Justice Resources July 2020
From the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Portland:
In the intervening weeks since the death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the countless others before them, our society has been asked to rethink deeply held beliefs. The fervor of the public demonstrations at the local level has continued, and in light of that momentum, the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Portland wanted to share with our community a statement from our national Institution. Originally published on June 19th, the words here are as impactful as ever, and it is our hope that we can continue forging a path towards racial justice.
Below is a paragraph from the letter referred to, from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States.
To create a just society begins with recognition of the fundamental truth that humanity is one. But it is not enough simply to believe this in our hearts. It creates the moral imperative to act, and to view all aspects of our personal, social, and institutional lives through the lens of justice. It implies a reordering of our society more profound than anything we have yet achieved. And it requires the participation of Americans of every race and background, for it is only through such inclusive participation that new moral and social directions can emerge."
excerpt from "Forging a path to racial justice: A message from the Baha’is of the United States" June 19, 2020. Read the entire message here.
Forging a Path to Racial Justice and Wilmette Baha'i Temple
https://www.bahai.us/path-to-racial-justice/
Online Dialog: Thursday, July 16, 7:00 pm. For more information about the virtual meeting, please call 503 289-6331. Dr. Markisha Smith, Director of the City of Portland’s Office of Equity and Human Rights, will be our speaker this evening.
Dr. Smith, Director of the Bureau of Equity and Human Rights for the City of Portland, will be giving a talk on how systemic oppression and white supremacy plague government agencies and institutions. She will discuss ways in which we must instigate change to dismantle the current systems and replace them with ones that are equitable for everyone.
Dr. Smith’s work is specifically focused on equity, diversity, and inclusion, culturally responsive practice and closing access and opportunity gaps for historically and marginalized groups across the state.
This talk is hosted by Take PART (Portland Anti-Racism Team). The mission of Take PART is to confront racism and to engage in dismantling the systems that perpetuate ingrained racial inequality. We do this through events, education and outreach that foster engagement in building community where all people are treated with equality and respect. For more information on Take PART, go to: takepartpdx.org
Global Challenges and Opportunities: 'Destroying a Thought of Hatred' June 23, 2020. Speaker: Vasu Mohan. "As societies around the world grapple with polarization around identities and the rise of hate speech, what tools are in the Baha’i Writings that can be applied to broader contexts? This talk explores some examples of efforts in building social cohesion and countering hate." Watch here: https://wilmetteinstitute.org/global-challenges-and-opportunities/
https://youtu.be/lLlQFddAnn0
For more information about the Bahá’í Faith, please visit www.bahai.org.