“There’s so much hate right now,” bewailed a friend recently.

Usually one of the most positive and upbeat women I know, she sounded dejected. Deeply concerned about the state of society, especially in the political realm, but in general as well, she worries what the future holds in light of this growing disconnect between people.

The Baha’i teachings say:

… all are servants of the loving and merciful God who has created, nourished and provided for all, therefore why should men be unjust and unkind to each other, showing forth that which is contrary to God? As He loves us why should we entertain animosity and hate? If God did not love all He would not have created, trained and provided for all. Loving-kindness is the divine policy. Shall we consider human policy and attitude superior to the wisdom and policy of God? This would be inconceivable, impossible. Therefore we must emulate and follow the divine policy, dealing with each other in the utmost love and tenderness. – Abdu’l-Baha, Foundations of World Unity, p. 25.

We all know that politicians can’t legislate unity. Hate and distrust will not be broken down via the legal system. I’m not saying we don’t need laws to protect against hate crimes—unfortunately, we do. But laws won’t cure the problem. In order to no longer need such laws, prejudice must be eliminated. That change needs to work from the bottom up, as the lyrics say, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” Ah, but how?

Divine policy calls us to study the Holy Scriptures, meditate on their meanings and join a like-minded, peaceful community of like-minded souls in order to nourish and enlighten our hearts and the world. Our goal: to become true lovers of God and his creation, which includes people, animals and the natural environment. Mere knowledge, however, won’t do much—we must act upon our beliefs. More than that, we must do so with such sincerity and radiant joy that others will be drawn to us and want to know what motivates us, so they in turn will seek their own spiritual confirmations and start to find love rather than hate in their hearts.

Abdu’l-Baha once told a group:

I want to make you understand that material progress and spiritual progress are two very different things, and that only if material progress goes hand in hand with spirituality can any real progress come about, and  the Most Great Peace reign in the world. If men followed the Holy Counsels and the Teachings of the Prophets, if Divine Light shone in all hearts and men were really religious, we should soon see peace on earth and the Kingdom of God among men. The laws of God may be likened unto the soul and material progress unto the body. If the body was not animated by the soul, it would cease to exist. It is my earnest prayer that spirituality may ever grow and increase in the world, so that customs may become enlightened and peace and concord may be established. – Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 108.

Yes, we humans do have a long history of hatred, so peace and concord sometimes seems remote. The Hatfields and the McCoys, the Montagues and the Capulets, Irish Protestants and Catholics, Middle Eastern Jews and Arabs, the Hutus and the Tutsis—rivalries and conflicts seem to have existed from time immemorial. They cause many folks to believe that’s just the way it is and will always be. No matter what part of the world you live in, you can find groups of people there who mistrust—and truly detest—each other.

A while ago the Arizona Republic published an article by Karina Bland about Magda Willinger’s experiences as a Jew during the Nazi regime, prior to and during her incarceration in concentration camps and in forced labor under the most unforgiving conditions. Today, Willinger worries about what she sees and reads in the news. In fact, Bland’s article ends with these lines:

People say it couldn’t happen again. Not in this era of global communication. Not with the whole world watching.

But Magda has seen genocide in different parts of the world in real time on the news. She sees the refugees fleeing and hears the hateful talk that pits one people against another.

’How can this repeat?’ she asks. ’We can’t let it happen again. We have to learn to accept each other as we are.’

People say it couldn’t happen. Not again. Not now.

Magda is not so sure. – Karina Bland, Arizona Republic, August 19, 2016.

The Jewish people have a rallying cry—Never again!—not just for themselves, but for all people everywhere. Each Holocaust survivor I’ve known or read about says that is the reason they allow themselves to relive their story and undergo the mental anguish the memories bring up. They would like to transcend the pain and suffering. They’d like to forget their first-hand experiences of man’s inhumanity to their fellow human beings. But they endure because they fear others will forget. They realize how many have forgotten. They see the current state of affairs around the world and they work harder because the need is so great. They want to impress on others the need to see each other as children of one loving God.

