The Montclair Baha’i faith community held Race Amity Day observation on Sunday, June 9.
On June 3, the mayor and council issued a proclamation declaring the second Sunday in June as Race Amity Day in Montclair. The proclamation was issued at the recommendation of the Race Amity Committee of the Montclair Baha’i faith community.
To celebrate the day, the Montclair Baha’i faith community held a devotional gathering — consisting of music, prayers and readings from the holy writings of many faiths — to pray for unity and celebrate the ways people have reached across racial differences to support and help each other. The gathering was open to all.
Race Amity Day is celebrated at the state levels in Massachusetts and South Carolina, and at the city/town level in many localities in the U.S. The core purpose behind Race Amity Day is to encourage friendship, collegiality, civility, respect and kindness as commonly shared ideals, to join with communities across the United States to reflect on the beauty and richness of the diverse peoples of this great nation, and to reach out in a spirit of amity toward one another annually.
Anyone interested in more information about the Montclair Baha’i faith community Race Amity Day devotional, can contact Ollie Hartsfield at montclairnj.bahai@gmail.com. If you would like more information about the National Center for Race Amity, the organization that worked to bring about the recognition of this day in the state of Massachusetts and South Carolina, visit their website: raceamity.org.