African American Baha'i
Eulalia Bobo is the sister of Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981), better known as Joe Louis, an American professional boxer, and the World Heavyweight Champion from 1937 to 1949. He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. It's entirely possibly that he knew of the Baha'i Faith, but was not a member.
…there were a few early Baha'is who believe that they were led to the Baha'i Faith through dreams and visions. Eulalia Bobo Taylor (1912-95) was one such person. She had always relied on this unconventional source of spiritual guidance, and here she describes one of the visions that initiated her quest for knowledge beyond her previous religious experiences:
I had a vision.... I had taught Sunday school and I knew the Bible.
... So finally I asked the question to myself, why should I worship Jesus? What has he done for my people? Because I was always concerned with the whole race because I knew that if I wasn't able to find something to help the whole race, helping myself wouldn't do any good, because my brother was Heavyweight Champion of the World [Joe Louis] and he couldn't help the race. . . . On the twenty-sixth of May, around three o'clock in the afternoon, I heard a voice say, "Eulalia, you can come out of confusion and come over here with these people and be happy." . . . And when that voice spoke to me I began to see clearly... I went to the Bible to find out to other churches because I had been raised a Baptist.... So I had to go around to different churches to see if I could find them [the group of people in my vision]. ... I was walking down the street one day and met a man. He was a mortician and I had known him since I was a kid. . . . When I got to him he said, "Eulalia I'd like you to meet some people.". We went to [a womans home] that night; she had a fireside. . . . They gave me the Hidden Words [of Baha'u'llah] and I started reading it. Well, I knew this was the word of God. I [knew I] was a Baha'i that night.... That was in 1954.
Mrs. Taylor considered her strong Christian background an asset to her membership in a new religion and she used her extensive knowledge of the Bible as a means of teaching others about the Baha'i Faith.
This sampling of early African-American women Baha'is indicates that they were unique in their openness to the Baha'i Faith and corresponding willingness to "go against the grain" by accepting its tenets. Their circumstances as members of two historically disenfranchised groups, African-Americans and women, were not easy, and being affiliated with a non-Christian, relatively unknown religion added yet another layer of possible oppression.
Mrs Eulalia Barrow Hall Bobo:
In Elizabeth Owens history of the Wichita Baha'i Community, she mentions that in early to mid 1950's, the sister of Joe Louis, former heavy weight boxing champion, visited Wichita as a travel teacher. Joe Louis's full name was Joe Louis Barrow. I believe this sister must have been Mrs. Eulalia Barrow Bobo. She was married at least two time, first to Alonzo Hall (1901-) from 1939 to 1951 and secondly to Irvin Bobo (1900-1977). Her travel teaching activities are mentioned several times in Bahá'í literature. I will relate some information about her from "Lights Of The Spirit: Historical Portraits of Black Bahá'ís in North America, 1898-2000" by Gwendolyn Ester-Lewis
…there were a few early Bahá'ís who believe that they were led to the Bahá'í Faith through dreams and visions. Eulalia Bobo Taylor (1912–95) was one such person. She had always relied on this unconventional source of spiritual guidance, and here she describes one of the visions that initiated her quest for knowledge beyond her previous religious experiences: I had a vision.… I had taught Sunday school and I knew the Bible.… So finally I asked the question to myself, why should I worship Jesus? What has he done for my people? Because I was always concerned with the whole race because I knew that if I wasn't able to find something to help the whole race, helping myself wouldn't do any good, because my brother was Heavyweight Champion of the World [Joe Louis] and he couldn't help the race.… On the twenty-sixth of May, around three o'clock in the afternoon, I heard a voice say, "Eulalia, you can come out of confusion and come over here with these people and be happy."… And when that voice spoke to me I began to see clearly… I went to the Bible to find out it actually was Jesus… so I began to look for these people of all colors, who had nobody between them and Christ.… But I went to other churches because I had been raised a Baptist.… So I had to go around to different churches to see if I could find them [the group of people in my vision].… I was walking down the street one day and met a man. He was a mortician and I had known him since I was a kid.… When I got to him he said, "Eulalia I'd like you to meet some people."… We went to [a woman's home] that night; she had a fireside.… They gave me the Hidden Words [of Bahá'u'lláh] and I started reading it. Well, I knew this was the word of God. I [knew I] was a Bahá'í that night.… That was in 1954.
