Van Gilmer grew up in Greensboro, NC, at the height of Segregation. He was a musician, architectural engineer and active in the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s, when he became a Baha'i. Van is now the Music Director at the Baha'i House of Worship in Wilmette, IL, and helped introduce the worldwide Baha'i community to gospel music at the 1992 Baha'i World Congress.
1.Growing up in "black world"
It was scary to participate in the Civil Rights Movement because we had no clue what would happen. I was arrested many times.
2.The Black Church: a spiritual and musical legacy
The minister talked about us being one family, and about loving one another. And that stayed with me.
3.Meeting white Americans and Baha'is – for the first time
I was scared to death because my first Baha'i meeting was in a white community.
4.White people were suddenly in my life
I mean you hear the n-word now. But that was a regular word growing up.
5.Introducing gospel music to the Baha'i community
Singing the gospel music brought to many of us, who are African-Americans, the reality of the Baha’i Faith. We knew it included everybody.
6.How to talk about race in America
There were five of us, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jewish and Baha’i, who walked through a museum to see the history of slaves in America.
7.The only way to eliminate racism
My granddaughter went outside and saw a white noose hanging from a tree in her yard.