North Carolina in the ''Baha'i News''

Coverage of North Carolina in the Baha'i News and related periodicals. Mentioned only briefly in Star of the West, North Carolina was never the less long covered in activities of Baha'is mostly through the long run of Baha'i News from December 1924 through October 1990. Coverage continued in the successor publication The American Bahá'í as well but it is Baha'i News that saw the spread of the Faith to North Carolina and covered the founding and organizing efforts of Bahá'ís and communities of Bahá'ís. From stages of traveling teachings finding individuals respond, to nascent communities to continuous presences and communities growing roots and spreading branches, a part of the expansive tree, the work continues. There were also two supplements to the Baha'i News: Us Supplement Baha'i News and National Baha'i Review which were typically inserts in Baha'i News itself from the late 1950s to the 1970s.

There is no mention yet found of North Carolina in Star of the West save for the 1919 mention in Tablets of the Divine Plan. A touch of interest is that Albert Windust, long involved with Star of the West wintered in NC in 1897. The first known visit of a soon-to-join-the-religion folk. Next comes Sarah Jane Farmer of Green Acre fame who came to NC with her aunt for her health in the winter of 1902-3, about two years after she joined the religion.

1920s

• Louis Gregory was noted in Raleigh talking at various churches, St. Augustine, and Shaw University, and a prison camp. In particular the article also speaks of a Bahá'í community in Wilmington.

Wilmington NC during January afforded many opportunities for service. In this city there lives a truly remarkable believer. A young woman who for seven years has been devoted to the Cause under most difficult circumstances. At present her long trials and sacrifices are bearing fruit and Louis Gregory feels that in this city an Assembly will soon be organized. In Wilmington meetings were held daily in churches, with the Ministers Union, in the public schools, and in many private homes. An influential Catholic invited Louis to address a gathering of Catholic young people in Wilmington and the response was so enthusiastic that he was invited to return.

• In September 1925 Leslie Pinckney Hill wrote a letter of thanks to the national assembly published in Baha'i News for them sending Keith Ransom-Keller to talk at the convention of the National Association of Teachers in Colored Schools held in Durham, NC.

• After coming south from Maine, in the Triangle Gregory addressed a Durham high school, Forum of NC, Mutual Life Insurance Co, White Rock Baptist Church, Inter-Denominational Ministers’ Alliance and was welcomed by two ministers, then NC College for Negroes (NCCU,) Christian College in Franklynton NC, New Hope Baptist Association, YMCA/YWCA, Shaw University, Inter-Denominational Ministers Union, Public School, St. Augustine College, Oberlin Public School and Washington Raleigh NC. Recollections of Keith Ransom-Kehler circa 1926.

Early 1930s

• Gregory trip to the South included Bricks, NC and a white college.

• At Bricks Jr College a meeting on racial amity and another on the Faith to faculty and higher students was given by Gregory. A white college president and group of students attended both meetings and dined together, coming from 30 miles away.

• Philip Marangella and Chauncey Northern were one team of the Race Amity Committee and traveled through NC the previous year.

Later 1930s

• First regional teaching committee secretary including North Carolina was C. Newell Atkinson out of D.C.

• Mrs. Georgie Wiles served on the regional teaching committee including NC replacing Julia Moore.

• Mrs. Georgie Wiles noted as secretary of the regional teaching committee including NC.

• Regional teaching committee notes George Brown Wiles, Mrs. Walter B. Guy, Lucille Hoke, E. Vogt, Albert Hames Jr. And activity of Sarah and Lydia Martin in Raleigh NC.

• 12 states had no Baha’is at 1936 national convention down to 7 by June 1937. Repeats mention of Lydia and Sarah Martin moving to Raleigh.

• Mrs. Terah Smith and Marguerite Reimer are in Raleigh (very near the time Marguerite married William Sears.)

• A report from Terah Smith and Marguerite Reimer summarized efforts - Reimer spoke at NCCU, Mutual Life Insurance Co, and a Forum at which previous presentations on the teachings had been presented (Gregory?)

1940s

• North-South Carolina, Southern Georgia teaching committee had Esther Sego out of Augusta Georgia, Louise Thompson, Maud Mickle, and Sarah Eason.

• Esther Sego notes activities of Amalie Bodmer (near Asheville). Mrs. Eason of Raleigh reports there will be five believers in Raleigh this winter.

• Still lacking an assembly in the state.

• A conference in Georgia attracts at least one Baha’i associated with North Carolina - Terah Smith - and can be approached from Murphy NC.

• Daisy Jackson Moore was added to the regional teaching committee covering NC.

• There were 4 Baha’is noted in Raleigh by September 1941.

• Dorothy Beecher Baker was set for a trip including NC after November 1941.

• Unchanged goal come January, 1942.

• A call for 16 pioneers to move among the 23 goal states (still including NC.)

• The summer 1942 update noted Muriel Stillson travel teaching in NC.

• North-South Carolina committee: Terah Smith, Mrs. P. D. Cunningham, Frederick Babo, Mrs Frederick Babo, Elsie Robertson, Esther Sego, Maud Mickle, Betty Shook, Daisy Jackson Moore, Christine Bidwell, Mary Ann Lealet.

• Corrected the spelling to the regional teaching committee member Mary Ann Lefler.

• August 1942 has a report of Ruth Moffett back to March and April success in Greensboro followed by three pioneers. Moffett had talks in various places, a display of the Baha'i Temple, and radio broadcasts on WGBG, (later WKEW.) A study group formed of 17 people and three Bahá'ís. Muriel Stilson of Yonkers was reported to move to Greensboro and Eva Lee Flask of Los Angeles and Adrienne Ellis of Phoenix had planned to move to Asheville. Joy Earl is noted speaking in Durham and Mrs. Earl spoke at Fisk. and other places.

• Adrienne Ellis and Eva Lee Flack are noted moving to Greensboro instead of Asheville in November.

• Muriel Stilson had to leave Greensboro for health reasons but three new Baha'is were noted in the city before she left.

• There was confidence of an assembly being elected in North Carolina.

• By March 1943 Greensboro is listed with 8 Baha’is.

• In the winter of 1942-3 Gregory and Mrs. Joy Earl each toured states including North Carolina to various colleges.

• New assemblies elected in Wilmington Delaware, Charleston, WV, and Greensboro, NC (sister communities, if you will.)

• Evangeline Rickart is the contact person in Greensboro, the only city listed for North Carolina.

• Terah Smith, Birdie Cunningham, Esterh Sego, Betty Shook, Doris Ebbert, Ludo Dadrowski, Louise Sawyer, Eva McAllister, Christine Bidwell.

• photo Greensboro Assembly.

• Phoebe Babo was added to the regional teaching committee including NC.

• Greensboro noted one join the religion and two moved in.

• Greensboro radio station carried a Baha’i Centennial program on WBIG though the date of the broadcast is uncertain.

• John Goodwin was listed as assembly Chair, and Adrienne Ellis and Louise Sawyer additional contacts (secretaries). However Adrienne Ellis Reeves was in California by 1947.

• Eva Martin was listed as having passed away in North Carolina by May 1945. Perhaps a relative of Sarah?

• Phoebe Babo was unable to serve and Birdie Cunningham was appointed to be secretary.

• Attendance of "A young colored man from Asheville, NC, who attended all the meetings is going back to promote the Cause, after making a more thorough study of it” was noted in Wilmington. The article isn’t clear but it is probably Wilmington Delaware because others mentioned in the article are noted specifically in Wilmington Delaware.

• W. Kenneth Christian's trip including Greenville, NC was noted.

• Some 58 libraries were noted in North, South Carolina, and Georgia needing Baha'i materials.

• Terah Smith, F. D. Cunningham, Doris Ebbert, Gertrude Gewertz, W. T. Bidwell, Mrs. Joseph J. Sawyer, Eva McAllister, Mrs. David Ruhe.

• Contact for Greensboro Assembly was Mrs. Joseph Sawyer.

• The first longer article reviewing Baha'is in NC came in November 1945. It noted the assembly hosting special Feasts for Baha’is “near Greensboro” and extension work in Durham and Fayetteville. Kenneth Christian spoke at a peace meeting at the court house along with two non-Baha’is and newspaper articles resulted after an audience of 110. There were also weekly integrated study classes held that “didn’t go far” and were seeking to hold segregated classes (issues being reported on from both white and black.)

• A three person committee was listed as the convening group for the electoral unit convention (one for the whole state) - Joe Sawyer, Eva McAllister and David Wark.

• In March 1946 Blance Thatcher had passed away from Winston-Salem, NC.

