excerpt from COLORS OF MY WORLD (see Aug 31, 2010)
In January, 1984 I met a neighbor of mine, at a church in a town about 10 miles from my house. My family and I were attending a Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial service and reception. I told Mr. spears that I would like to share some ideas on the Oneness of Mankind with some group in the our community and had heard that he knew of a community center in the black community. He eagerly requested that I speak to his church the next Sunday morning and invite church members to attend the meeting which he would arrange with the Senior Citizens at the community center. I was stunned at such an opportunity and eagerly agreed. The night before I tried to plan what I would say and came up blank. It was so stressful to have no idea what to say because I was (and still am) basically a shy person, not used to public speaking. I prayed for some plan and still came up blank. I developed a migraine and kept repeating the prayer "O God, make me a hollow reed from which the pith of self has been blown that I may become a clear channel through which Thy love may flow to others." Some Baha'is from a nearby community and my children went with me and sat in the congregation. Still not knowing what to say I just opened my mouth and spoke for about five minutes - actually it was a two way conversation with the congregation - after I started out by saying we came from the same set of parents (Adam and Eve) and therefore must be members of the same family. The reception to my talk was enthusiastic and very friendly. Thus began a series of regular, weekly meetings, which lasted almost a year.
It was challenging and frightening in some ways. Not what most might imagine but because I had grown to intensely love and cherish these new friends and felt a tremendous sense of wanting to build trust in our relationship. Because of my own particular personality, the bottom line from the outset was an honest, vulnerable, one on one sharing, even in the group meetings. Rather than sticking to a pre-arranged speech, eye contact, sensitivity to nuances of facial expression, body language and voice tone helped me be completely flexible in any exchange of thoughts, feelings and information.
At the meeting on the first Thursday, ten adults and one youth attended. I began by sharing my childhood of segregation and unawareness and told of various events and thoughts which led to a very strong awareness of the desire for friendship with all colors but frustration at being so alone in this desire.....My agenda at these meetings folllowed a fairly consistent pattern. They opened the meeting with a Christian prayer and hymn then turned it over to me. I began with sharing some discovery I had made in the various books I had read which revealed our common denominator of humanity. Sometimes it was noted anthropologist, Ashley Montague's research on the reality of only one race, sometimes it was a psychological thought (such as I'M OK, YOU'RE OK) concepts; pre-conceived ideas due to our childhood influences which were in error (such as all blacks liked watermelon and all whites are rich); group dynamics (such as fear on entering a strange group, power struggles, saving face); brainwashing done to white children (such as teaching prejudice and enhancing inclinations toward superiority); learning techniques on consultation, no competition. I mentioned a figure in black history or current events which had made a contribution to society (most of the time unrecognized). Also at each meeting there was at least one quote from the Baha'i writings concerning oneness, the nobility of each, and the need to love and be patient, while being honest and expecting fairness.
We shared recent examples in our daily lives in which the fruits of our study were manifested. Some shared family history of slave family members and past troubles. All of the members joined in the discussions. We had an open-minded, free-form discussion each time toward the middle and remainder of each meeting. They lasted from two to three hours because we forgot what time it was. We continued to build our friendships and I genuinely felt love and trust and honesty in our relationships. there was joy at our meetings and vigorous discussions (some quite challenging and thought provoking). I came home exhilarated! Almost all of those dear friends have now passed on but they live in my most cherished memories.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
PRAYERS TRANSLATED INTO CHEROKEE
Back in 2004-2007 when I lived on the Qualla Boundary, Cherokee Reservation, in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina I was fortunate enough to be a part of arranging for Elder Jerry Wolfe( who is in his eighties) to translate four Baha'i prayers into the Cherokee language. He completed this in both the phonetic pronunciation and the Cherokee syllabary. The goal has been to place this in the Baha'i National Archives in Wilmette, Illinois. Along with the translations I wanted to record Elder Jerry saying these prayers in Cherokee. After well over the last few years of trying to arrange this it was finally set for Monday afternoon of this week. I was so happy and excited I was almost babbling. My beloved Cherokee friend and fellow Baha'i, Hugh Lambert made this happen. He set up his equipment and talked Elder Jerry through the interview and translations.
