Race Unity Statement Presented to City Council

Tuesday, August 8, 2000

Representatives of the Bahá'í Community of Aurora presented the statement The Vision of Race Unity - America's Most Challenging Issue to the Aurora City Council at their regular meeting.

In presenting the statement, Clifford Luxion stated in part, "This document draws not only from the Bahá'í teachings on unity, but also on our collective experience of more than an century of working toward racial harmony within our own community. We come this evening to share some of this experience with you, as leaders whose thoughts and actions can have the greatest impact upon all of us as citizens. And, we come to you with this document, as a gift, because we firmly believe that Racism is the most challenging issue facing America today. We believe strongly that people must be brought together. And, we want to make it clear, that the elimination of prejudice is a challenge that each and every one of us needs to accept and rise to meet."

In response Mayor David Stover said he looked forward to reading the full text of the statement. He also read the following quote from the statement to those present, commenting that he found it a profound thought, "The fundamental solution to racial and ethnic conflict rests ultimately on the common recognition of the oneness of humankind."

The Vision of Race Unity is a statement by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í of the United States and was first published in 1991.