• The regional teaching committee in 1946-7 was: Margaret Ruhe, Doris Ebbert, Sue Langford, Betty Shook, Ester Sago, Kay Whittmore, Christine Bidwell, Katherine MacPhee, John A. Goodwin, Emma Lawrence, David Ruhe, and Mrs. W. G. Wise.

• Pearl Kent is listed as the contact person.

• A tour of Margaret Ulrich and daughters Marjorie and Florence included a trip including Greensboro, NC and other cities.

• The 1947 state convention committee for electing delegates was: Catherine Whitmore, Naomi Simmons, and John Goodwin.

• Greensboro assembly noted contributing in January and February 1947.

• Philip Marangella traveled through cities including Greensboro, NC.

• 24 people are noted attending a regional conference at Greensboro in April - presenters included Annie Romer, Margaret Ruhe, (chair of the GA/NC/SC committee,) Helen Bishop, Katherine McPhee, and Paul Haney.

• North-South Carolina committee - Evangeline Rickart, Catherine Whitemore (Greensboro), Mrs. Joseph Sawyer, Mara Edmonstone, Angie Romer, Naomi Simmons.

• Mrs. Pearle Kent was noted secretary of the Greensboro Local Assembly.

• An enrollment out of Greensboro was noted in 1947.

• Greensboro Assembly among contributing assemblies to national Fund from around 1947 to 1951.

• The southern regional teaching committee - John Inglis, Annie Romer, David Ruhe, Margaret Ruhe, Louise Taylow, Verna Inglis, and Mary Edison - noted several details. Across the region there were six assemblies, some 15 Baha’is, and holding steady with 30 declarations and 5 deaths, and 25 people moving out. A conference to be held in Asheville was canceled on a count of a polio scare at the time - instead one was later held in Atlanta. Contact had been made with the Cherokee and that among the "many problems" "There is, we feel, a greater nearness to and understanding of the Guardian, a keener appreciation of the intense need of the time, and a sense of facing reality and assuming more responsibility.”

• A series of meetings at a Baha'i Center was held Sundays and three joined the Faith. And Bettina Edwards was noted in the play Oklahoma and gave a fireside.

1950s

• In 1944 Shoghi Effendi oversaw a census review of the Faith. A published table "Localities Where Bahá'ís Reside in the United States of America in the United States of America" noted one assembly and 10 isolated Baha'is in the state.

• Pioneers wanted in Greensboro, NC noted in 1950.

• A question was asked for national convention from NC about asking believers attending convention if they are elected as delegates.

• One enrollment was noted in Greensboro.

• Though it happened in Chicago, Bill and Bunny Tucker married in August, 1950.

• A series of meetings was held at various centers with speakers Mr. and Mrs. Harry Ford, Henry Broadhurst, Roy Williams along with Rev. Charles Jones and firesides followed and newspaper coverage and radio stations.

• Stacie Dayyan Dobbins mother, ( Nancy Jean Ray,) shared a story that on giving birth she told the attending nurse the baby would choose her religion on maturity and this lead to a discussion of the religion. The doctor later was part of another extended conversation on the religion and later affirmed he was converted on the spot from atheism and the last heard was that he had been transferred to North Carolina.

• In July 1953 it was announced that North Carolina would be part of the Central Atlantic States region (separated from SC, Tennessee, Georgia, etc.)

• In August 1953 it was announced that living Persian Hands of the Cause would tour the American communities - Greensboro, NC was on the list to be visited. It is not precisely clear which hand visited - perhaps Mr. Samandari or “General” 1`Ala’i. There is almost no Greensboro papers from the 20th century after about 1930 or 1923 online at newspapers.com and there are no mainstream newspapers for Greensboro at NC Digital Newspapers collection so far - the student newspaper the Guilfordian does not mention the Faith that year.

• Homefront pioneer Frances Falvey was noted going to Raleigh, and Betty Koyl to Winston-Salem, NC.

• Ethel Murray was noted pioneering from Providence, Rhode Island, arrived in Asheville Nov 12.

• Durham is listed as a goal city for North Carolina of the Central Atlantic States in March 1954.

• A few pioneers are noted moving into North Carolina in the April 1954 - Frances Flavey in Raleigh and Betty Koyl in Winston-Salem.

• Betty Koyl's letter was excerpted saying that she arrived Sept 20, 1953. Another, withholding her name, notes visiting Shaw, planning a meeting in Chapel Hill, and going to the Institute of World Affairs, a number of individual contacts as well as attending a WMCA talk of someone who went to the Holy Land and talked of the Baha'is went prompted.

• Ethel Murray notes developing understanding of Indians.

• Allen McDaniel's book The Spell of the Temple was printed out of High Point NC.

• Note of Walter Wootten's meeting at UNC that was covered in Daily Tar Heel.

• "Blessed is the spot" prayer was the first translation done to the Cherokee language reported by Rex King. Three had worked on the translation - people familiar with Cherokee and Lakota. Among the pioneers like Gallup (NM?) and Yakima, WA, Macy NE, Devil's Lake NC, was also among the Cherokee.

• The Central Atlantic States committee - WV, VA, DC, DE, MY, and NC - had Edgar Olson, Mrs. Harold Bowman, Flora Brooks, Etta Woodlen, Willam Brooks, Marjorie Nixon, Louise Jackson, and Rdw. G. Lippitt, Sr on the committee.

• No secretary is listed in September 1954.

• A notice of loss of assembly status of Greensboro, North Carolina, was published in September 1954. There is also reference to a 1944 goal of establishing assemblies in every state.

• October 1954 now Aux. Board member Sarah (Martin) Pereira is noted attending the "Blue Ridge" conference held outside of Asheville and that 75 attended. The facilities in the picture appear to be the Robert E. Lee Hall of the "YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly". There is a picture published a few pages later.

• Ethel Murray was highlighted pioneering to reach the Cherokee people and the the progress on publishing a Cherokee translation compilation is waiting for the typeset for the language.

• Workshop conferences were noted for October in a number of states including North Carolina.

• There was a mention of UNC among collected/universities where Baha'is are - as reported in Baha'i Youth Bulletin.

• Greensboro is picked to host a winter Baha'i conference.

• The January 1955 noted Greensboro among the communities holding events.

• There was a notice of a radio announcer in Greensboro able to mention the Faith along with short spot announcements on tv.

• Auxiliary Board member William deForge noted touring several places in NC including Rocky Mount and Greensboro.

• Aux. Board member William DeForge helped start a series of meetings with a talk on January 14 in Rocky Mount.

• The Central Atlantic Youth Committee was announced over the region of WV, VA, DC, DE, MY, and NC with members Caroline Wootten out of Durham NC, Ray Lippitt, Quida Cooper, Richard Farmelee, John R. Nichols and Perry Gawen.

• Central Atlantic States Area Teaching Bulletin was noted in 1955 and it reported through the Baha'i News of a teaching conference in Greensboro. Additionally Greensboro is noted having a World Religion Day program.

• Baha'is of Greensboro presented on the Faith at the end of Brotherhood Week at the Negro YWCA alongside other religious leaders and the Quaker's comments seemed to lead right to calling for a new religion when the Baha'i's turn came.

• There was notice of the first complete book A New Day Comes was completed in Cherokee and noticed the pioneering of Ether Murray.

• The NC cities listed as goals for the 10 year Crusade were Charlotte, Durham, Raleigh, and Winston-Salem.

• Activity on Shaw University was noted with a panel including a Baha'i.

• August 1955 conference near Asheville was summarized. 100 Baha'is gathered from 12 of the thirteen states of the Central and Southern Atlantic regions plus Ohio and Illinois. Hand of the Cause Paul Haney gave a talk and some $531 was donated to Funds of the Faith.

• A conference was held in Blue Ridge, NC in August 1955 (see also Nov 1955 BN.)

• Pioneers in Rocky Mount were noted holding an integrated meeting Oct 22 and showed a film "Palestine, Land of many Faiths" and a Baha'i from Greensboro presented a short talk. Half the audience was not Baha’is and everyone attended a buffet dinner at the home of the pioneers. Again probably Bill and Bunny Tucker.

• Dr. H. A. Parris is noted passing August,1955 in the January 1956 issue.

• A summary of the declaration of Mimmie Feather, first Cherokee Baha'i by Ethel Murray with brief note by Minnie Feather. Ethel refers to getting Baha'i teachings included in a new newspaper on the reservation and that she is 72 yrs old. There is also a picture included.

• Greensboro contact is now listed as Zoe Meyer for the secretary of the Assembly so it was reformed (see 1954.)