Much is written about her in travels to South Carolina in Crossing the Line by Richard Abrercombie
Eulalia Bobo is the sister of Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981), better known as Joe Louis, an American professional boxer, and the World Heavyweight Champion from 1937 to 1949. He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. It's entirely possibly that he knew of the Baha'i Faith, but was not a member.
…there were a few early Baha'is who believe that they were led to the Baha'i Faith through dreams and visions. Eulalia Bobo Taylor (1912-95) was one such person. She had always relied on this unconventional source of spiritual guidance, and here she describes one of the visions that initiated her quest for knowledge beyond her previous religious experiences:
I had a vision.... I had taught Sunday school and I knew the Bible.
... So finally I asked the question to myself, why should I worship Jesus? What has he done for my people? Because I was always concerned with the whole race because I knew that if I wasn't able to find something to help the whole race, helping myself wouldn't do any good, because my brother was Heavyweight Champion of the World [Joe Louis] and he couldn't help the race. . . . On the twenty-sixth of May, around three o'clock in the afternoon, I heard a voice say, "Eulalia, you can come out of confusion and come over here with these people and be happy." . . . And when that voice spoke to me I began to see clearly... I went to the Bible to find out to other churches because I had been raised a Baptist.... So I had to go around to different churches to see if I could find them [the group of people in my vision]. ... I was walking down the street one day and met a man. He was a mortician and I had known him since I was a kid. . . . When I got to him he said, "Eulalia I'd like you to meet some people.". We went to [a womans home] that night; she had a fireside. . . . They gave me the Hidden Words [of Baha'u'llah] and I started reading it. Well, I knew this was the word of God. I [knew I] was a Baha'i that night.... That was in 1954.
Mrs. Taylor considered her strong Christian background an asset to her membership in a new religion and she used her extensive knowledge of the Bible as a means of teaching others about the Baha'i Faith.
This sampling of early African-American women Baha'is indicates that they were unique in their openness to the Baha'i Faith and corresponding willingness to "go against the grain" by accepting its tenets. Their circumstances as members of two historically disenfranchised groups, African-Americans and women, were not easy, and being affiliated with a non-Christian, relatively unknown religion added yet another layer of possible oppression.
Mrs Eulalia Barrow Hall Bobo:
In Elizabeth Owens history of the Wichita Baha'i Community, she mentions that in early to mid 1950's, the sister of Joe Louis, former heavy weight boxing champion, visited Wichita as a travel teacher. Joe Louis's full name was Joe Louis Barrow. I believe this sister must have been Mrs. Eulalia Barrow Bobo. She was married at least two time, first to Alonzo Hall (1901-) from 1939 to 1951 and secondly to Irvin Bobo (1900-1977). Her travel teaching activities are mentioned several times in Bahá'í literature. I will relate some information about her from "Lights Of The Spirit: Historical Portraits of Black Bahá'ís in North America, 1898-2000" by Gwendolyn Ester-Lewis
…there were a few early Bahá'ís who believe that they were led to the Bahá'í Faith through dreams and visions. Eulalia Bobo Taylor (1912–95) was one such person. She had always relied on this unconventional source of spiritual guidance, and here she describes one of the visions that initiated her quest for knowledge beyond her previous religious experiences: I had a vision.… I had taught Sunday school and I knew the Bible.… So finally I asked the question to myself, why should I worship Jesus? What has he done for my people? Because I was always concerned with the whole race because I knew that if I wasn't able to find something to help the whole race, helping myself wouldn't do any good, because my brother was Heavyweight Champion of the World [Joe Louis] and he couldn't help the race.… On the twenty-sixth of May, around three o'clock in the afternoon, I heard a voice say, "Eulalia, you can come out of confusion and come over here with these people and be happy."… And when that voice spoke to me I began to see clearly… I went to the Bible to find out it actually was Jesus… so I began to look for these people of all colors, who had nobody between them and Christ.… But I went to other churches because I had been raised a Baptist.… So I had to go around to different churches to see if I could find them [the group of people in my vision].… I was walking down the street one day and met a man. He was a mortician and I had known him since I was a kid.… When I got to him he said, "Eulalia I'd like you to meet some people."… We went to [a woman's home] that night; she had a fireside.… They gave me the Hidden Words [of Bahá'u'lláh] and I started reading it. Well, I knew this was the word of God. I [knew I] was a Bahá'í that night.… That was in 1954.
