People of African descent in the United States have referred to themselves using various terms, which have changed over time. These have included, for example, “Negro”, “African American”, “Black”, and others. The Guardian wrote his works from the 1920s to the 1950s. During this period, “Negro” was considered the proper English-language term when referring to those of African origin. For instance, “Negro” was used by major leaders of the civil rights movement in the United States up to the 1960s. It was later replaced by other terms, so it is now generally viewed as being out of date, and some may even find the term offensive. When publicly making reference to the passages from the Guardian that contain this term, Bahá’ís can prevent misunderstandings by selectively quoting relevant portions, summarizing the key concepts, or providing the historical context if using the exact text.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 3 January 2021, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; US Baha’i National Administrative website)