• The third Blue Ridge conference at the YMCA near Asheville was summarized. The third Blue Ridge Conference was held at the YMCA near Asheville in late August. The first years was 75 people, and this third year was 140; probably the largest across the entire South. A couple innovations happened this time - youth organizing and a children's program. Carol Varo represented the national youth committee. Thelma Allison, Hazel McCulla and Ruth Mourer conducted a children's program. Margaret Gawan worked with the children's program for her program for the adults and lead one of the morning devotions of the school. Adult class leaders included Louise Matthias, Winston Evans, and John Inglis, Terah Cowart-Smith and Eruch Munaiff. Etta Woodlen represented the Interracial committee and presented aims and activities including a taped talk about reaching African-Americans and Indians by Dorothy Beecher Baker - Where are the largest population centers? List prominent leaders - have the right people meet them. Visit and determine receptivity of the places. Send an Ali Nakjanvani to eat, sleep and live with them. Supply inspiring visiting teachers. Supply literature and services. Set goal of establishing an assembly and work towards it constantly. Hubert Matthias consulted with a group about how the conference should go next year. Paul Hanney reviewed activities of the Hands and the world community.

• Weekly firesides are noted in Winston-Salem hosted by the Greensboro community.

• In 1957 the national directory lists Frances Pearce as secretary of the assembly in Greensboro.

• Greensboro Baha'is held an audience of some 82 non-Baha'is and 16 Baha'is for a panel discussion of white and black college professors and a Baha'i making various presentations on race and reality.

• Greensboro Baha'is held a state institute at the end of February reviewing three new pamphlets and the points thereof. 24 attended.

• A notice of a Naw-Ruz meeting in Raleigh at a Baha'is home is listed in 1957.

• Asheville Blue Ridge conference in 1957.

• Observance of the Declaration of the Bab was noted at a public meeting in Greensboro with interest in followup meetings.

• Durham NC and Hayward CA reported the largest events. Slides were shown in the Arizona Indian Reservations, Baha'i Temple and music by Mrs. Van Sombeek. A. T. Spaulding was a guest as a US UNESCO delegate to that year's New Delhi conference. Duke, NCCU and various city school students made up most of the guests. Special guests from Australia and Iran were recognized.

• Sarah (Martin) Pereira was noted giving a presentation at the Blue Ridge Conference in August 1957 and there were other meetings such as a panel discussion on the fulfillment of prophecy. A picture was also published.

• A two page summary of the 1957 Blue Ridge Conference was printed. Called the 4th annual conference, it was held August 24-28, with Hand of the Cause Paul Haney appearing and was planning a summer school to last five days or more. There also non-Baha'i youth meetings.

• Katherine McLaughlin was noted meeting across several states including Charlotte, NC for the Board of Protection.

• The Charlotte community reported the largest space in local papers at 81 column inches for World Religion Day - more than twice the next largest - but that overall across the nation about 117 communities of even 1 or 2 Baha'is were noted reaching 143 newspapers resulting in a readership of about 12 million people - and 1/3rd of these were first time events for this.

• WFMY-TV staff F. Kimball Kinney joined the Blue Ridge Summer School committee in April 1958.

• Pioneer Carolina Lawrence recounts her adventures in Thailand leaving Winston-Salem, NC.

• After the Greensboro Assembly was asked to join the Greensboro Ministerial Fellowship in early 1958, the assembly chair Jack Davis, attended various luncheons and meetings and showing up in the church directory and each member was allotted six fifteen minute programs on WFMY-TV in June highlighting the gardens on Mt. Carmel (as known in 1958, long before the present Terraces.) The presentations were very warmly received. A Baha'i worked at the station and received many inquiries. The TV channel was on the air since 1949 and this is the only time the show received mail. One show the guest presenter was Irma Haydne, chair of the Nashville Tenn, Assembly and having an integrated meeting on-air was notable.

• A series of conferences across the nation was called presenting a message from the NSA, explaining the term "spiritual reinvigoration", the ideas of administration vs procedure and examples of recent failings and an aim to "live the life". Curtis Kelsey was in Raleigh for this Oct 26, 1958.

• A broad summary and picture of the 1958 Blue Ridge Summer School was published in the Baha'i News for November 1958 after it was held in August. Some eighty Baha'is and friends attended the integrated event. Teachers for adult classes included Roy Mottahedeh, Lorana Kerfoot, Erma Hayden, Albert James, Zella Scendsen, and Jack Davis. Classes were held for adults and youth also had some of their own meetings. Children's classes were taught by Thelma Allison, Louise Jackson, Alice Walton and Marion Goldstein. Additional social events features slides of the Temple and Shrines. The YMCA management required a higher number to renew the contract however instead the contract was renewed for three years.

• The Blue Ridge Baha'i School committee was announced February - Mrs. Corinne Bowman, secretary, Gerald Curwin, Mrs. Vivian Curwin, Jack Davis, F. Kimball Kinney.

• Charlotte Baha'is were noted having a slide collection showing of the Four Religions in the Holy Land.

• A series of conferences was called for bringing the pioneering goals of the ten year plan to regional communities - the one held in Raleigh NC was given by Ellsworth Blackwell.

• Naomi Simmons of Greensboro died May 17, 1959.

• Activity in Charlotte for Race Amity Day was noted showing slides of "Palestine, Holy Land of Four Faiths" and were asked to share the slides in Bible studies classes.

1960s

• Durham was noted among the 26 cities to host regional conferences - theirs on Jan 30.

• Program committee for new Baha'i summer school at Blue Ridge - Gail Corwin, Kathrun Potter, C. Newell Atkinson, Gerald Curwin, Corine Bowman, F. Kimball Kinney, Ronald Knowles, Victoria Richards, William Tucker, Harvey Wiener.

• Cherokee, NC, was one of three priorities for pioneers of the Indian Service Committee.

• (picture and comments) Adolphe Furth and Albert James talked at a meeting Ludmila Van Sombeek's home at World Religion Day observance.

• Matthew Bullock spoke in four cities in NC - Durham, Raleigh, Greensboro, and Charlotte. In all cities he spoke African-American colleges and in people's homes - Carlotta Holmes and Ludmilla Van Somebeek, Margaret Quance, Georgia Haith, and Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Curwin.

• Greensboro Baha'i observance was held at a home showing a film on integrated children and adolescents though attendance was small but increased the sense of need.

• Greensboro noted a meeting in a home with a film and talk by Terah Cowart-Smith.

• State convention statistics reported for Dec 1960 noted 90.5% of NC Baha'i voters participated - second highest in the country - though the national average was far lower with most states around 2/3rds attending and voting.

• Baha'is from NC joined other states for this first Frogmore Winter Conference in SC late December and early January. Paul Pettit, Albert James, and Jack McCants taught classes. McCants also gave a public talk about his conversion and Pettit did the opening keynote.

• A photo of commemorating Human Rights Day at Ludmilla Van Sombeek noted four Baha'is among the crowd with Chelloner Chute speaking.

• Allan L Ward was noted speaking at NCCU for "religious emphasis week".

• Irving W. Stevens of Winston-Salem died Sept. 15, 1961.

• Greensboro was noted as one of many communities offering World Peace Day events. In Greensboro there was an auditorium at a local college (Guilford College?) and had three speakers. Durham was also mentioned hosting an observance in a Baha'i's home.

• A photo of a Greensboro conference held at the request of the National Assembly was lead by Aux Board member Curtis Kelsey.

• Durham Baha'is were noted succeeding getting a Baha'i on the Religious Emphasis Week presentation at (NCCU).

• A World Religion Day observance was photographed out of Durham. A separate but same event picture was used at Carolina Times.

• Brief mention of a World Religion Day event in Raleigh NC.

• Some 2000 people attended a talk by Allan Ward for Religious Emphasis Week at (NCCU) and Hand of the Cause Zikru'llah Khadem visited several meetings. Unscheduled sessions followed. Noted was that there was one faculty member at the college and one student.

• (NCCU) hosted a display on the Faith.

• Durham Baha'is were noted invited by the National Council of Negro Women for an international dinner.

• In Greensboro, North Carolina, Baha'is hosted a tea (in Guilford college??) given for 17 foreign students. The Bahá'ís are planning to host a college week-end retreat.

• Ethel Murray was noted again still in the Cherokee area.

• Baha'is from NC were invited by the Rogers AK Assembly to attend the Cherokee Pow Wow in Oklahoma - Ethel Murray, Minnie Feather and Ether Jumper. Hand of the Cause Zikru'llah Khadem addressed the gathering.

• Cherokee area pioneer Ethel Murray wrote of being contacted by the National Congress of American Indians for a conference and she was able to share some literature.

