Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson.

In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick.

In this episode, I'm joined by our very first mother and daughter duo, Barbara and Radiance Talley, living in Maryland, USA. Both Barbara and Radiance are poets, educators, writers, and passionate about tackling the issue of racism in the US. They tell me about the 'Arise: Pupil of the Eye' conference and the impact it's had. We talk about activism and what we all can do to work towards racial harmony. And by sharing some of their poems with me, we get a raw and heartfelt glimpse into their lives and concerns as African Americans in the US. I hope you find this wonderful conversation as engaging and inspiring as I did.

To find out more about some of the things we covered in this episode, check out the following:

* Barbara Talley's website: http://www.barbaratalley.me and interviews: https://bit.ly/3hJqW3Z

* More about Radiance Talley here: https://bit.ly/2BhyASC

* "pupil of the eye" metaphore comes from Abdu'l-Baha: “Thou art like unto the pupil of the eye which is dark in color, yet it is the fount of light and the revealer of the contingent world”. Read more about it here: https://bit.ly/3dgVBT5

* Arise: Pupil of the Conference: https://bit.ly/37Odbwv

* Shoghi Effendi quote in 'The Advent of Divine Justice' (https://bit.ly/2YNfFr0): “As to racial prejudice, the corrosion of which, for well-nigh a century, has bitten into the fiber, and attacked the whole social structure of American society, it should be regarded as constituting the most vital and challenging issue confronting the Baha’i community at the present stage of its evolution. The ceaseless exertions which this issue of paramount importance calls for, the sacrifices it must impose, the care and vigilance it demands, the moral courage and fortitude it requires, the tact and sympathy it necessitates, invest this problem … with an urgency and importance that cannot be overestimated.”

* Sadie Oglesby: https://bit.ly/312oWhH

* Book 'Lights of the Spirit': https://amzn.to/3hBu6ag

* Derek Smith's essay 'Centering the “Pupil of the Eye”: Blackness, Modernity, and the Revelation of Baha’u’llah': https://bit.ly/2NcPTXO

* Derik Smith on Baha'i Blogcast: https://bit.ly/2UXEuzj

* worldembracing.net: https://worldembracing.net/

* Radiance quotes Quran: “And We desire to show favor to those who were brought low in the land, and to make them spiritual leaders among men, and to make of them Our heirs.”

* Barbara mentions:

- Ruhiyyih Khanum: https://bit.ly/3eik4Zp

- Louis Gregory: https://bit.ly/2YfedhP

- Van Gilmer: https://www.bahaichoir.org/director

* Barbara shares Shoghi Effendi quote: "The need of the cause in America is the call of the heart and it can never be given save by those who have suffered and who have been trained in the way of sacrifice and humility."

* Radiance shares this quote from the Bab in The Dawn Breakers (https://bit.ly/2AP0cP6): "Treasures lie hidden beneath the throne of God; the key to those treasures is the tongue of poets."

Be sure to subscribe to the Baha’i Blogcast for more episodes on:

*YouTube: http://bit.ly/2JTNmBO

* iTunes: http://apple.co/2leHPHL

*Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/bahaiblogcast

*Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2IXRAnb

To find out more about the Baha'i Faith visit BAHAI.ORG, and for more great Baha'i-inspired content check out BAHAIBLOG.NET: http://bahaiblog.net/

Thanks for listening!

-Rainn Wilson