Foundation Hall University (FHU)
A MESSAGE FROM BARBARA TALLEY
Hello dear friends.
Welcome to Foundation Hall University. This is a very unique space where in a spiritual atmosphere, we study guidance, learn, listen, consult, heal, and build relationships and capacity to serve. Unlike many spaces, this space favors the pupil of the eye (people of African descent) who while having been entrusted with a noble station, still require healing from receiving for so long, "such grievous and slow healing wounds" stemming from the attitudes of ignorance and white supremacy that are woven into our country's fiber, institutions, and have contaminated so many hearts and minds. This BRIDGE space (bringing together both black and white daily) continues the goals of the POTE movement that began in 2019 in Nashville to help us understand, accept, and arise to our station of nobility.
If you really want to understand the POTE movement and what this space and other POTE-led spaces have done to nurture and encourage the pupil of the eye over the past two years, please listen to the following podcasts on Bahai.chat where many of us share our stories of healing and service. It was recorded in July 2021 after our 3rd Arise Conference.
3-Part Series Hosted by Barbara Talley and Steve Sarowitz)
Part 1: https://youtu.be/IH3IG5Q0YKM (Music by indieb)
(Willis Burris, Sue St. Clair, Gwen Etter-Lewis, Martine Hubbard, Derik Smith, and Angela Murray)
Part 2: https://youtu.be/91_gRo9lLtI
(Volari Taqi Morgan, Carol McGrath, Beverly Freeman, Carol Mansour, Carmen Brown, Clyde Herring, Rabi Musa, Cynthia Phillips, and Aura Denise Ragston)
Part 3: https://youtu.be/7eUIRPojJ2g
(Hoda Hosseini, Christian Hansen, Agnes Ivory, Kimberly Taillon,
Steve Sarowitz, Tony Hollinger, Karen Anderson, and Ladjamaya Green)
This is Barbara Talley; I am the developer of this site, the "architect" of Foundation Hall University (FHU), and the visionary of the first ARISE pupil of the eye conference held in Nashville in November 2019., the ARISE 2020, and the 2021 Virtual Conferences.
The Nashville conference has been described by James and others who attended it as a "sea change" and he graciously invited me into the virtual prayer call space that had been going on for eleven years (now 12), 365 days a year. Those eleven years of prayer have created a fertile ground for building a virtual meeting space that is now focusing on the elimination of racism, building community and elevating the station of black people designated as pupil of the eye. You can click on the 2021 schedule to see what we're studying and if you wish to join us, complete the invitation on the Welcome page to receive information on how to dial into the daily conversation.
Inspired by the conference and anxious about the urgent need to focus on the "most VITAL and challenging issue" and moved by Sadie Oglesby's twenty days with the Guardian back in 1927, the organizers in consultation with the participants agreed to allow me to transform the space into a virtual university focused primarily on restoring dignity to people of African descent. It has evolved into a space where after daily prayer, we study, reflect, grow together. and keep the conversation focused on eliminating racial prejudice.
While it was primarily created as a virtual physical space to coordinate efforts for our daily conference call reflections, it clearly has applicability for any group that wishes to use the space to find pertinent documents, access the daily schedule, to join us, or become part of the expanding nucleus of race unity activists who choose to build their own tribes locally and use these resources without duplicating the effort.
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THE FHU Story: We're Evolving
Phase 3: April 2021- April 2022
Phase 1: December 2019- March 2020
Phase 3: April 2021- April 2022
In April of 2021, after a break for the FAST and a two week Reflection Gathering and a written survey, we moved into Phase III which began with a several month study on the Ridvan Message, November 25, 2020 letter, and the annual report during our transitions schedule.
2021-2022 Schedule is as follows:
Monday- Sharing
Tuesday- Abdul-Baha
Wednesday- NSA Call to Action
Thursday- UHJ Packet Study
Friday- POTE focused study
There have been many changes implemented during Phase 3,
but these are the highlights.
- FEWER DAYS. We moved from seven days of programming to five days, Monday through Friday. The main reason was because during the past year, so many more programs have started that we'd like to support. In addition, our dedicated participants need not be have to choose between our great discussions and those within their community, their own individual initiatives, and time with family and friends.