• Southeastern Baha'i School program committee was announced - Kathryn Potter, Frances Falvey, Jack McCants, Jane McCants, Robert Berryhill, William Saunders, Taraz Akhavan, Lee Grimsley, Malcom Thomas, Henry Ginn, Fereydoun Jalali, Ashburn Searcy, Carolyne Fulmer and Lillie Abercrombie.

• World Religion Day hosted at the Quaker Meeting House with Matthew Bullock speaker.

Like 1944's census by Shoghi Effendi, the Hands of the Cause compiled information in 1963 - at that point North Carolina was noted with 4 assemblies, 8 registered groups of people, and five isolated believers.

• Naw-Ruz celebration held in Durham with diverse religions.

• Raleigh and Charlotte Baha'is were each noted having a Race Amity event.

• November there is a change in who is Secretary of the Charlotte Assembly… so there was one. The new secretary was Thelma Cashion.

• (Ethel Murray's home?) Baha'i Center in Cherokee pictured.

• Durham Baha'is were noted holding a Race Amity Day observance with a talk by Valerie Wilson followed by a picnic at Tyler's Lake near Greensboro with a talk by William Allison.

• A Baha'i from NC attended a Wisconsin meeting of Indian Baha'is.

• Youth projects were noted associated with the NC Baha'i summer school near Asheville, the Greensboro community meeting, and other trips.

• Ronald Edmonstone is elected secretary of the Charlotte assembly in later 1964.

• A north Carolinian youth attended a Baltimore county camp out.

• Baha'i youth held a picnic in mid October after assisting pioneer Ethel Murray in the Cherokee Reservation. They came from Greensboro, Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, Greenville, SC, and Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia. Feredoun Jalali and Jack Perrin were named particularly contributing.

• Terah Cowart-Smith of Durham was a speaker for World Peace Day in Madison Wisconsin. Glenford Mitchell of the Africa Report was a World Peace Day speaker in Durham community meeting and it had newspaper and radio coverage. The previous evening Ludmilla Van Sombeek held a youth fireside.

• F. Kimball Kinney was noted secretary of the Greensboro Assembly in January, 1965.

• Photo of a meeting at Ludmilla Van Somebeek's was noted in February 1965.

• Actress Joan Kelly on stage with play "Bye Bye Birdie" gave a talk and interviews mentioning the Faith.

• William Tucker of Asheville officially listed at an Auxiliary Board member in March, (William Maxwell too - though then living in Massachusetts.)

• The first local assembly of Asheville is noted April 1965 with members Jack Guilebeaux, William Reid, Margaret Greenlee, William Tucker, Mary Sue Turner, Herbert Turner, Maebell Bethea, Douglas Phillips and Bernice Tucker.

• North Carolina schools of Asheville and Buncombe county officially recognized Baha'i Holy Days.

• Durham was noted holding a Naw-Ruz program at a hotel with a talk by Mr. Jalali with music by Jerry Williamson and Kathnel Blair.

• Official recognition of Baha'i marriage ceremonies was noted by June, 1965 and took some three weeks from the point of an official presentation.

• One of the targets of Baha'i youth oriented training at the Davidson Baha'i School of 1965 was the Cherokee Reservation of North Carolina.

• Margaret Greenlee to Matthew Peterson on June 20, 1965 in Asheville.

• Bruce Barick was noted as secretary of the Raleigh Assembly.

• The Asheville community sponsored Joe Voelz, Steven Yamamoto, Ellen Owen, Janet Cutler and Fereydoun Jalili working with Ethel Murray and three Indian Baha'is.

• F. Kimball Kinney was the secretary for the Greensboro Assembly in November, 1965.

• A Raleigh observance of World Peace Day noted getting a Governor's proclamation.

• Janice Rose Smith married Jeffry Lee Ballard on December 26, 1965 in Greensboro.

• Julia Simmons of Fayetteville died October 19.1966.

• The Greensboro community secured the presence of the mayor when there was a dedication a "peace tree”.

• Greensboro Baha'is were noted hosting a panel for World Religion Day.

• William Tucker is noted as Aux. Board member and giving a talk at the Frogmore winter school. And slides of the youth program in NC was shown around.

• Southeastern Baha'i Summer School was held at Camp Dorothy Walls in Black Mountain across June 26 to July 2, with registrar Margaret Quance.

• Bettie Jean Brodie married Ozie Tidmore on May 28, 1966 in Raleigh.

• An institute was held in Greensboro in March with Aux. Board members William Tucker with Jack McCants along with his wife Jane giving talks.

• Gaffield Lofton of Greensboro died March 17, 1966 and Elease Walker of Greensboro died March 24, 1966.

• June/July Black Mountain Baha'i school was held near Asheville at Camp Dorothy Walls with 180 attending. Classes were offered by Sylvia Ioas, a series by students, Hand of the Cause Zikru'llah Khadem, Mrs. Javidukht Khadem.

• Jean Norris (later Scales) was noted going to the Caribbean teaching project, in Jean's case, on St. Vincent Island.

• Aux. Board member William Maxwell was noted giving a talk in Tennessee with newspaper coverage.

• In November Rachel A. Bel was listed as the Raleigh Assembly Secretary.

• Thelma Cashion Perry of Charlotte, died August 6.

• World Peace Day projects included newspaper coverage of a Dawn Redwood planting in Asheville.

• The changed assembly secretaries are: Durham:, Ethelynne Thomas, and Raleigh, Frances Falvey in January, 1967.

• An analysis of voting in state conventions showed 49% voting in person, 17% voting by mail, and 34% not voting.

• A fireside was noted in Durham with Matthew Bullock giving a talk.

• Sharlene Sharpe to Dr. Fereidoon Rezvani on April 29, 1967 in Charlotte.

• Three Harvard and one MIT faculty traveled among colleges in NC among others.

• July Baha'i school was held at Camp Dorothy Walls with classes and talks by Aux. Board members William Tucker, Albert James and Beth McKenty and Jack McCants as well as others by Beatrice Rinde, and Jane McCants. Terah Cowart-Smith, Nancy Jordan, A. Kalantar taught other classes.

• Margaret Quance of Raleigh was the registrar for the 1967-8 Southeastern Baha'i Winter School. And Frances Falvey of Raleigh was the state goals committee secretary.

• Durham was noted hosting a Human Rights Day observance cooperating with the Quaker Community.

• Bonnie Hauck was listes as the secretary for the Charlotte assembly.

• A regional distribution of conferences broadly about human rights, including relevant minorities in some regions, list NC for the Atlanta Conference for June.

• Laurinburg newspaper News and Observer carried a large article about Dizzy Gillespie and the Faith soon after his joining the religion.

• No assemblies were gained or lost in the Spring of 1968.

• The Cherokee Indian Reservation was as "opened goal" in July, 1968.

• Governor Dan K. Moore met with some Baha'is - Andrew Allison, Robert Berryhill, and Cliff Elingham - presenting him a book on May 24.

• 17 cities in the US hosted conferences promoting the religion - for the NC region conferences were held in Richmond, VA and Atlanta, GA.

• Jean Norris (now Scales) was on a tour of states promoting the religion and the spiritual solution to the racial issue when she was noted at the Tulsa OK community meeting as a speaker. Additionally Durham and Raleigh communities held a picnic with Mr and Mrs William Shoemaker of Elizabeth City giving a talk.

• A booth was noted at the North Carolina State Fair for the Baha'is - a picture was also presented.

• A picture of the first assembly of Winston-Salem has: Mary Ann Innace, Elizabeth Snyder, Michael McCondless, Ann Moore, Arthur Blue, Joel Caverly, Mamie Johnson, Fardad Holshani, Araj Bashiri.

• Van Sombeek presented to an audience of hundreds of teachers at a conference in Charlotte on the treatment of minorities in textbooks and included slides of Baha'i Shrines and Temples. She then received invitations to speak at variou schools - the first black teacher in a white school in Kinston NC in particular had her address her school and the black school as well as a club, while another set of invitations came from Durham.

• North Carolinians were among those attending the Southern Teaching Conference in Chattanooga, TN, in September 1969. At the conference summary of the North Carolina community noted there were 30 localities with Baha'is, 6 assemblies, and High Point was a goal with 5 Baha'is in the city. Goal cities listed were - Ahoskie, Asheboro, Boone Clinton, Concord, Cullowhee, Dodson, Eden, Elizabeth City, Gastonia, Goldsboro, Henderson, Hendersonville, Hickory, Jacksonville, Kinston, Laurenburg, Lumberton, Marion, Monroe, Morehead City, Murphy, Roanoke Rapids, Salisbury, Smithfield, Washington, Wilmington, Wilson - and some of these already had at least one new Baha'i since Ridvan 1969 - Gastonia, Morehead City, and Roanoke Rapids. Not neglecting international goals, Mr. Walter Wootten in Chapel Hill Mr. and Mrs. Jack Sander (location unstated) were listed as representatives of the international goals committee who would make local presentations.