We can help change Magda’s uncertainty—and our own—by heeding and acting on this Baha’i prayer:

Please God, that we avoid the land of denial, and advance into the ocean of acceptance, so that we may perceive, with an eye purged from all conflicting elements, the worlds of unity and diversity, of variation and oneness, of limitation and detachment, and wing our flight unto the highest and innermost sanctuary of the inner meaning of the Word of God. – Baha’u’llah, The Book of Certitude, p. 160.

I am a white American woman who has, for most of my life, been oblivious to my white privilege — those benefits that accrue to me simply because of my pale skin. 

In the past, I dismissed this privilege, arguing, “My family never ever owned slaves. Racism? Not my fault.”

I was raised in a blue-collar family, yet my parents were homeowners, never renters. We always had more than one car, and we had excellent health care, thanks to my dad’s government job. We were solidly lower middle class, neither wealthy nor privileged. We worked hard, I said, and we didn’t take handouts.  

How naïve I have been. My parents’ generation benefited from the G.I. Bill, subsidized mortgages, union membership — all keys to acquiring wealth, education, and property. These were denied to every Black man, even men who served our country. I learned this only recently. 

I never worried about being stopped by the police. I have never been followed around in a store or asked what I was doing there. I have never been denied service or asked for proof that I own the car I’m driving. 

RELATED: Dismantling the Ladder: Why Anti-Racism Must Go Blue Collar

In a recent podcast, the writer Hilton Als described an encounter with two elderly white women. He was wearing a face mask, as we all do now during the pandemic, and one of the women flinched when she saw him. She was making an effort not to be afraid, he said. But still, in that effort, he felt great sadness because “I wouldn’t be afraid if she came up to me.” He asked, “What is it in the white body that produces that response?”

Listening to Als, I met my own racism. 

How many times have I first, if even for a split second, flinched before I caught myself. Yes, I have. A Black man walked through my neighborhood, and I cringed — for that crucial lizard-brain half-second before I relaxed and recognized him. He’s my neighbor! 

I was raised to be racist. I can still hear the childish taunts I uttered, hear my long-ago laughter at a racist remark, learned at my father’s knee. Am I past this? Can I ever overcome that training?

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One day I shared a subway platform in Atlanta, a lone white woman, with a group of Black men who were arguing. Other than the men and me, the station was deserted, and it was late at night. In my mind’s eye that night, I saw a white woman clutch her purse to her chest and back away, moving far down the platform. Am I that woman? I instead shook off that flinch, relaxed my body language, and swung my shoulder bag loosely across one shoulder. I edged closer. When I could hear what they were arguing about, I heard them talking sports. They were comparing players, and they were really funny. When they realized I was eavesdropping, they began to perform for their audience of one. I laughed along with them.   

We white people cannot overcome racism without first seeing that the American culture itself is infected. It’s the other pandemic in us. 

When I first read the passage below from Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, originally written in 1938, I thought that these words were addressed to an earlier America:

As to racial prejudice, the corrosion of which, for well-nigh a century, has bitten into the fiber, and attached the whole structure of American society, it should be regarded as constituting the most vital and challenging issue confronting the Baha’i community at the present stage of its evolution.

Originally, I smugly thought we are long past racism as a challenging issue. How little I knew. We are still in the early stages of our evolution, and if I am to address this most challenging issue of racism, I have to change myself. The President of the local NAACP chapter told me recently that she was tired of explaining to white people what racism is and how it affects her and her family. She told me to read! So I’m reading. 

RELATED: Anti-Racism Is Not a Book List. It’s a Way of Life

So let’s all do that, let’s read, to learn what racism is and has been, how it informs American institutions and policies. Let’s read about the Reconstruction period in our history and about Jim Crow, about mass incarceration and how it disproportionally affects communities of color. Read books and essays by Michelle Alexander and Ibram X. Kendi, read James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Angela Davis. Read Ta-Nehisi Coates and Jelani Cobb. For an antidote to prejudice and racial superiority, read the Baha’i writings, which offer us all a vision of an equitable, hate-free future and the promise of the unity of humankind.

From reading to understanding to action, we can learn to stop flinching and become true allies. Together, we can forge a path to racial justice. 