- 90 MINUTE TIME LIMITS. We heard you. Now our sessions are 90 minutes. During the early days of the pandemic, people had much more time to be online and study, so we would spend hours and hours together. Now that things are opening up, we need to be more structured with our time so people can plan.
- MORE JOINT TIME: We started with 3 days POTE and 3 days SOTE, and one together. Then, in phase two, we had 4 days together, two POTE days and one SOTE day. Now we are have joint discussions 4 out of 5 days, with only one POTE only safe space discussion day, where SOTE are still in the room, but invited to listen only.
- DAILY FACILITATOR TEAMS. This is one of the most exciting developments of at FHU. We are learning to become more and more self sustaining. We now have committed teams to "own each day" and "bond together." Each team discusses among themselves who will facilitate each week. Daily Scheduling was a very time intensive activity that was not sustainable. Now Charli Smith and I no longer have to do daily and weekly scheduling. We're growing!
- FHU ADVISORY COUNSEL. No longer do I have to shoulder the responsibility for making all the FHU decisions on the fly. We now have a committee that meets infrequently to discuss any problems that may arise. Fortunately, since we begin with our reflection gathering, everyone is clear on the agenda and the teams can make decisions on their assigned days.
The format of how we we gathered however is entering its 5th change.
- Format 5: Effective 4/2021- We now have four joint days and one POTE day.
- Format 4: (2020) Four JOINT Days, two POTE days, and one SOTE day.
- Format 3: (April 2020) We had two SOTE Days, three POTE days, and two JOINT Days.
- Format 2: ( Jan 2020) We had three POTE Days and three SOTE days and one JOINT Day.
- Format 1: (2019) Everyone together, every day.
Phase 2: April 2020- March 2021
Phase 1: December 2019- March 2020
Phase 3: April 2021- April 2022
The last two weeks of March, we began having a virtual Reflection Gathering after many hours of consultation in our virtual conference call consultation space on how to restructure phase two of our consultation space.
After two weeks of virtual consultation spanning many hours, along with data compiled from a Reflection Questionnaire sent to those who were participating, we came up with a new schedule for Phase II beginning April 2020. Forty-five of a possible 50 at the time completed the questionnaire. Now we have a whole new structure that is more focused and yet offers more flexibility.
While the focus is always about the elimination of prejudice, the formats have changed several times since we began in December 2019.
When we first started our dialogues, there were a lot of hurt feelings, disinterest in the new focus on the most vital and challenging issue, habits of consultation that were not necessarily inclusive, and anger that the space was changing. So we made many changes during those first few months.
- Format 1: Everyone together, every day
- Format 2: We had three POTE Days and three SOTE days and one JOINT Day.
- Format 3: We had two SOTE Days, three POTE days, and two JOINT Days.
- Now, we are on our fourth change, entering our 4th month: Format 4: Four JOINT Days, two POTE days, and one SOTE day.
In April 2021, we had another Reflection Gathering, to consult, and make the changes necessary for our spiritual, emotional, intellectual and numerical growth.
Phase 1: December 2019- March 2020
Phase 1: December 2019- March 2020
Phase 1: December 2019- March 2020
Dear Friends. We have just completed the first phase of our Foundation Hall Virtual Spiritual Experiment where we transformed a space that had been ongoing for eleven years praying and building community to one that is focused on education that will eliminate prejudice and contribute to the building of the Divine civilization Baha'u'llah envisioned where peace and harmony would prevail.
During Phase One, we:
- Shared the Station of the pupil of the eye
- Read Sadie Ogelsbly's Pilgrimage Notes
- Got inspiration from participants at the ARISE Pupil of the Eye Conference
- Defined our new language and diverse needs. (POTE- black pupil of the eye and SOTE- white sclera of the eye)
- Structuring the space so that both POTE and SOTE could move at their own pace
- Deepened on Glenford Mitchell's Task Force Letter on 'Teaching Negroes'
- Stayed in the room even when our feelings were hurt and more importantly,
- Took care of each other as many were experiencing sorrow, racism, and isolation due to racism and the unconscious sense of superiority and inferiority.
- Completed a Virtual Reflection gathering with 45 people responding to a survey on how to restructure for Phase II.
