Martin Luther King Day- January 15th (beliefs, evolution, America, church)

[arthra]

‘I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.'
-- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

For more than a century, American Baha’is have worked for social justice and racial harmony, in keeping with the faith’s beliefs in the oneness of humanity and the elimination of prejudice. So it’s fitting that Baha’is throughout the United States have been involved in Martin Luther King Day activities since the holiday was established in 1986.

"Dr. King", says one Baha'i, "still represents the idea of racial unity," a cause near and dear to the hearts of American Baha’is, who take their inspiration from the faith and its main figures. As early as 1912, Abdul-Baha, while on His historic journey across North America, made race unity a key feature of public addresses, for example at Howard University and before the Fourth Annual Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

He encouraged loving interaction between blacks and whites, including interracial marriage. As a result of his vision, the American Baha'i community hosted its first racial amity conference in Washington D.C. in 1921 and later formed race unity committees.

In the late 1930s, Abdul-Baha’s successor, Shoghi Effendi, wrote:
"As to 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, it should be regarded as constituting the most vital and challenging issue confronting the Baha'i community at the present stage of its evolution."

[Booko]

I really miss the MLK Day marches we used to have here in Atlanta. The Baha'i community was always one of the two sponsors for that event, and it was great to see so many people from so many backgrounds working together to pull off an event of that size.

It seems very strange to me that here in Atlanta, home of Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Dr. King was pastor, it seems so very...quiet...on a day like today, at least compared to what it was.

Oh, I'm sure the local news will cover a few things going on, like the new papers released at the Atlanta History Center and so forth, but wow...10 years ago the town would've been hoppin'.

I look forward to the time when we finally achieve Dr. King's dream, that when relate to someone, it isn't about the color of their skin, but the color of their character.

[jacquie4000]

I look forward to the time when we finally achieve Dr. King's dream, that when relate to someone, it isn't about the color of their skin, but the color of their character.

I second that vote with all my heart...............