Protest is occasionally necessary and justified; it does not have to mean violence, but rather the courage to reject the false and unjust. Protest based on faith can have a transforming effect on both the individual and society and racial unity.
published in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 8:2, pages 8-12 Ottawa, ON: Association for Bahá'í Studies North America, 1998
About: Spirituality or faith requires individuals to embody the principles and values that promote the positive development of human beings and human society. Confronted with aspects of human society that are inconsistent with those principles, individuals may be faced with the necessity of protest. Protest does not have to mean violence, but rather the courage to reject the false and unjust. Such protest based on faith can have a transforming effect on both the individual and society. In this essay, examples from the experience of African Americans are used to demonstrate the transforming effect on society of individual courageous acts.