Phase 2: REFLECTIONS
PHASE 3: DISCUSSION POINTS
Phase 1: December 2019- March 2020
This past year (2020) was an intense year of study at FHU. Many individual initiatives spun off from FHU participants. COVID19 happened and our numbers grew immensely. Over 800 people have registered on the site to pray, study, and use the resources provided here in the website launched April 2020.
Since December 2019, we have entertained 4 different formats for consultation. For the past year: Format 4: Four JOINT Days, two POTE days, and one SOTE day.
Now during our reflection, we will reexamine the pros and cons of this structure.
We studied the following, which have become the base curriculum for FHU:
- Glenford MItchell Task Force Letter: Teaching Negroes.
- Derik Smith's (Modernity: Centering the Pupil of the Eye)
- Sections of the Advent of Divine Justice on the Double Crusade and the 3 weapons we must wield.
- All the letters from 2020 letters from the Universal House of Justice
- Race packet from the UHJ and other letters
- NSA letters regarding race
- Contributions of Bahai POTE on the first Race Amity Committee: Louis Gregory, Dr. Alain Locke, and Coralie Franklin Cooke.
- Studied the Ruhi Purpose document
- Consulted on various topics: Forgiveness, Life After Death, Politics,
- (SOTE Sunday( listened to a 'White" podcast for six weeks.
In addition, we:
- Celebrated all of the Holy Days
- Invited the NSA (kEN BOWERS), Continental Counselor Nwandi Lawson, and Guest Speakers (Derik Smith, Tod Ewing and Lex Musta)
- Built community by having an orientation day on Tuesday to get to know new members.
- Members Expanded with Individual Initiatives: LA Call, Health, Finance, and Educational Initiatives, Black Friday, Mothers in Mourning Healing Group, Caribbean and Eritrean regular gatherings
- Started or participated in many study circles, devotionals, and zoom focused race spaces. (Copper to Gold) and others.
- Learned some Best Practices (Cue rules, reading entire document twice, get general comments, then deep dive into each paragraph or section.
- Developed a core of trained facilitators.
PHASE 3: DISCUSSION POINTS
PHASE 3: DISCUSSION POINTS
PHASE 3: DISCUSSION POINTS
REFLECTION TOPICS
- WHAT'S WORKING EACH DAY?
- WHAT CAN BE IMPROVED?
- FIXED HOURS
- EAST COAST CONSIDERATION
- ZOOM?
- REPEAT CURICULUM?
- GRADUATION
- WEEKENDS OFF
- CURRICULUM FOR PHASE 3
- REMEDIAL CLASSES FOR NEWBIES
- 3T FORMAT- TRIBE, TOPIC, TIME
- FACILATORS FOR BASE CURRICULUM
- ADVISORY COUNSEL
- 239 DAYS
- VOLUNTEERS
- BIPOC
- POTE DAYS?
- SOTE DAYS
- KEEPING FOCUS ON MOST VITAL AND CHALLENGING ISSUE
OTHER POINTS TO REFLECT ON:
- WHAT ARE YOU GETTING FROM THIS SPACE?
- WHAT ARE YOU GIVING TO THE SPACE?
- WHAT HAS IT INSPIRED YOU TO DO?
- HOW HAS IT HELPED YOU?
- HAVE YOU CONSIDERED VOLUNTEERING?
- ARE YOU WILLING TO FACILATE OR MODERATE?
- WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE STUDIED HERE?
- HOW OFTEN DO YOU ATTEND?
- HOW MANY HOURS IS OPTIMAL DAILY?
- DO THE HOURS WORK FOR YOU?
- DO YOU CONTRIBUTE? WHY ORE WHY NOT?
- HOW LONG HAVE YOUR BEEN ATTENDING?
- DOES THE TIME WORK FOR YOU?
- HOW HAS THE TOPICS STUDIED ENHANCED YOUR ABILITY TO ENGAGE IN THE RACE CONVERSATION?
- WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT YOURSELF?
- WHAT BENEFIT HAVE YOU GOTTEN FROM SOTE DAY AS A SOTE?
- WHAT BENEFIT FROM AS A SOTE DAY AS A POTE?
- WHAT BENEFIT HAVE YOU GOTTEN FROM POTE DAY AS A POTE?
- WHAT BENEFIT HAVE YOU GOTTEN FROM SOTE DAY AS A POTE?
