Throughout the country, Baha’is led their local communities in celebrating Race Unity Day on Sunday, June 14.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States inaugurated Race Unity Day in 1957 to promote racial harmony and understanding. Since then, communities have held celebrations, open to the public, on the second Sunday in June.

Baha’is in Springfield, Illinois co-sponsored the 12th annual Race Unity Rally at the state Capitol. The celebration included various musical groups and dancing, as well as a student Race Unity art and poetry contest.

In Howard County, Maryland, Baha’is hosted a Race Unity discussion and arts workshop to encourage young people to share their thoughts. Participants created a collage using their own pictures to show unity in diversity.

In Jessup, Oklahoma Baha’is celebrated at the local library with a picnic and entertainment that included music, recreation, and an exhibit highlighting children’s story books and quotes exemplifying race unity.

The 13th annual Race for Race Unity 5 Miler in Burke, Virginia was held to benefit Health for Humanity, a non-profit organization.

The purpose of Race Unity Day is to focus attention on racial prejudice, which Baha'is believe is the most challenging moral issue facing our nation. Writing in the mid-1800s, Baha'u'llah, Founder of the Baha'i Faith, stated unequivocally that humanity is a single race and called on the world to recognize the principle of human oneness in all spheres.

Worldwide, Baha'is have sought to build a model of racial integration by embracing people from all races, backgrounds and classes of society.