Much is written about her in travels to South Carolina in Crossing the Line by Richard Abrercombie
African American Baha'i
Eulalia Bobo is the sister of Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981), better known as Joe Louis, an American professional boxer, and the World Heavyweight Champion from 1937 to 1949. He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. It's entirely possibly that he knew of the Baha'i Faith, but was not a member.
…there were a few early Baha'is who believe that they were led to the Baha'i Faith through dreams and visions. Eulalia Bobo Taylor (1912-95) was one such person. She had always relied on this unconventional source of spiritual guidance, and here she describes one of the visions that initiated her quest for knowledge beyond her previous religious experiences:
I had a vision.... I had taught Sunday school and I knew the Bible.
... So finally I asked the question to myself, why should I worship Jesus? What has he done for my people? Because I was always concerned with the whole race because I knew that if I wasn't able to find something to help the whole race, helping myself wouldn't do any good, because my brother was Heavyweight Champion of the World [Joe Louis] and he couldn't help the race. . . . On the twenty-sixth of May, around three o'clock in the afternoon, I heard a voice say, "Eulalia, you can come out of confusion and come over here with these people and be happy." . . . And when that voice spoke to me I began to see clearly... I went to the Bible to find out to other churches because I had been raised a Baptist.... So I had to go around to different churches to see if I could find them [the group of people in my vision]. ... I was walking down the street one day and met a man. He was a mortician and I had known him since I was a kid. . . . When I got to him he said, "Eulalia I'd like you to meet some people.". We went to [a womans home] that night; she had a fireside. . . . They gave me the Hidden Words [of Baha'u'llah] and I started reading it. Well, I knew this was the word of God. I [knew I] was a Baha'i that night.... That was in 1954.
Mrs. Taylor considered her strong Christian background an asset to her membership in a new religion and she used her extensive knowledge of the Bible as a means of teaching others about the Baha'i Faith.
This sampling of early African-American women Baha'is indicates that they were unique in their openness to the Baha'i Faith and corresponding willingness to "go against the grain" by accepting its tenets. Their circumstances as members of two historically disenfranchised groups, African-Americans and women, were not easy, and being affiliated with a non-Christian, relatively unknown religion added yet another layer of possible oppression.
Mrs Eulalia Barrow Hall Bobo:
In Elizabeth Owens history of the Wichita Baha'i Community, she mentions that in early to mid 1950's, the sister of Joe Louis, former heavy weight boxing champion, visited Wichita as a travel teacher. Joe Louis's full name was Joe Louis Barrow. I believe this sister must have been Mrs. Eulalia Barrow Bobo. She was married at least two time, first to Alonzo Hall (1901-) from 1939 to 1951 and secondly to Irvin Bobo (1900-1977). Her travel teaching activities are mentioned several times in Bahá'í literature. I will relate some information about her from "Lights Of The Spirit: Historical Portraits of Black Bahá'ís in North America, 1898-2000" by Gwendolyn Ester-Lewis
…there were a few early Bahá'ís who believe that they were led to the Bahá'í Faith through dreams and visions. Eulalia Bobo Taylor (1912–95) was one such person. She had always relied on this unconventional source of spiritual guidance, and here she describes one of the visions that initiated her quest for knowledge beyond her previous religious experiences: I had a vision.… I had taught Sunday school and I knew the Bible.… So finally I asked the question to myself, why should I worship Jesus? What has he done for my people? Because I was always concerned with the whole race because I knew that if I wasn't able to find something to help the whole race, helping myself wouldn't do any good, because my brother was Heavyweight Champion of the World [Joe Louis] and he couldn't help the race.… On the twenty-sixth of May, around three o'clock in the afternoon, I heard a voice say, "Eulalia, you can come out of confusion and come over here with these people and be happy."… And when that voice spoke to me I began to see clearly… I went to the Bible to find out it actually was Jesus… so I began to look for these people of all colors, who had nobody between them and Christ.… But I went to other churches because I had been raised a Baptist.… So I had to go around to different churches to see if I could find them [the group of people in my vision].… I was walking down the street one day and met a man. He was a mortician and I had known him since I was a kid.… When I got to him he said, "Eulalia I'd like you to meet some people."… We went to [a woman's home] that night; she had a fireside.… They gave me the Hidden Words [of Bahá'u'lláh] and I started reading it. Well, I knew this was the word of God. I [knew I] was a Bahá'í that night.… That was in 1954.