Phase 3: Transition Schedule
Monday Schedule
Wednesday Schedule
Tuesday Schedule
On Mondays, we seek to accomplish
several things:
- Review a few quotes on action.
- Share Our Ah-has from the prior week including our Black Friday, Saturday, and Sunday learnings.
- Share what activities we have initiated and/or update our progress and/or challenges.
- Introduce new people to the space.
- Share announcements of what special events or studies will be happening over the week.
- Offer a website overview will be handled on a One-to-One basis upon request.
"When the holy souls, through the angelic power, will arise to show forth these celestial characteristics, establishing a band of harmony, each of these souls shall be regarded as one thousand persons and the waves of this greatest ocean shall be considered as the army of the hosts of the Supreme Concourse." (Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 401)
Mental Tests to be Suffered by
Believers in the West
"And yet, how often we seem to forget the clear and repeated warning of our beloved Master, who in particular during the concluding years of His Mission on earth, laid stress on the severe mental tests that would inevitably sweep over His loved ones of the West... tests that would purge, purify and prepare them for their noble mission in life.
"Ours then is the duty and privilege to labour, by day, by night, amidst the storm and stress of these troublous days, that we may quicken the zeal of our fellow-man, rekindle their hopes, stimulate their interests, open their eyes to the true Faith of God and enlist their active support in the carrying out of our common task for the peace and regeneration of the world."
(From a letter written by Shoghi Effendi to the believers in Australia and New Zealand, 1923-1957, pp. 1-2)
Tuesday Schedule
Wednesday Schedule
Tuesday Schedule
On Tuesdays, after a welcome from Carmen Brown, we will discuss Abdul-Baha's journey, teachings, and lessons during his 239 days he spent in America. If new people have joined, James will spend some time at the end of the study getting to know them.
We are choosing to study his life based on the survey results:
Sixty-seven people responded to this question on the survey when asked the question: "Are you interested in studying the Life of Abdul-Baha for the next year?"
82%, or 55 people responded, "Yes."
16.4% or 11, responded with, "Maybe."
1.5% or 1 persons responded with, "No."
The full account of his journey is in the book "Promulgation of Universal Peace"
Other stories are in 'Portals to Freedom" by Howard Colby Ives
We will however begin study from a wonderful daily source on the web that has compiled a journalistic perspective of his stories. You can access it at the link below:
Wednesday Schedule
Wednesday Schedule
Wednesday Schedule
DURING MAY WE ARE STUDYING THE RIDVAN LETTER
On Wednesdays, we will begin studying the recent attachment sent to us in the April 7, 2021 Feast letter to America.
The document is 60 pages long and entitled, " Pilot Project_ The Elimination of Racial Prejudice and the Community Building Process-" This is an excerpt:
"Our team was asked to create this report by the National Spiritual Assembly, and we have endeavored to prepare it with the utmost humility. We have attempted to share, openly and honestly, what we learned from the participant responses and what we observed working with the communities. This report contains many stories and concrete examples, and it might be tempting to go directly to that section. However, we urge you to read the entire summary first, as it provides necessary context and framing.
In brief, it is important to understand that
• the report presents only a sampling of examples from a diverse group of project participants in the three pilot communities
• their examples represent their own experiences but not necessarily those of their entire community
• as you read what participants are learning, in many cases you will see that they describe effort, growth, and progress as well as the need to continue building capacity.
Thursday Schedule
Thursday Schedule
Wednesday Schedule
DURING MAY WE ARE STUDYING THE RIDVAN LETTER
Thursdays will remain the same. We will continue studying the Guidance from our Universal House of Justice. We have over 11 new documents already that we have not studied added since February 2021. We are also aware that we will be getting a 1 Year Plan and will make study of that Guidance priority over all other study when received.
Friday Schedule
Thursday Schedule
Friday Schedule
"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 Bahá’í 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, which the American believers are still far from having satisfactorily resolved, with an urgency and importance that cannot be overestimated.
White and Negro, high and low, young and old, whether newly converted to the Faith or not, all who stand identified with it must participate in, and lend their assistance, each according to his or her capacity, experience, and opportunities, to the common task of fulfilling the instructions, realizing the hopes, and following the example, of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Whether colored or noncolored, neither race has the right, or can conscientiously claim, to be regarded as absolved from such an obligation, as having realized such hopes, or having faithfully followed such an example.
