A special presentation: The Story of the Bahá’í Black Men’s Gathering
Please join the Circle of Friends Book Club for a special presentation on the book The Story of the Bahá’í Black Men’s Gathering on Wednesday, July 12th @ 7pm, at the Bahá’í Center of Washtenaw County. Dr. Richard Thomas, one of the book’s co-authors, will lead the discussion. Come and share what promises to be an interesting and enlightening presentation—all are welcome!
In 2013, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States released a beautiful documentary entitled Done Made My Vow to the Lord: The Baha’i Black Men’s Gathering 1987–2011. We invite you to watch the video here (recommended for especially for those planning on attending Richard Thomas’ presentation):
About the book:
The Story of the Baha’i Black Men’s Gathering provides insight into an individual initiative that, over the years, has provided a framework to spiritually uplift and empower men of African descent to play their part in helping to build the “new world order” foretold by Baha’u’llah, the Prophet-Founder of the Baha’i Faith. In 1987, Dr. William “Billy” Roberts invited a group of Baha’i men of African descent to a meeting to prayerfully consult on pathways to their spiritual transformation and service to the Baha’i Faith. This book, which celebrates twenty-five years of the Black Men’s Gathering, is a story of friendship, hope, struggle, joy, transformation, and brothers arising to serve the Faith of Baha’u’llah. Common threads throughout the book are prayer and the love of and obedience to the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Baha’i Faith. Not intended to be a comprehensive narrative, this book provides the reader with an insight into the milestones of the Gathering and its impact on the individual as well as local, national, and international communities.
About Richard Thomas:
Dr. Richard W. Thomas is Professor Emeritus of History at Michigan State University. For thirty-eight years he taught race-related courses. He has lectured and conducted workshops on race relations in the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Switzerland, Fiji, Australia, South Africa and Israel.
He is author and co-author of several books on race relations and the African-American experience including: Detroit: Race and Uneven Development, Racial Unity: An Imperative for Social Progress, Life For Us Is What We Make It: Building the Black Community in Detroit, and Understanding Interracial Unity: A Study of U.S. Race Relations.
In 1993 he was one of several recipients of the All-University Diversity Award for excellence in diversity work. In 1995 he was awarded the Wesley-Logan Prize awarded by the American Historical Association and the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History, for his book Life For Us Is What We Make It.
In 1997, he was awarded the Gustavus Myers Center Award for the Study of Human Rights in North America for his book, Understanding Interracial Unity. He is co-author with Joe T. Darden, of the recently published book, Detroit: Race Riots, Racial Conflicts, and Efforts to Bridge the Racial Divide. The book was selected as one of Michigan’s Notable Books for 2013 and in 2014 received a State History Award by the Historical Society of Michigan “for their Outstanding Michigan History Publication.”
More about the Baha’i Black Men’s Gathering:
http://www.bahaibookstore.com/Story-of-the-Bahai-Black-Mens-Gathering-The-P6778.aspx
http://bahaiblog.net/site/2013/12/the-bahai-black-mens-gathering-2/
About the Circle of Friends Book Club
http://www.bahaicenterwashtenawcounty.org/circle-of-friends-book-club/