199 Social Transformation: The Evolving Challenge of Racial Inequality
This webinar will offer insights into evolving efforts to address racial inequality in the US, comparing sixty years ago (during the Civil Rights era) to the present day. Dr. Thomas, who has written about her family’s lived experiences during the civil rights era, established an academic career based on training urban planners who were socially aware and capable of supporting community development, and she has written extensively about these topics and the need for racial and social justice in U.S. cities. In a question-and-answer discussion with an interviewer, Dr. Chitra Golestani, she will consider how the challenge of racial inequality has evolved over the last decades, and how Bahá’í teachings offer important insights into possible strategies for the present and the future.
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1:31:13
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1:31:13
198 How Bahá’í Teachings on Racial Unity Influenced My Academic Focus
A conversation with Dr. Richard Thomas on his recently published book chapter “How the Bahá’í Teachings on Racial Unity Influenced My Academic Focus on Race Relations in the United States.”
The Bahá’í Faith and African American Studies: Perspectives on Racial Justice, edited by Loni Bramson and Layli Maparyan – Contributions by Layli Maparyan; Richard Hollinger; June Thomas; Richard W. Thomas; Loni Bramson; Michael McMullen and Gwen Etter-Lewis
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1:09:50
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1:09:50
197 Erased but Not Forgotten: Reclaiming North Nashville’s Legacy (Part 2)
From the 1800s through the 1950s, North Nashville’s 37208 zip code flourished as a vibrant Black community. Despite systemic segregation and redlining, residents established institutions, including schools, businesses, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and a lively entertainment scene that attracted renowned Black artists. In the 1960s, federal and local policies resulted in the construction of Interstate 40, which bisected this thriving neighborhood, leading to the demolition of homes and businesses. This disruption transformed a once-prosperous area into one plagued by poverty—a condition from which it has yet to recover. Today, North Nashville faces challenges such as high child poverty rates, food insecurity, and mass incarceration and confronts the additional threat of gentrification, further endangering its rich cultural heritage.
In the face of crises, there must always be hope. This presentation highlights North Nashville’s legacy of resilience in the face of structural racism and explores how community building restores that legacy. This two-part webinar will engage participants in thinking about the power of race unity and justice, community building, and insights from the Bahá’í framework for action.
Note: This is part two of a two-part series.
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1:09:16
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1:09:16
196 Erased but Not Forgotten: Reclaiming North Nashville’s Legacy
From the 1800s through the 1950s, North Nashville’s 37208 zip code flourished as a vibrant Black community. Despite systemic segregation and redlining, residents established institutions, including schools, businesses, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and a lively entertainment scene that attracted renowned Black artists. In the 1960s, federal and local policies resulted in the construction of Interstate 40, which bisected this thriving neighborhood, leading to the demolition of homes and businesses. This disruption transformed a once-prosperous area into one plagued by poverty—a condition from which it has yet to recover. Today, North Nashville faces challenges such as high child poverty rates, food insecurity, and mass incarceration and confronts the additional threat of gentrification, further endangering its rich cultural heritage.
In the face of crises, there must always be hope. This presentation highlights North Nashville’s legacy of resilience in the face of structural racism and explores how community building restores that legacy. This two-part webinar will engage participants in thinking about the power of race unity and justice, community building, and insights from the Bahá’í framework for action.
Note: This is part one of a two-part series.
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1:31:20
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1:31:20
195 Pathways to Peace: Fundamentals of Social Transformation
Dr. Derik Smith will present ideas that are fundamental to the conceptual framework for social transformation. The talk is organized around the themes of History, Human Nature, and Power. Smith demonstrates how Bahá’í approaches to these subjects open important territory in the studying and teaching of social transformation and peacebuilding.
The Wilmette Institute was founded in 1995 to provide basic and advanced courses on the Bahá’í Faith. In 1998, the Wilmette Institute moved to a largely online study approach in order to provide educational classes to a broader student body. It now offers more than 50 unique courses on the web to an average of 30 students per course.
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