Black History Month Celebration Set For Saturday

The Baha’i Community of Pasadena, believers of the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, are holding a special celebration of Black History Month on Saturday, Feb. 20, at 4 p.m., with Professor Derik Smith and Allen Edson in a virtual meeting.

Smith will talk about Black History and the Baha’i Faith. Edson will share thoughts on Black people in America; he will also discuss the life of Dizzy Gillespie, the renowned jazz giant, also known as “the Ambassador of Jazz.”

Smith is a professor in the Department of Literature at Claremont McKenna College. His work focuses on African American literary culture, with a particular interest in poetry.

His current scholarship focuses on the poetics of rap and the rise of the genre during the final decades of the 20th century. He also focuses on the connection between critical race studies and the Baha’i Faith.

Edson has been president of the Pasadena NAACP since 2019. He earned his bachelor of science degree in economics from UC Berkeley and his associate of arts degree in business from Pasadena City College.

Edson worked for 15 years in the aerospace industry, and for over 20 years in nonprofit management. Interested in environmental justice, he formed the Environmental Remediation Co. In 2006, his company was awarded the Emerging Business of the Year in San Francisco.

To join the celebration, go to the Zoom meeting through https://zoom.us/j/96578278414?pwd=M1NaZmhEaGdGTUFPYmRoclgwUkROQT09. The meeting ID is 965 7827 8414, and the passcode is 557017.

To learn more about the Pasadena Baha’i Community, visit www.pasadenabahai.org.