The true lovers of [Baha’u’llah], and they that have quaffed the Cup of the Covenant fear no calamity, nor feel depressed in the hour of trial. They regard the fire of adversity as their garden of delight, and the depth of the sea the expanse of heaven. – Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha

    Research has shown that the grieving process has various stages. Denial, pain, anger, and depression can transition into an upward turn, reconstruction and acceptance. An artistic practice allows us to experience these extreme emotions in a safe way, and enables us to feel empowered to accept and then process the grief and pain, mobilizing us on the path toward healing. Like any language, art provides the key that enables us to speak the true feelings of the heart: 

    … the function of language is to portray the mysteries and secrets of human hearts. The heart is like a box, and language is the key. Only by using the key can we open the box and observe the gems it contains. – Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace

    By transforming our grief and sorrow into art, we can also pray to the Creator, detaching ourselves from the difficulties of this earthly life and asking for his protection and guidance. After all, Baha’u’llah has blessed those who engage in the arts and handicrafts, considering artistic endeavor as a form of worship – so why not use our pain as a way to grow closer to God, by engaging in creativity?

    Blessed is he who in the days of God will engage in handicrafts. This is a bounty from God, for in this Most Great Dispensation it is acceptable in the sight of God for man to occupy himself in a trade which relieveth him of depending upon charity. The craft of every craftsman is regarded as worship. – Baha’u’llah, from a tablet translated from Persian.

    Dear readers: I’d love to hear from you and learn about the creative ways you’ve channelled your sadness and grief. Please share in the comments below! 

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    Quantum Mechanics, Modern Physics and the Baha’i Teachings

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    Tony Ramos
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    When I reflect on the Baha’i teachings, which stunningly prefigure many of the discoveries of modern physics, I see an interesting pattern.

    As a physicist, I’ve noticed that most of the clearest scientific expressions and explanations in the Baha’i teachings come from the writings and talks of Abdu’l-Baha. Looking carefully, those explanations usually trace back to the original concept provided by Baha’u’llah. However, ultimately Abdu’l-Baha seems uniquely capable of pulling these concepts out, explaining them in clear, modern language, and rendering them intelligible to us—or at least to me.

    For example on the question of the ultimate substance of matter, in Baha’u’llah’s “Tablet of Wisdom” we can see the presence of the ideas later expressed by Abdu’l-Baha:

    … He (Socrates) it is who perceived a unique, a tempered, and a pervasive nature in things, bearing the closest likeness to the human spirit, and he discovered this nature to be distinct from the substance of things in their refined form. – Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah, p. 146.

    This, I suspect, forms the kernel of the idea that underlies Abdu’l-Baha’s statement that:

    Even the ether, the forces of which are said in natural philosophy to be heat, light, electricity and magnetism, is an intelligible and not a sensible reality. – Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, newly revised edition, pp. 93-94.

    Perhaps this alludes to the other uniquely modern ideas from the Baha’i teachings about non-existence of rest and a void, which both flow from the concept of a pervasive and spirit-like essence underlying all matter. For those reasons and from my perspective, it seems it would behoove us to pay extremely careful attention to what Abdu’l-Baha says about science and the universe, despite how deceptively simple it may sound.

    With hindsight we can easily see the many important principles contained in Abdu’l-Baha’s writings and speeches—for example, the understanding that both matter and light arises from the ether, the understanding that this field represents a non-physical “intellectual reality” and that absolute rest is impossible via his statement “that motion be an inseparable concomitant of existence.” These concepts expose some of the core ideas of quantum mechanics and later field theory—which developed as guiding lights of contemporary science long after Abdu’l-Baha first expressed them.

    Louis de Broglie

    All this makes me wonder how a scientist existing before the advent of the quantum wave function might have used Abdu’l-Baha’s statements to hasten these discoveries. One could imagine an insightful individual who might have taken Abdu’l-Baha’s statements on ether and matter to heart, and seen, as the pioneering French physicist Louis de Broglie eventually postulated, that matter might be modeled as a wave; or later understood that this same field could also explain electromagnetism. Yet still, this kind of discovery requires formulating these principles in terms of the problems and the mathematics at hand, which makes me doubt anyone will discover a fully formed theory of physics hidden in scripture. Instead, we can sometimes find principles which should inspire and hopefully point the direction towards fruitful scientific inquiry.

    With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at some of the probable truths contemporary science still wrestles with and attempts to prove, and see if we can find corollaries or clues within the Baha’i teachings. Several ideas seem to be suggested in the Baha’i writings which many physicists think are true, but haven’t conclusively proven yet. I’ll list two of the most important ones here:

    The Cosmos Exhibits Self-similarity

    This concept perhaps should really belong in the category of known scientific facts, since this is a plainly observed phenomena of our universe, due to the nature of our physical laws. While it hasn’t yet been conclusively proven—it would be a very difficult theory to prove, after all—most scientists already accept it; and most laymen do, too. In part, it has driven the development of such emerging sciences as fractal mathematics. The Baha’i teachings express this cosmic self-similarity in terms of the obvious patterns of nature, from the smallest element to the largest:

    … earthly and heavenly, material and spiritual, accidental and essential, particular and universal, structure and foundation, appearance and reality and the essence of all things, both inward and outward—all of these are connected one with another and are interrelated in such a manner that you will find that drops are patterned after seas, and that atoms are structured after suns in proportion to their capacities and potentialities. – Abdu’l-Baha, Tablet of the Universe, provisional translation.

    The Cosmos is Infinite

    Despite the belief that our universe originated with a singularity, scientists now have a strong suspicion that our cosmos is infinite, populated by a multi-verse. In fact, the infinite nature of the universe is now almost a requirement for many existing theories beyond the standard model. Since science centers so much on measurement, this theory also approaches impossibility in terms of proof—but the Baha’i teachings have proclaimed the infinitude of the universe since the beginning of the revelation:

    Know thou that the expressions of the creative hand of God throughout His limitless worlds are themselves limitless. Limitations are a characteristic of the finite, and restriction is a quality of existent things, not of the reality of existence. – Ibid.

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