Elder Jerry began the interview by chanting the Lord's Prayer and Amazing Grace in Cherokee. This was an unexpected and rich addition to the recording. It is hard to put into words how much joy this all brought to me. To have this precious language and my favorite prayers saved in the National Baha'i Archives and with the possible hope of the prayers being said in the Baha'i House of Worship in Wilmette during devotions is immensely thrilling. Hopefully I will be able to memorize these prayers in Cherokee for my own private worship.
Elder Jerry began the interview by chanting the Lord's Prayer and Amazing Grace in Cherokee. This was an unexpected and rich addition to the recording. It is hard to put into words how much joy this all brought to me. To have this precious language and my favorite prayers saved in the National Baha'i Archives and with the possible hope of the prayers being said in the Baha'i House of Worship in Wilmette during devotions is immensely thrilling. Hopefully I will be able to memorize these prayers in Cherokee for my own private worship.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
MARY McLEOD BETHUNE
excerpt from A SALUTE TO HISTORIC BLACK WOMEN, An Empak "Black History" Publication Series
Mary Jane McLeod Bethune has left her mark indelibly printed upon the walls of time as an outstanding educator, a giant of race relations, advisor to U. S Presidents, and the first Black woman in the United States to establish a school that became a four-year accredited college. She was born to slave parents, Sam and Patsy McLeod, in Mayesville, South Carolina in 1875. Of 17 children, only she was born in this side of slavery. She was a pilar of strength with perpetual drive and force. By courage, faith and perserverence, she was able to elevate herself to a respected position.....It was not until she reached age 11 that a school opened some five miles from her home, and she walked the distance daily. After graduation she was awarded a small scholarship by a White woman in Denver, Colorado who wanted to help one Black child attain more education...
In 1904, with the ever-present desire to educate others and $1.50, she founded a school for girls in Daytona Beach, Florida. Her student body consisted of her four year old son, and five little girls who each paid 50 cents a week tuition. Her school began in an old house near the city dump. Through difficulties too numerous to mention, the school slowly grew. The student body grew from an enrollment of five little girls to a co-ed institution which became Bethune College. By 1923 , when Bethune College merged with Cookman Institute, she had a student body of six hundred, 32 faculty members and an $800,000 campus free of debt.
Primarily an educator, Mrs. Bethune became involved in government affairs. In 1930, President Herbert Hoover appointed her to the White House Conference on Child Health. Several years later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed her a director of Negro Affairs in the National Youth Administration and as his special advisor on minority affairs. She also served as a member of the "Black Cabinet". In 1945, she was a special emmissary of the State Department of the United Nations Conference. In 1952, she was the personal representative of President Harry S. Truman at LIberia's inauguration ceremonies....
Mrs. Bethune left a legacy to her people, that her philosophy of living and serving would be inspirational to those who share her vision of a world peace.
Mary Jane McLeod Bethune has left her mark indelibly printed upon the walls of time as an outstanding educator, a giant of race relations, advisor to U. S Presidents, and the first Black woman in the United States to establish a school that became a four-year accredited college. She was born to slave parents, Sam and Patsy McLeod, in Mayesville, South Carolina in 1875. Of 17 children, only she was born in this side of slavery. She was a pilar of strength with perpetual drive and force. By courage, faith and perserverence, she was able to elevate herself to a respected position.....It was not until she reached age 11 that a school opened some five miles from her home, and she walked the distance daily. After graduation she was awarded a small scholarship by a White woman in Denver, Colorado who wanted to help one Black child attain more education...