A long and thorny road, beset with pitfalls, still remains untraveled, both by the white and the Negro exponents of the redeeming Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. On the distance they cover, and the manner in which they travel that road, must depend, to an extent which few among them can imagine, the operation of those intangible influences which are indispensable to the spiritual triumph of the American believers and the material success of their newly launched enterprise. "
Advent of Divine Justice p 34-35
Black Friday will not change. It is the only POTE-only time for us to discuss the most vital and challenging issue and how it affect us while also offering a listening opportunity for all others. Keeping POTE day was the most highly voted item on the survey.
"...As your own analysis shows, there are advantages to sometimes working in multiracial spaces and at other times to spaces for African Americans alone.
" (Universal House of Justice to the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly, March 24, 2019)
3T Offerings
Thursday Schedule
Friday Schedule
DURING MAY WE ARE STUDYING THE RIDVAN LETTER
Pick your Topic, Your Time, and Tribe
Many topics are of interest to the participants within this space. We have discussed during the survey and during our Reflection Gathering. With decentralized offerings, anyone can choose a topic, a time, and we can offer to the community to those who are interested.
To accomplish this need, and at the same, we will be facilitating the discussions a different way. It was not possible to do it in this space since the majority wish to be online fewer days and fewer hours.
MORE TO COME LATER ON HOW TO ACCOMPLISH THIS! STAY TUNED!
PHASE 3 REFLECTIONS
WE WILL BE REFLECTING ON THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF FHU
" When God calls a soul to a high station, it is because that soul has capacity for that station as a gift of God, and because that soul has supplicated to be taken into His service. No envies, jealousies, calumnies, slanders, plots, nor schemes, will ever move God to remove a soul from its intended place, for by the grace of God, such actions on the part of the people are the test of the servant, testing his strength, forbearance, endurance and sincerity under adversity.
At the same time those who show forth envies, jealousies, etc., toward a servant, are depriving themselves of their own stations, and not another of his, for they prove by their own acts that they are not only unworthy of being called to any station awaiting them, but also prove that they cannot withstand the very first test—that of rejoicing over the success of their neighbor, at which God rejoices.
Only by such a sincere joy can the gift of God descend unto a pure heart. Envy closes the door of Bounty, and jealousy prevents one from ever attaining to the Kingdom of Abha. No! Before God! No one can deprive another of his rightful station, that can only be lost by one's unwillingness or failure to do the will of God, or by seeking to use the Cause of God for one's own gratification or ambition. No one save a severed soul or a sincere heart finds response from God.
By assisting in the success of another servant in the Cause does one in reality lay the foundation for one's own success and aspirations. Ambitions are an abomination before the Lord. How regrettable! Some even use the affairs of the Cause and its activities as a means of revenge on account of some personal spite, or fancied injury, interfering with the work of another, or seeking its failure. Such only destroy their own success, did they know the truth."
Excerpted from a letter of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the husband of Mrs. Lua Getsinger, in the book “Lua Getsinger: Herald of the Covenant”
1 . Share your "outward looking" activities.
2. Share what activities you have initiated,
3. Share how you are more engaged in local experiences.
4. Share how what you are learning here is contributing to the
effectiveness of the plans of local or regional institutions or agencies.
From Feast Letter- April 7, 2021 Feast of Jalal (Glory / Majesty)
"which provoked in the hearts of the community of the Greatest Name
• renewed desire,
• a sense of urgency, and
• restiveness to apply the balm of His message to the slow-healing wounds of racism.
"were especially interested in learning about neighborhoods where the work is being carried out with
• a conscious intent to build communities characterized by inclusiveness,
• a frank and loving conversation about race, and
• an effective empowerment of all people―
that is, communities where racial justice and unity will be watchwords in all the activities of the community and in all its institutional decisions.
• Remember the power of humility and a posture of learning as effective means to build bonds of friendship and create environments for frank and loving consultation about race.
• Find practical ways to make freedom from racial prejudice the watchword in every event and occasion connected with the Plan.
• Become more knowledgeable about the history of American race relations, to better understand longstanding realities and how the Faith can address them.
• Develop increasing unity of thought on how we can address the eradication of racial prejudice through the community-building work of the Divine Plan