Poverty and Racism in Urban America

Dr. June Thomas spoke on the subject of a spiritual solution to the economic problem and distribution of wealth. She talked about poverty in the world. Poverty in United States is linked to racial prejudice, lack of education, and alcohol and drug addiction. The United States has an unbelievable number of people who live in poverty especially— African-Americans. American cities are rife with a wide range of social problems. Baha’u’llah called on the kings and rulers of the earth to look to the welfare of their people. Bahá’í teachings suggest we must strive to eliminate every trace of racial prejudice and estrangement from the lives of the poor. They need to be assisted. To Bahá’ís the elimination of race prejudice is elevated to the level of a moral principle. Shogi Effendi in “Advent of Divine Justice”. He says first they must internalize three spiritual prerequisites: "moral rectitude," "absolute chastity," and "complete freedom from prejudice."