In 1904, with the ever-present desire to educate others and $1.50, she founded a school for girls in Daytona Beach, Florida. Her student body consisted of her four year old son, and five little girls who each paid 50 cents a week tuition. Her school began in an old house near the city dump. Through difficulties too numerous to mention, the school slowly grew. The student body grew from an enrollment of five little girls to a co-ed institution which became Bethune College. By 1923 , when Bethune College merged with Cookman Institute, she had a student body of six hundred, 32 faculty members and an $800,000 campus free of debt.
Primarily an educator, Mrs. Bethune became involved in government affairs. In 1930, President Herbert Hoover appointed her to the White House Conference on Child Health. Several years later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed her a director of Negro Affairs in the National Youth Administration and as his special advisor on minority affairs. She also served as a member of the "Black Cabinet". In 1945, she was a special emmissary of the State Department of the United Nations Conference. In 1952, she was the personal representative of President Harry S. Truman at LIberia's inauguration ceremonies....
Mrs. Bethune left a legacy to her people, that her philosophy of living and serving would be inspirational to those who share her vision of a world peace.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
THE MOST VITAL AND CHALLENGING ISSUE
excerpts from ADVENT OF DIVINE JUSTICE, by Shoghi Effendi Rabbani and my own COLORS OF MY WORLD
In the early 1980s my enthusiasm for oneness continually heightened but I began to see and feel slowness and resistance in some toward filling in the gaps, empathizing with the pains, supporting the daily struggles in the work place and social activities. There is a powerful trend toward "everything is alright - just go forward". I began to feel a restless urgency to say, "we need a foundation of historical and personal knowledge of the struggles endured and which are still pervasive - to be as supportive and loving as the most vital and chllenging issue requires."
I asked a member of the National Education Committee of the Baha'is of the UNited States for suggestions on how I could increase my growth and effectiveness in service to oneness. Her suggestion was to learn the quote in ADVENT OF DIVINE JUSTICE by the Guardian of the Faith Shoghi Effendi Rabbani to such an extent that it became a part of my inner reality. This section in the book is about 4 pages long but so meaningful.
"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." (not just Baha'is but all who believe in unity)
The "ceaseless efforts required" became a committment for the rest of my life. His instructions are so specific, for both the white and black, young and old, high and low, that there is no reason we cannot, if we but endeavor, eradicate this problem from our hearts, our comunities and our land. The words resonated in my soul, my thoughts and my dreams.
Love in the struggle,
Anne
In the early 1980s my enthusiasm for oneness continually heightened but I began to see and feel slowness and resistance in some toward filling in the gaps, empathizing with the pains, supporting the daily struggles in the work place and social activities. There is a powerful trend toward "everything is alright - just go forward". I began to feel a restless urgency to say, "we need a foundation of historical and personal knowledge of the struggles endured and which are still pervasive - to be as supportive and loving as the most vital and chllenging issue requires."
I asked a member of the National Education Committee of the Baha'is of the UNited States for suggestions on how I could increase my growth and effectiveness in service to oneness. Her suggestion was to learn the quote in ADVENT OF DIVINE JUSTICE by the Guardian of the Faith Shoghi Effendi Rabbani to such an extent that it became a part of my inner reality. This section in the book is about 4 pages long but so meaningful.
"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." (not just Baha'is but all who believe in unity)
The "ceaseless efforts required" became a committment for the rest of my life. His instructions are so specific, for both the white and black, young and old, high and low, that there is no reason we cannot, if we but endeavor, eradicate this problem from our hearts, our comunities and our land. The words resonated in my soul, my thoughts and my dreams.
Love in the struggle,
Anne
Friday, January 14, 2011
CHEROKEE PARADISE
excerpt from A CHEROKEE FEAST OF DAYS, DAILY MEDITATIONS, by Joyce Sequichie Hifler
A woodland path is good medicine for a weary walker. Soft, rolling steps along the path do not interrupt the harmony of the woods. Even the snort of the doe before she bounds away is to tell her fawn to lie low. Many pauses give time to hear and see in detail the call of a busy titmouse and the highpitched whistle of the finch. This is Cherokee paradise - to stand quietly in aged timber and be so much a part of it. Even the tiny creek plays water-harps as it winds its way around clumps of dried leaves and slips over round stones that are a part of its past handiwork. This is a green cathedral with shafts of sunlight cutting through thick foliage to turn droplets of water into prisms of color. Nothing is out of place - not even the walker.