• Assemblies of Winston-Salem and Asheville assisted a non-Baha'i family in a project in Morgonton and had then national assembly member Jack McCants speak with firesides following.

• Some 200 primarily youth attended World Peace Day in Winston-Salem held at the NC School of the Arts. Mike McCandles, Mamie Johnson, Jack Guillebeaux, and minister Ralph Eanes spoke or performed.

• The Winston Salem Assembly addressing the situation of Vietname moratoriums to raise the visibility of the Faith, noting that Mike McCandless joined a program and spoke for 10 minutes.

• Greenville NC Baha'i Joyce Hatch was among those attending a proclamation by the governor of Georgia.

1970s

• Hand of the Cause Mr. Furutan went to the Black Mountian Baha'i School near Asheville.

• The Baha'is had a booth at the state Fair with a post-fair meeting in Chapel Hill which Jane McCants spoke at.

• A week of events unfolded in Charlotte. Mayor John Belk signs a proclamation (with photo) and National Assembly members Daniel Jordan and Jack McCants, along with William Allison of the local assembly of Atlanta came among the four public meetings split between local churches, a Jewish Temple, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Publicity in newspapers, radio, tv, booths (at other universities) included on of black men at an exclusive white woman's college, and posters occurred. Daniel Jordan was interviewed by the Charlotte News along with a picture. One lady joined the faith during the week and David Hauck was invited to present to a class of 50 at a black college going beyond the time allotted.

• High Point and Chapel Hill were noted as goal cities for electing assemblies in April 1970, each with 6 Baha'is. Valentine S. Boyd was also listed as the new secretary for the Asheville Bahá'í assembly.

• A state youth conference was scheduled in Dunn with some 70 attendees - from Henderson, Morgonton, Kinston, Asheville and Raleigh - with talks by Jane McCants, and Derald Hendry, at the home of Bon Crocker and Greg Guntz, students of Campbell College. The landlord arrived to announce they were being evicted which lead to a wave of interest.

• Some 150 people from 12 towns in NC and SC assembled in Henderson for a Race Unity Day observance, and some 12 people declared the night before or the during another event in Kinston.

• Baha'is from North Carolina were among those to see Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga in Tennessee.

• Virginia Clay died in Plymouth, April 3, 1971.

• Baha'is from Charlotte went to Dillon SC during the period of large scale enrollment.

• Dolores Jones of Asheville died June 5, 1971, John Huntley of Charlotte in June 1971, and Dolores Jones of Asheville also died June 5,1971.

• Activities of Baha'is in SC and NC near Dillon SC arriving from far off places - 25 states and even Great Britain. They lived in tents, did dawn prayers, and heard talks before moving around the towns. Numbers ranged from some two dozen to over a hundred at a time. Charles Bullock did dawn songs. People who were interested came back to the camp to hear more. A Chief of police confronted Baha'is in one case and allowed only three Baha'is in the town at a time. Towns mentioned include Dillon, Rock Hill, of SC and Farmville, Goldsboro, and La Grange of NC. Three servicemen from Seymour Johnson Airforce base, SC, also came to the camp.

• Mecklinburg County South East Assembly Secretary was Beverly Edmonstone.

• Spread of Baha'i summer schools noted, the Carolina schooled "older”.

• A piece note the trip for Philip Marangella and Chauncey Northern making it to Enfield at Bricks Junior College under the American Missionary Association, adding the detail that the president and wife were Baha'is and welcomed Baha'i teachers.

• Raleigh was noted with a Center on Chamberlain St in 1972.

• Jane McCants was appointed an Auxiliary Board member for NC in February, 1972.

• Theodore R. Minor of Durham died sometime before March, 1972.

• Dorothy Milham and Thomas Moore were notes as assembly secretaries for Charlotte and Raleigh, respectively,

• Ida Freeman of Plymouth was noted died March 1, Lottie Bell Wilson of Grtenville (Greenville?) April 6, Harold Rock of Goldsboro, April 16, and George E. Kornegay of Goldsboro before June.

• Charles Bullock and wife Sandi from Henderson Point, NC part of trio touring the Caribbean and accompanying (then Continental Counselor) Hooper Dubar.

• Henry Robert Broadhurst died in High Point on February 16, and Horace Mellor died in Raleigh, February 24.

• Eunice Braun was appointed Auxiliary Board member for teaching filling the vacancy of Chester Khan when he resigned from the post - and Braun's initial area included North Carolina.

• Hand of the Cause Mr. Faizi was going to offer a class at the August Carolina Summer School.

• Charlotte Baha'is were noted being on a 30 minute tv program with six Baha'is of different ages, races and backgrounds and invited to another future program in August.

• In September 1972 Diana DeChesere was noted secretary of the New Hanover County Assembly, surrounding Wilmington.

• Ethel Murray of Asheville died August 5, 1972. A biographical sketch and summarize her of service. Both 1884 one of a twin she joined the Faith in the 1920s in Springfield, Massachusetts, after hearing it from Electa Timmerman who was giving elocution lessons to her daughter (Beth Newport.) She traveled as a photographer with Harlan and Grace Ober and Jenabi Fazel. In 1936 she moved to Richmond, VA, then returned to NY after a few years. She attended the 1953 dedication of the Chicago House of Worship and was stirred to homefront pioneer she was moved to go to the Cherokee in November. She started in Asheville, then Bryson City and finally was able to rent a home and then a shack that lacked heat or plumbing, in similar conditions to many on the reservation. Her living conditions eventually improved but she saved money to buy mattresses for Indians, something she lacked. She was able to add columns in the local paper until opposed by local clergy though she also made friends. She set aside part of her home as a Baha'i Center with books, pictures, and signs.

• Charmion Stanley of Greensboro was the contact person for the Carolinas Baha'i summer school for July, 1973, to be held in Cheraw state park in SC.

• Laurie Gilman Durham died November 29, 1973.

• Nancy S. Schear, Secretary for the Eastern NC District Teaching Committee was moved to Zebulon.

• The 1973 Durham assembly's photograph was published in a collection in the National Baha'i Review in December, 1973. Certain the picture are Jean and Jay Scales.

• Jane McCants was again appointed an Auxiliary Board member for NC in January, 1974.

• Rafieh Mansour, who had served in the House of Abbud, lived and ultimately died in High Point, NC. Her family had been given permission to live in Akka. Notes of her story were hand written and a copy given to the national assembly. Baha'u'llah died when she was six, and Abdu'l-Baha left prison on her wedding day. She recalled the passing of Abdu'l-baha. Shoghi Effendi asked the Baha'i community there to leave in 1938.

• Nancy Schear of Raleigh and John R. Bowers of Richmond, were listed as contacts for eastern NC.

• Anne Respess of Greensboro was the contact person for the 1974 June/July Carolinas Baha'i summer school at Warner Wilson College in Swanannanoa.

• Chapel Hill and Durham in NC Central, and Asheville in Western NC, were noted as Assemblies with stable contributions to the Fund.

• Rafieh Mansoor of High Point was noted died March 21.

• For the December conventions for electing delegates to the national convention, voting and teaching districts were mostly aligned and the districts for NC were East (Raleigh), Central (Greensboro), and Western (Charlotte).

• Mozelle Brown of Asheville was noted died in April, and Cathleen Steer of Laurinburg and Lawrence Lytle of Black Mt. before August, 1974.

• Guy Murchie briefly mentions the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk, NC.

• Roosebelt Robinson of Greenville, died in December 1974.

• Updated contact information for Dec 1974 noted Margaret Warden for Chapel Hill and only a change of address for Kinston community.

• James Graddick of Greensboro died June 24, Shade Harris of Fairmont, and Wanish Edwards of Whiteville died before December, 1974.

• David Langley of Greenville was noted having passed in the Fall 1973, Will Artis of Ayden was noted died summer 1974, and Henry Sloan of Mt. Olive and Nora Wallace of Farmville, before January, 1975.

• Winston-Salem was noted as a jeopardized assembly with 8 out of 9 Bahá'ís present of January, 1975.

• In 1975 Margaret Warden was noted secretary of the Chapel Hill Assembly.

