June 12: Baha’is Event In Virginia Beach To Promote Racial Harmony

VIRGINIA BEACH
To promote racial harmony, The Baha’is of Virginia Beach and several other religious organizations will host two events at Mount Trashmore on June 12. The two events are the Annual Prayer Walk for Peace and Racial Harmony and The Symposium for Peace and Racial Harmony. Both interfaith events will be held from noon to 3 p.m., and will honor Race Unity Day.

“For the past two years, several religious organizations in the Tidewater area have participated,” said Scott Field, spokesperson. “This is an interfaith event sponsored by the Virginia Beach Baha’i’s in order to promote racial unity at the grass roots level in our community.” So what’s new this year? “The event organizers are really excited about the new format,” Field said. “We expect several more groups and religions to be represented.  There will be several interesting presentations and fellowship about racial equality.”  
  
The event will kick off with a multi-ethnic pot-luck lunch. “We expect a variety, from American barbeque to traditional ethnic cuisine from different cultures,” Field said. “After lunch, we will hear from volunteer speakers who will talk a little about their organization.   We will wrap up with an open forum where we can all get to know one another and share additional information on projects in the community.”

The open discussion on race will be held from 2:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. The first prayer walk for peace was held in Virginia Beach on Oct. 19, 2014, according to The Baha’is of Virginia Beach website. The first Baha’i group in America was formed in Chicago in 1894. Today, the National Baha’i Center has about 110,000 Baha’is in the United States.