A woodland path is good medicine for a weary walker. Soft, rolling steps along the path do not interrupt the harmony of the woods. Even the snort of the doe before she bounds away is to tell her fawn to lie low. Many pauses give time to hear and see in detail the call of a busy titmouse and the highpitched whistle of the finch. This is Cherokee paradise - to stand quietly in aged timber and be so much a part of it. Even the tiny creek plays water-harps as it winds its way around clumps of dried leaves and slips over round stones that are a part of its past handiwork. This is a green cathedral with shafts of sunlight cutting through thick foliage to turn droplets of water into prisms of color. Nothing is out of place - not even the walker.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
STILL MUCH TO LEARN
excerpt from COLORS OF MY WORLD (see Aug 31, 2010)
When I left Trinidad in the fall of 1970 I realized I had much to learn. Just being comfortable with the variety of hues of the human family did not give me the insights and sensitivities to be able to be free from the old tapes and messages in my head that I had learned as a child nor did I have any knowledge of the difference cultural conditioning would have on friendships and communications. Each of us comes from a family and a community. The values, interests, manners, tastes, music, and foods play a part in how we express ourselves. The ancestral "baggage" each of us has been given which has kept us apart for all these centuries is still in the back recesses of our minds and reactions. The same word or gesture means something different to the various cultures. The apprehensions and expectations of treatment by others is predicated upon the unconscious training and conditioning our parents gave us. To truly relate as a friend on a level of trust and openness we need to learn all these diverse ways of approaching life and to fully accept that the world is okay if it doesn't look or act just like I do.
I began to acquire and read books to "fill in the gaps" - books written by dark-skinned authors, books by civil rights advocates, books by and about Africa and of Native Americans. This time I took the advice of the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, and used the materials available in our society to help us learn of our world. I started reading anthropology books, one of the most enlightening was Ashley Montague's MAN'S MOST DANGEROUS MYTH; THE FALLACY OF RACE, published in the 1940s.
( a more recent one is Stephen Gould's MISMEASUREMENT OF MAN.)
excerpts from MAN'S MOST DANGEROUS MYTH; THE FALLACY OF RACE -
"...a black skin is undoubtedly a character of adaptive value, for there is some evidence that it enables its possessor to withstand the effects of prolonged exposure to sunlight...
...white skinned peoples have a reduced distribution of pigment in their skin merely because the shift from the birthplace of their ancestors, which there is good reason to believe was Africa south of the Sahara, to the cooler regions of Europe gradually resulted in a decrease in the distribution of pigment in their skin, so that in the course of time, by means of selection of genes for low pigmentary difference, this has become considerably reduced. The pigmentary difference is not one of kind but of degree....
...In hot, humid climates those individuals would be most favored who possessed skin sufficiently dark to prevent heat loss at too rapid a rate, and thus avoid heat exhaustion...For the white skin, less abundantly supplied with sweat galnds than the black, acts as a good insulator against heat and cold...
...Clearly, there can be no question here of either inferiority or superiority. Both Negro and white man have survived because they and their ancestors were possessed of character of adaptive value which, under the respective conditions of ther differing environments, enable them to survive." pp. 95-97
"Whether responsible or not for racism, every American, as an American, must make himself responsible for the elimination of racism, for racism is inhuman, ethically wrong, and constitutionally intolerable." p 347
"Let such a one say to himself, 'I am only one, but I am one, I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do I ought to do, and, by the grace of God, I will." p. 359
When I left Trinidad in the fall of 1970 I realized I had much to learn. Just being comfortable with the variety of hues of the human family did not give me the insights and sensitivities to be able to be free from the old tapes and messages in my head that I had learned as a child nor did I have any knowledge of the difference cultural conditioning would have on friendships and communications. Each of us comes from a family and a community. The values, interests, manners, tastes, music, and foods play a part in how we express ourselves. The ancestral "baggage" each of us has been given which has kept us apart for all these centuries is still in the back recesses of our minds and reactions. The same word or gesture means something different to the various cultures. The apprehensions and expectations of treatment by others is predicated upon the unconscious training and conditioning our parents gave us. To truly relate as a friend on a level of trust and openness we need to learn all these diverse ways of approaching life and to fully accept that the world is okay if it doesn't look or act just like I do.