• Dr. Jane Failey was among the women of the Faith who participated as part of the UN Tribune Committee for the International Women's Year UN conference in Mexico. She was a faculty at UNC after work in Michigan, Harvard, Atlanta and Sorbonne and was then an Auxiliary Board member.

• The state District Conventions were set for October for Eastern (Raleigh), Central (Greensboro), and Western (Charlotte) NC.

• John Watson of Chapel Hill was noted passed before August, 1975.

• Hand of the Cause Rahmutu'llah Muhajir traveled across the South including North Carolina, such as the Cherokee Indian Reservation, after a tour of the West coast and North East.

• Among the volunteers for a workshop at the national center was (a) Ken Bowers of Charlotte, NC.

• Henry Alston of Wake Forest, died before September, 1976.

• Later Baha'i Albert Windust wintered in NC in 1897 and learned of the Faith about next year back north in classes given by Paul Dealy. CIrca 1909 events began to lead to publishing Star of the West.

• An Assembly was elected in Cherokee, NC.

• The Asheville Assembly and the Tuckers were awarded by the Ashville-Buncombe County Relations Council for their work in overcoming racial prejudice. Noting Bill joined the Faith in 1946 and Bunny since 1950, and the Assembly was elected in 1964.

1980s to the end of coverage

• North Carolinians Jane Faily, and Debbie Jeffress, were among the project working in Ghana for the UN for the IYC.

• Excerpt of a book Terah by Mrs. Terah Cowart-Smith printed. She was a native of Georgia, joined the UN for the Faith for the UN Speaker's Research Committee in 1947. She was a close friend of Hand of the Cause Dorothy Beecher Baker. She pioneered to Atlanta, moved to Greensboro in 1956 to live with her sister Eiah (who later she moved to Florida.)

• Glenford Mitchell was elected to the Universal House of Justice in 1982. He was born in 1935 in Jamaica and attended private schools there, came to the US and earned a BA degree in business education in 1960 from Shaw University, in Raleigh NC. He then moved to Washington DC and was a journalist and co-edited The Angry Black South published in 1962. He then moved to New York and earned a master's in journalism from Columbia in NY while he was employed in the book publishing field and then on the magazine "Africa Report" as well as a teacher in Indiana State University and Howard University. He served as secretary of the US NSA from 1967, the same year he was elected to the national assembly and served as an editor of the World Order magazine and secretary of the Baha'i Publishing Trust and the Baha'i (retirement) Home in Wilmette. In 1980 he was given an honorary PhD from National College of Education in Wilmette. He was elected to serve on the House when Amoz Gibson retired and a special by-election was held July 15.

• Program of 10th anniversary of Louis Gregory Institute included Charlotte Baha'is then Auxiliary Board Member Elizabeth Martin and conference moderator George Frye.

• Brief mention that while establishing the college speakers bureau Dorothy Beecher Baker visited universities in North Carolina. A black college president prepared her for the reception he felt she would get saying "My students almost stopped the last speaker who mentioned peace, and he a minister wearing the cloth, mind you!" But after perusing the pamphlet "A pattern for future society" he continued "… but as I understand, you Baha'is do not teach pacifism; you offer a program. Every college should hear this.”

• The Asheville community produced a 1hr program that has been airing since January 1983 with members of the Asheville and Buncombe county communities interviewed and a radio drama "Fireside Playhouse" out of Hollywood for the NSA heard on 100 radio stations. The primary audience of the Asheville radio station for the program is African-American residents of western North Carolina. The community was then invited to produce a regular children's program as well. The executive producer of Fireside Playhouse was Betty D. Ulius.

• NC News Service was among those that hear Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh's testimony to the US Senate about the brutality of the persecution of Baha'is in Iran.

• New Yorker article on persecution of Baha'is notes that the UN convention on banning genocidal practices was never ratified by the US most primarily by Jesse Helms, then long time Senator from NC.

• Non-Baha'is Dr. C. Eric Lincoln from Duke along with M. Chabaku, UM Minister from Raleigh, was a panelist on eliminating racism at a Baha’i sponsored International Peace Conference in North America.

• Michael Hughey contributed a calligraphy of the Prayer for America printer on page 17.

• Steven Kozlow of Shelby NC was the liaison for Nur University of Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

• Notes Edna True formally joined the Baha'i Faith in 1903, the same year as the Wright brother's flight at Kitty Hawk.

• James Turpin was noted living in North Carolina in the phase of his life when he returned to Vietnam (now a Baha'i) following his work there in the early 1960s.

• Load of relief supplies and 28 Baha'is from Columbus County NC were among the aids Baha'is sent to SC.

Initial coverage in The American Bahá'í

While the Baha'i News was closed down the replacement, more or less, was The American Bahá'í. Some of it's older stories were shared digitally in the 90s and this allows an extension of this review. However these digital files mostly lack page numbers and have not been placed publicly online yet. The editions available range from January 1984 alone, February 1987 alone, May through August 1989, missing September, October and November , and continuing in December 1989, continuing January 1990 through April, missing May, picking back up in June through December, continuing through all of 1991, missing all of 1992, and having all of 1993.

1980s

January, 1984, was noted with Marzieh Schwandes attending Western Carolina University at Cullowhee as the only Bahá'í, as a youth homefront pioneer. The National Teaching Committee noted that for the month of November NC had one adult and two youth join the Faith. A list of homefront pioneer goals for NC included (in Eastern and Western blocks): Apex,Clayton, Elm City, Farmville, Henderson, Kinston, La Grange, Macedonia, Mt. Olive, Plymouth, Robersonville, Roky Mount, Roper, Wake Forest, Washington, Wilson, Winsor, and Zebulon (East), and Cabarrus County, Cherokee Reservation, Creek, Cornelius, Derita-Mallard, Marion, Mathews, Old Fort (West.) Locally originated mini-media conferences were being arranged in NC according to the national office of public affairs - what and were not then detailed save one based around Greensboro paying for five "Wage Peace" billboards costing $200.

The "In memoriam" section of the June 1990 had news of many passing in North Carolina:

• Lucy Stephens of Fairmont died in 1987.
• Shirley Jordan of Fairmont died February 28, 1988.
• Theodosia McKeller of Fairmont died June 1988.
• Henry L. Bullard died in Fairmont in 1988.
• Brenda Bennett of High Point died February 13, 1989.
• Bishop Coleman, Louis Faulk, Herbert Floyd, Aller Sello, Alex Thompson and Arlivid Worley, all of Fairmont, died though the dates before June 1990 are not known.
• Johnnie W. Collins of Whiteville died September 3, 1989.
• Lester Jacob of Pembroke died in 1989.

In May 1989 homefront pioneers for Whiteville could contact Ella or Larry Conrad.

Communities of Baha'is that had a high consistency in supporting the national fund in 1988 were: Asheville, Buncombe County, Durham, Greensboro, Mount Airy, Orange County, Raleigh, Watauga County, (and the registered group of Yadkinville.)

The NCState Baha'i club was noted in The American Bahá'í noting a public picnic that received coverage on a local NBC affiliate, and the next day students and faculty attended an Environmental Day meeting and given "The Promise of World Peace".

In September 1989 Bahá'ís from Columbus County and members of the state's Central District Teaching Committee carried supplies to help the hurricane disaster area in South Carolina for Hurricane Hugo. "We met and gave supplies to a number of homeless people. They were very much surprised when we gave them ice for free since others had been buying bags of ice for 79 cents and going there trying to resell it to them for $3 a bag." Then they were asked to take another shipment on behalf of Hallsboro Elementary School and provide documentation. That second shipment reached a place called Awendaw and a mobile home park named Copahee View which is 30 miles west of Charleston. "Our first stop was to offer help to a young woman standing by a pile of debris that used to be her home and holding a baby girl while her husband sifted through wood, metal and mud to find a few pots, pans or unbroken dishes. She said she needed baby bottles, so we gave her some…". They had signs "Hurricane Supply Van from Hallsboro and Whiteville, North Carolina, Your Border Friends" on the van. They gave away candles, batteries, mens socks and tennis shoes, ice, juice, cereal, canned foods, and many other things, and there were tales of self-reliance too. "One thing we noticed about all of these people we were helping was that they were very caring and concerned about each other, unmindful of race, etc., and they always told us about someone else who needed help, in the next yard or on the next street, so no one would be left out."

An 11 minutes profile of WLGI was done by the South Carolina Educational Radio Network in December 1989 and carried by stations that reached the border areas of NC.

