Race Unity Day Celebrates Diversity and Peace
The Bahá’í National Spiritual Assembly established Race Unity Day in 1957 to combat racism in the United States and promote more unity for all. The Bahá’í’s believe racial prejudice is the most challenging moral issue facing our nation and is the greatest barrier to peace. The holiday is an annual observation that falls on the second Sunday of June, which is June 11 in 2023.
To better understand Race Unity Day, it’s helpful to remember what was happening in the United States in 1957:
- May 17, 1954: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled segregation of America’s public schools was unconstitutional in its Brown v Board of Education of Topeka decision.
- January 10-11, 1957: 60 Black pastors and civil rights leaders from various Southern states, including Martin Luther King, Jr., formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, to coordinate nonviolent protests against racial discrimination and segregation.
- September 9, 1957: President Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957 into law, the first major civil rights legislation since Reconstruction.
Since systematic racism continues to plague the country decades later, it’s beneficial to recognize and celebrate Race Unity Day, and learn more of the history behind the holiday. Formerly known as Race Amity Day (the name changed in 1965), today Race Unity Day is celebrated internationally.