In part one, Michael Orona and I explored untold stories of solidarity between Indigenous Yaqui miners and African Americans. In part two, we delved into the power of spiritual courage and resilience. Now, in part three, we turn our focus to how we can promote unity and harmony in society.

The Baha’i writings call us to practice a high standard of love and unity. In a tablet to the Baha’is of the United States and Canada in 1916, Abdu’l-Baha wrote:

The divine friends must be attracted to and enamored of each other and ever be ready and willing to sacrifice their own lives for each other.

Yet, we can only achieve this profound unity through justice. Baha’u’llah, the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith, emphasized:

Justice is vital to the establishment of unity and harmony at all levels of society, as it provides the standard by which individual conduct and collective effort are judged. A requirement for living a life of service to humanity, then, is constant effort to develop truthfulness, trustworthiness, and justice, ensuring that they are ever-present in thought and action.

RELATED: How to Be a Better Ally for Racial Justice

Radiance Talley: Hi, Michael! In your novel, “The Brave Ones,” your characters create unity and challenge societal norms through their actions. What Baha’i teachings or personal reflections inspire your vision of unity, and what actions can readers take to promote justice and harmony in their own communities?

Michael Orona: Unity is not just an abstract concept, but a transformative power that can reshape societal structures. In “The Brave Ones,” the unintentional partnership between members of the Indigenous Yaqui community and African Americans represents a profound truth: our shared humanity transcends the artificial boundaries created by racism and discrimination.

The Baha’i teachings of the oneness of humanity are fundamental to my understanding of social transformation. We believe that humanity is like a garden — its beauty lies in its diversity. Just as a garden thrives when different flowers grow together, societies flourish when diverse communities recognize their interconnectedness. This principle guided the development of the characters in my book to look beyond their immediate circumstances and forge a collective path forward.

In my decades of human rights work around the world, I’ve witnessed how unity can emerge from the most challenging circumstances. The Baha’i principle of universal education is crucial here. Education is not just about academic knowledge, but about developing empathy, understanding, and the capacity to see beyond superficial differences. Readers can start by educating themselves about the histories and experiences of marginalized communities.

Practical Actions to Promote Unity, Justice, and Harmony in Society

Some practical actions for promoting justice and harmony might include:

1. Active Listening:

Truly hear the stories of communities different from your own. Understanding comes before solidarity and collaboration.

2. Amplify Marginalized Voices: 

Use your platforms, whether personal or professional, to create space for Indigenous, Black, and other underrepresented narratives. Give these individuals the opportunity to lead discussions and share their unique perspectives. 

3. Build Unexpected Partnerships: 

Like the characters in my book, seek connections across apparent divides. Unity often emerges from the most unexpected places.

4. Practice Extreme Empathy: 

Go beyond sympathy. Develop a genuine commitment to understanding the lived experiences of others. This means spending the time to build lasting friendships. 

RELATED: What Is Intercultural Empathy, and Why Is It Important?

My Chihene Apache and Yaqui heritage, along with my belief as a member of the Baha’i Faith, has taught me that justice is not a destination but a continuous journey. Each small act of understanding, each moment of genuine connection, contributes to a more harmonious world.

The story of the Yaqui miners is a microcosm of a larger truth: when we recognize our shared humanity, we can challenge even the most entrenched systems of oppression. It’s not about erasing our differences, but about celebrating them while recognizing our fundamental unity.

I often reflect on a Baha’i quote that says:

The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.

This is not just a spiritual principle, but a practical blueprint for social transformation. To the readers of “The Brave Ones,” I say this: Be courageous. Be curious. See the humanity in every person. The most profound revolutions begin with individual acts of understanding and compassion. Our world doesn’t need more division. It needs more bridges.

Radiance: Absolutely, that’s beautifully said. I would also add that this extreme empathy should result in compassionate action, where people speak up and stand up within their spheres of influence to advocate for the rights of marginalized voices and effect meaningful and lasting change. Thank you, Michael, for taking the time to answer my questions with such wisdom and heart. 

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…”

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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.’”

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.” 

“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.”

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.