1990

In February 1990 there was a report of people joining the Faith from regions of NC across some years:

				7 Year Plan	6 Year Plan
District	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990
North Carolina Central	21	16	56	86	18	27	46	17
North Carolina East	3	7	6	16	4	5	4	6
North Carolina West	16	37	205	77	49	34	7	6

And the February notice of the traveling teacher coordinator for NC for 1990 was Sam Williams of Yadkinville.

In March the Baha'is of Cumberland County advertised for homefront pioneers to save an assembly.

Jim Turpin was noted Fairview, NC asking for homefront pioneers in April 1990. Baha'is were noted supporting the The National Conference on Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution (NCPCR) called "Community in Conflict," being set for June 4-8, 1991, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Caroline Lawrence, a pioneer since 1957 to Laos, Thailand and Japan, died April 6 in Naha, Japan. She was was born June 28, 1918, and became a Baha'i in North Carolina, settled in Japan in 1967 lived in the communities of Okinawa and Naha until suffering a severe stroke in August 1989.

In June a report came in that more than 100 people attended a "Education for World Peace" forum sponsored by the Baha'i community of Charlotte. The keynote speaker was Dr. Peter Relic, superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools; also speaking was Dr. Dwight W. Allen. A photo caption noted Auxiliary Board member Jean Scales attended.

In July there was a report of Baha'is from Boone and Watauga County making a colorful banner in Boone's 'All Species Day' parade for Earth Day and working closely with the community's Earth Week committee.

A notice of a followup from a conference the summer of a new Baha'i Esperanto association - BELusono - had a Boone contact address among its list of members willing to help individuals learn Esperanto.

In September there was a notice: "Jean Norris Scales, an Auxiliary Board member since 1985, was honored June 4 by the City Council of Durham, North Carolina, on her retirement after 31 years as a faculty member at North Carolina Central University where she was an associate professor of English. A resolution by the City Council praises Dr. Scales as "a standard bearer in the English Department at NCCU. . . a poet and scholar," and notes that she is "a distinguished member of the Baha'i Faith" who "served on the first local Spiritual Assembly of Durham in 1962 and remained a member of this elected administrative group until 1985 when appointed an Auxiliary Board member for the states of North Carolina, Mississippi and Georgia." Dr. Scales, who taught previously at Jackson (Mississippi) State College and Prairie View A&M College in Texas, was also honored in the resolution as "an active supporter for improving human relations in the Durham community, as a volunteer reading tutor for elementary school students, and as an activist during the civil rights movement."

1991

A February edition had a picture of students being gifted toys and learning materials in the Pearsontown Elementary School in Durham at which Bahá'í Alex Brode attended. Then a report was shared that a six-member Baha'i youth group of Charlotte raised $1,000 across a summar by holding two garage/bake sales, taking part in a Read-a-Thon, baby-sitting, cleaning houses, and mowing lawns.

A summary of the national assembly's annual report for 1991 noted that the director of the Office of Public Information had met with Baha'is Charlotte, North Carolina. Hope Turpin from Fairview, North Carolina, won a place in "Summer Ventures in Math and Science" at East Carolina University, won the Alexander Graham Bell Arts and Science Award the previous year, and was included in Whos Who in American High Schools. At age 15 she has been given permission to attend college half-time next year as a resident at the North Carolina School for the Deaf in Morganton. A call for homefront pioneers for Roxboro was sent in by Terri Hamrick. There was a notice of a June National Conference on Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution co-sponsored by Baha'is in Charlotte. And a Bahá'í Peace Award was given to Sister Veronica Grover at a ceremony in Mint Hill, NC, for her work brining races together in Philadelphia and her work developing materials and practices that came together as the National Center of Justice and Peace Education and a curriculum called Seeking a Just Society.

Sites of district conventions were published in August as well - in NC they were:

• Unit 79. Central-A in Durham, October 5, arranged by the LSA of Durham City
• Unit 80. Eastern-A in Wilmington,October 6, at Sadgwar Bahai Center in Wilmington arranged by the LSA of Wilmington, c/o Joan Canterbury,
• Unit 81. Central-B in Cary, October 6, arranged by the LSA of Wake County
• Unit 82. Eastern-B arranged by the district teaching committee of Eastern N.C., c/o Mary Spires in Rocky Mount
• Unit 83. Western-A in the Western N.C. Bahai Center in Asheville, October 6 arranged by the LSA of Morganton
• Unit 84. Western-B in Charlotte, October 6, arranged by the LSA of Charlotte, c/o Kent Autry of Charlotte

The American Bahá'í posted an obituary for Dr. Edward Azar who established the Bahá'í Peace Chair at the University of Maryland Center for International Development and Conflict Management - it noted he had worked at UNC-Chapel Hill before coming to Maryland circa 1981.

1993

The only notice from 1992 other than about the World Congress or Dizzy Gillespie;s passing was of Thomas Wilkerson Jr. of Marion who died March 30, 1992.

In February a biography of Dizzy Gillespie in The American Bahá'í noted he had attended the Laurenburg Institute of NC perhaps in the 1930s. And Mojdeh Barghassa and Corinne Mills are noted as contacts for homefront pioneering to Garner.

The Spiritual Assembly of Hamlet arranged for an hour-long broadcast of highlights of the second Bahá'í World Congress on the cable-access channel for Richmond County.

Larry and Maryellen Crason of the Hmong Teaching Institute of Sacramento, California, were able to direct Baha'i refugees to the Spiritual Assembly of Morganton to help keep it established. Some 12 yrs after first forming the civic boundaries were effected and Baha'is in the county (Burke) formed their own assembly. The refugee homefront pioneers were Tong Ge Vue and Phua Cha and their 10 children from Vietnam. Bob Pickering was the contact person in Morganton to learn of their coming.

Raymond Alexander of Matthews died in June 1993.

In January 1992 and November 1993, Baha'is in the Western District of North Carolina held fund-raising events at the Baha'i Center in Asheville - the first raised $63k, and the second over $110k - for the Mount Carmel projects. Special guests at the second were retired member of the Universal House of Justice Dr. David Ruhe and his wife, Margaret. Members of electoral unit 84 were noted in feedback to a call for sustained action in response to the "Vision" message of the National Spiritual Assembly. And scheduled ahead to next February was a "Pioneer Emphasis Day" including in Raleigh.

1994

North Carolina Summer School for July 1994 registrar was Maria Hillis, of Wilson, NC.

Ron Mosseller of Tryon, North Carolina wrote a letter to the editor highlighting that a member of their community was going to dedicate time to assisting minorities and women face the challenge of unemployment and called for people to support a Self-Help Credit Union out of Durham in July of 1994. Another article covered the Asheville community raising money for the Arc Projects. David and Margaret Ruhe visited and spoke at the fundraiser at the Center. Mel Thomason is noted assisting the event at the Center and initiated a broader service traveling the South to assist other communities. The article also notes William Allmart working at the national center for Fund development who reviewed a broad sense of effort across the national community, ( weekly meetings, selling firewood, collecting recyclables…. He also noted there were 10 or so large contributions of $100,000 or more. Another article noted Vahid Myers of Asheville NC had won first place in the state's History Day competition with a video on "Papua New Guinea: Its land and people" inspired by his family's pioneering there and went on to compete in the national contest in June. And the Greensboro community was noted for its service to children. The Core Curriculum modules were used from the National Teacher Training Center at Louhelen Baha'i School via trainers Bret Breneman, Frederique Kandel, and Frank Jordan. Modules were delivered over six-week cycles and included Gwen Koehler as a trainee and she spoke of adjusting community to life to including children. Marvella Baldwin and Laura Ebert were asked to adjust Feasts for children. Lola Shappel and Gwen Hoehler led a second round of training sessions. All this culminated in a May "One Family Conference" and a "Calling All Colors" theme. Also a grad student asked if the conference could be filmed and there was press coverage as well.

Anthony Wilson of Charlotte died March 10, 1994 and Talieh K. Abbasi also in Charlotte, died on July 9, 1994.

Billy Rogers advertised that he was a contact person in Snow Camp for being added to a directory of Bahá'ís with experience in agriculture for the Association for Baha'i Studies Agriculture Seminar.