I began to acquire and read books to "fill in the gaps" - books written by dark-skinned authors, books by civil rights advocates, books by and about Africa and of Native Americans. This time I took the advice of the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, and used the materials available in our society to help us learn of our world. I started reading anthropology books, one of the most enlightening was Ashley Montague's MAN'S MOST DANGEROUS MYTH; THE FALLACY OF RACE, published in the 1940s.
( a more recent one is Stephen Gould's MISMEASUREMENT OF MAN.)
excerpts from MAN'S MOST DANGEROUS MYTH; THE FALLACY OF RACE -
"...a black skin is undoubtedly a character of adaptive value, for there is some evidence that it enables its possessor to withstand the effects of prolonged exposure to sunlight...
...white skinned peoples have a reduced distribution of pigment in their skin merely because the shift from the birthplace of their ancestors, which there is good reason to believe was Africa south of the Sahara, to the cooler regions of Europe gradually resulted in a decrease in the distribution of pigment in their skin, so that in the course of time, by means of selection of genes for low pigmentary difference, this has become considerably reduced. The pigmentary difference is not one of kind but of degree....
...In hot, humid climates those individuals would be most favored who possessed skin sufficiently dark to prevent heat loss at too rapid a rate, and thus avoid heat exhaustion...For the white skin, less abundantly supplied with sweat galnds than the black, acts as a good insulator against heat and cold...
...Clearly, there can be no question here of either inferiority or superiority. Both Negro and white man have survived because they and their ancestors were possessed of character of adaptive value which, under the respective conditions of ther differing environments, enable them to survive." pp. 95-97
"Whether responsible or not for racism, every American, as an American, must make himself responsible for the elimination of racism, for racism is inhuman, ethically wrong, and constitutionally intolerable." p 347
"Let such a one say to himself, 'I am only one, but I am one, I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do I ought to do, and, by the grace of God, I will." p. 359
Monday, January 3, 2011
MY DREAM Jan. 1, 2011
I woke up two days ago with the compelling need to share my dream. This is it.
My old boss of thirty years ago who was very cranky and abrupt told me that I must go into the next room and talk to a group of girls who had been abused. I was not to take time to prepare but to go immediately.
I went through the door perplexed and wondering what I could possibly say, opened my mouth and this is what came out---
"Here's what I know. Your soul is the real you and no one can touch that part of yourself if you don't let them. So find that part of yourself and let it grow."
There was immediate smiles and then joy and then kidding around and playing. A few hearty high fives and Yes!
After I woke up I wanted to say - I am a survivor of abuse and I know many others who are. This prayer has lifted me up many times...
"O God, refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life.
O God, Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord."
Abdu'l-Baha
My old boss of thirty years ago who was very cranky and abrupt told me that I must go into the next room and talk to a group of girls who had been abused. I was not to take time to prepare but to go immediately.
I went through the door perplexed and wondering what I could possibly say, opened my mouth and this is what came out---
"Here's what I know. Your soul is the real you and no one can touch that part of yourself if you don't let them. So find that part of yourself and let it grow."
There was immediate smiles and then joy and then kidding around and playing. A few hearty high fives and Yes!
After I woke up I wanted to say - I am a survivor of abuse and I know many others who are. This prayer has lifted me up many times...
"O God, refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life.
O God, Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord."
Abdu'l-Baha
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