Today I am most happy, for I see here a gathering of the servants of God.
I see white and black sitting together. There are no whites and blacks
before God. All colors are one, and that is the color of servitude to God.
Scent and color are not important. The heart is important. If the heart is
pure, white or black or any color makes no difference. God does not look
at colors; He looks at the hearts. He whose heart is pure is better. He
whose character is better is more pleasing. He who turns more to the Abha
Kingdom is more advanced.
In the realm of existence colors are of no importance. Observe in the
mineral kingdom colors are not the cause of discord. In the vegetable
kingdom the colors of multicolored flowers are not the cause of discord.
Rather, colors are the cause of the adornment of the garden because a
single color has no appeal; but when you observe many-colored flowers,
there is charm and display.
The world of humanity, too, is like a garden, and humankind are like the
many-colored flowers. Therefore, different colors constitute an adornment.
In the same way, there are many colors in the realm of animals. Doves are
of many colors; nevertheless, they live in utmost harmony. They never look
at color; instead, they look at the species. How often white doves fly
with black ones. In the same way, other birds and varicolored animals
never look at color; they look at the species.
Now ponder this: Animals, despite the fact that they lack reason and
understanding, do not make colors the cause of conflict. Why should man,
who has reason, create conflict? This is wholly unworthy of him.
Especially white and black are the descendants of the same Adam; they
belong to one household. In origin they were one; they were the same
color. Adam was of one color. Eve had one color. All humanity is descended
from them. Therefore, in origin they are one. These colors developed later
due to climates and regions; they have no significance whatsoever.
Therefore, today I am very happy that white and black have gathered
together in this meeting. I hope this coming together and harmony reaches
such a degree that no distinctions shall remain between them, and they
shall be together in the utmost harmony and love.
But I wish to say one thing in order that the blacks may become grateful
to the whites and the whites become loving toward the blacks. If you go to
Africa and see the blacks of Africa, you will realize how much progress
you have made. Praise be to God! You are like the whites; there are no
great distinctions left. But the blacks of Africa are treated as servants.
The first proclamation of emancipation for the blacks was made by the
whites of America. How they fought and sacrificed until they freed the
blacks! Then it spread to other places. The blacks of Africa were in
complete bondage, but your emancipation led to their freedom also--that is,
the European states emulated the Americans, and the emancipation
proclamation became universal. It was for your sake that the whites of
America made such an effort. Were it not for this effort, universal
emancipation would not have been proclaimed.
Therefore, you must be very grateful to the whites of America, and the
whites must become very loving toward you so that you may progress in all
human grades. Strive jointly to make extraordinary progress and mix
together completely. In short, you must be very thankful to the whites who
were the cause of your freedom in America. Had you not been freed, other
blacks would not have been freed either. Now--praise be to God!--everyone is
free and lives in tranquillity. I pray that you attain to such a degree of
good character and behavior that the names of black and white shall
vanish. All shall be called human, just as the name for a flight of doves
is dove. They are not called black and white. Likewise with other birds.
I hope that you attain to such a high degree--and this is impossible except
through love. You must try to create love between yourselves; and this
love does not come about unless you are grateful to the whites, and the
whites are loving toward you, and endeavor to promote your advancement and
enhance your honor. This will be the cause of love. Differences between
black and white will be completely obliterated; indeed, ethnic and
national differences will all disappear.
I am very happy to see you and thank God that this meeting is composed of
people of both races and that both are gathered in perfect love and
harmony. I hope this becomes the example of universal harmony and love
until no title remains except that of humanity. Such a title demonstrates
the perfection of the human world and is the cause of eternal glory and
human happiness. I pray that you be with one another in utmost harmony and
love and strive to enable each other to live in comfort.
23 April 1912
Talk at Home of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur J. Parsons
1700 Eighteenth Street, NW, Washington, D.C.