October Elector unit conventions were noted for 1994:

• Unit 80. North Carolina, Central-B at the American Legion Hall in Fayetteville, Oct. 2, arranged by the LSA of Cumberland County c/o C. McKinley.
• Unit 81. North Carolina, Eastern-A at the Glen Eden Community Ctr. in Raleigh, Oct. 2 arranged by the LSA of Raleigh
• Unit 82. North Carolina, Eastern-B at the Courtney Square Apts. Club House in Greenville, Oct. 1 arranged by the North Carolina State Teaching Comm., c/o N. Hendershot in Aurora
• Unit 83. North Carolina, Western-A at the Baha'i Center in Asheville, Oct. 2 arranged by the LSA of Asheville
• Unit 84. North Carolina, Western-B at the Ardin Park Elem. School in Boone, Oct. 2 arranged by the LSA of Watauga Cnty

An anonymous woman advertised for a homefront pioneer to settle near her to assist the community of Boone. John Bradley out of Mt. Airy was noted in a story about his project "Eco-Ag" teaching agriculture seminars with the Association for Baha'i Studies and linked three Baha'i youth with farms as apprentices. A winter November North Carolina Baha'i School entitled "Fellowship, Fellowship, Love, Love, Unity: Baha'i Consultation" had registrar Sandra Miles from Winston-Salem.

Recent issues

The online edition of The American Bahá'í has articles available back to the July-August 2012 edition. And it has references to North Carolina as well.

2012

• Obit of Fred Kappus who died in NY; a daughter Nancy Schear lives in NC.
• A profile of Peruvian Bahá'ís gathered in Durham in August was published noting Roxana Hadden, Monireh Salazar and Cesar Cortes organizing the event.
• Tenéa Miller of Cary participated in a Spanish/Latino training at Louhelen.
• In July a summer project in Long Island had (a ?) Baha'i youth from NC in it.
• Obit of Haynes McFadden in Namibia, brother to Nancy Tilly of NC.
• Profile of Nathan Shepherd who worked through faith in respecting laws and institutions of the Faith.
• Obit of David H. Lepard, April 6, 2012, who had lived in Cornelius and who's daughter Julie Miller lived in NC.
• Obit of Channing Snyder, died Oct 30, 2012, kin of Ariadne de Carvalho, of NC.
• A profile of the Glines family some of whom lived (and live) in North Carolina and their various activities raising community conversations,
• Obit of Ruth Borah of Netherlands, who was on a first Assembly of Wayne County in 1971.
• Interfaith issues in marriages discussed by Lynn Kirk Hunter in Mooresville.

2013

• Followup to the "Education Under Fire" intiative noted a class in Raleigh had been introduced to the subject and saw it in parallel with prejudice against African-Americans.
• A profile of the Carrboro Assembly and community as it engages in cycles of activity, encountering 140 people lining up multiple jr youth groups along with children's classes, and reflection meetings with Assembly meetings, in neighborhoods.
• An encounter with a Baha'i owned shop in Wyoming led to a connection back in Appalachia NC.
• Obit of Joyce Chalmers, mother to Valerie Heikes in NC.
• Note of Johanna Merritt Wu now living in Indiana, from NC and parents in NC doing a devotional.
• A profile of raising the plight of Bahá'ís in Iran was published noting Azadeh Perry of North Carolina contributing to the work.
• Talk of Counselor Anita Williams notes "young lady" from NC who advanced through stages of service in NC.
• Obit of Bernice "Bunny" Tucker of Carrboro and a letter from the National Assembly noting her work as a pioneer overseas and the homefront and was a delegate to the International Baha'i Convention once, she and William Tucker's long work in race amity.
• Biief mention of Penny Roberts who attended a Durham youth conference in July.
• Preview of the Surge in the Atlantic in the Triangle area.
• An August gathering at the Orange County Bahá'í Center in Efland is held for the "Surge in the Atlantic" training and service initiative.
• Followup from the Surge by Debora Dechtiear of the Triangle area.
• The Charlotte area encouragement of youth was profiled, followed by a profile of a conference in Raleigh for youth.
• A seminar on social action was held Dec. 6-8, 2013, in the Triangle cluster of North Carolina for about 50 invitees who serve on Bahá’í institutions and agencies at the national, regional and cluster levels across the U.S. and Canada.
• Obituary of Margaret Jamir, Died December 16, 2013, in Siler City.

2014

• Profile of Sinai and Synapses group forming with Lisa Ortuno of North Carolina.
• Profile of youth driven study circle activity in Mars Hill, perhaps its first Bahá'í gathering, along with Madison County.
• Obituary for Dale Sollars noted his passing April 3, 2014 in Rutherford County and a letter from the National Assembly recalled his services in the 1980s.
• Obit of Joel Caverly, died June 20, 2014, in Massachusetts, who had lived in Winston-Salem where he met and married Edna Green.
• Melody Fanaapazir profiled starting her children's classes in Chapel Hill then moving to Sacramento and continuing.
• Obit of Goli Collestan Young, died July 13, 2014 in Alaska, related to NC Baha'i Collestan family. The National Assembly letter noted her decades work in serving families whether pioneering or at LGI.
• Obituary of Lucille (Ludi) Johnson, formerly a pioneer in Greenville NC in 1972.
• Obituary of Jane Faily, died August 4, 2014, then in Georgia, who taught and lived in North Carolina and lived in many places too.
• Followup profile of activity in Charlotte.
• Profile of efforts of Laura Reinschmigt who had lived in North Carolina.
• Obit of Brenda Caldwell of Iredell County, who died November 20, 2014, in Arizona.

2015

• Coming out of Winter Baha'is in Charlotte were profiled in their pioneering gala coordinated by the regional council and auxiliary board members.
• A letter from the Durham Assembly about consultation at a unit convention in Durham noted that suggestions made at convention are conveyed by the minutes of the convention immediately to respective institutions as needed and distinguishes the role of delegate not being a matter of having a mandate but to being a recognized voice in consultation based on their own conscience and and prayerful reflection and to consider the consultations at convention, and that computerized services at the national conventions supplement the floor time for consultation.
• Progress in animating junior youth empowerment programs and getting training and support via multi-day seminars for coordinators consulting on how best to reach out and raising up leadership in others and found an opportunity at a school in Charlotte.
• A pro-life of Bahá'ís working in jobs searching for youth notes Derald Hendry in Franklin, implementing spiritual assistance with a study circle.
• In the Spring Bahá’ís of the Hendersonville and Auxiliary Board member Becky Dibble Louis consulted on focal points in the Five Year Plan for their own community
• A performance by artists in a Night of the Arts sponsored by a study circle in Durham is profiled from Valentines Day.
• In the Fall a profile of cycles of action and reflection are counted up. In the Triangle 500 doors were knocked on, 200 conversations with youth, 40 interested in volunteering with empowerment programs, and 15 ultimately trained. And profiling an examples in words of themselves.
• Obituary notices in the Fall included Rohangeez Yazdi, 82, Carrboro.
• Bahá'í Chair conference at the University of Maryland has Joseph L. Graves, associate dean for research and professor of biological sciences at the Joint School of Nanosciences and Nanoengineering at North Carolina A&T State University and UNC Greensboro giving a talk.
• Profile of development of film by non-Bahá'í Brian Grimm North Carolinian documenting work supported by Bahá'í Connie Donley in race relations though she was killed in an accident - the group continued as the Race Unity Group. The group continues, and movie was discussed in NC.

2016

• An exhibition in the Chapel Hill public library including a submission by a hr youth group.
• Nathan and Aneesa Glines share about their experiences engaging communities during a national assembly consultation at Pensacola in February.
• Obituary notices of Bahá'í who had lived in North Carolina included Ella M. Conrad then in Tennessee, Robert N. Schappell in Cornelius, and Derald E. Hendry in Franklin.
• The work of Oscar and Winnie Merritt in High Point was noted.
• Durham assembly member and delegate to the national convention Kathy Lee presented on the history of the relationships of the Triangle Assemblies and cluster agencies.
• Obituary of V. Gail Curwin, died August 3, 2015, noted her life, after being a knight of Bahá'u'lláh, in Charlotte among other communities.
• Summer activities in "Summer of Service" noted in Charlotte and Triangle clusters.
• In the Fall it was shared that the National Assembly had decided to separate out more Regional Councils bringing NC with DE, MY and DC into one new council.

See also

• The Baha'i Faith in the Triangle a preliminary review of Baha'is in NC and the Triangle.
• Coverage of the Bahá'í Faith in Greensboro, NC, newspapers
• Coverage of the Bahá'í Faith in the Carolina Times, a North Carolina African-American newspaper
• Coverage of the Bahá'í Faith in Charlotte, North Carolina
• The Bahá'í Faith at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• The Bahá'í Faith at Duke University
• Coverage of the Baha'i Faith at NCCU Campus Echo
• The Bahá'í Faith at North Carolina State University at Raleigh
• Coverage of the Baha'i Faith in the Old Gold and Black, Wake Forest University
• Category:Bahá'ís from North Carolina
• In the hollow of is hand: the story of Ethel Murray, Morgantown, NC, by Derald E. Henry, 1983/2003 (download link)