Much is written about her in travels to South Carolina in Crossing the Line by Richard Abrercombie
Eulalia Bobo is the sister of Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981), better known as Joe Louis, an American professional boxer, and the World Heavyweight Champion from 1937 to 1949. He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. It's entirely possibly that he knew of the Baha'i Faith, but was not a member.
…there were a few early Baha'is who believe that they were led to the Baha'i Faith through dreams and visions. Eulalia Bobo Taylor (1912-95) was one such person. She had always relied on this unconventional source of spiritual guidance, and here she describes one of the visions that initiated her quest for knowledge beyond her previous religious experiences:
I had a vision.... I had taught Sunday school and I knew the Bible.
... So finally I asked the question to myself, why should I worship Jesus? What has he done for my people? Because I was always concerned with the whole race because I knew that if I wasn't able to find something to help the whole race, helping myself wouldn't do any good, because my brother was Heavyweight Champion of the World [Joe Louis] and he couldn't help the race. . . . On the twenty-sixth of May, around three o'clock in the afternoon, I heard a voice say, "Eulalia, you can come out of confusion and come over here with these people and be happy." . . . And when that voice spoke to me I began to see clearly... I went to the Bible to find out to other churches because I had been raised a Baptist.... So I had to go around to different churches to see if I could find them [the group of people in my vision]. ... I was walking down the street one day and met a man. He was a mortician and I had known him since I was a kid. . . . When I got to him he said, "Eulalia I'd like you to meet some people.". We went to [a womans home] that night; she had a fireside. . . . They gave me the Hidden Words [of Baha'u'llah] and I started reading it. Well, I knew this was the word of God. I [knew I] was a Baha'i that night.... That was in 1954.
Mrs. Taylor considered her strong Christian background an asset to her membership in a new religion and she used her extensive knowledge of the Bible as a means of teaching others about the Baha'i Faith.
This sampling of early African-American women Baha'is indicates that they were unique in their openness to the Baha'i Faith and corresponding willingness to "go against the grain" by accepting its tenets. Their circumstances as members of two historically disenfranchised groups, African-Americans and women, were not easy, and being affiliated with a non-Christian, relatively unknown religion added yet another layer of possible oppression.
Mrs Eulalia Barrow Hall Bobo:
In Elizabeth Owens history of the Wichita Baha'i Community, she mentions that in early to mid 1950's, the sister of Joe Louis, former heavy weight boxing champion, visited Wichita as a travel teacher. Joe Louis's full name was Joe Louis Barrow. I believe this sister must have been Mrs. Eulalia Barrow Bobo. She was married at least two time, first to Alonzo Hall (1901-) from 1939 to 1951 and secondly to Irvin Bobo (1900-1977). Her travel teaching activities are mentioned several times in Bahá'í literature. I will relate some information about her from "Lights Of The Spirit: Historical Portraits of Black Bahá'ís in North America, 1898-2000" by Gwendolyn Ester-Lewis
…there were a few early Bahá'ís who believe that they were led to the Bahá'í Faith through dreams and visions. Eulalia Bobo Taylor (1912–95) was one such person. She had always relied on this unconventional source of spiritual guidance, and here she describes one of the visions that initiated her quest for knowledge beyond her previous religious experiences: I had a vision.… I had taught Sunday school and I knew the Bible.… So finally I asked the question to myself, why should I worship Jesus? What has he done for my people? Because I was always concerned with the whole race because I knew that if I wasn't able to find something to help the whole race, helping myself wouldn't do any good, because my brother was Heavyweight Champion of the World [Joe Louis] and he couldn't help the race.… On the twenty-sixth of May, around three o'clock in the afternoon, I heard a voice say, "Eulalia, you can come out of confusion and come over here with these people and be happy."… And when that voice spoke to me I began to see clearly… I went to the Bible to find out it actually was Jesus… so I began to look for these people of all colors, who had nobody between them and Christ.… But I went to other churches because I had been raised a Baptist.… So I had to go around to different churches to see if I could find them [the group of people in my vision].… I was walking down the street one day and met a man. He was a mortician and I had known him since I was a kid.… When I got to him he said, "Eulalia I'd like you to meet some people."… We went to [a woman's home] that night; she had a fireside.… They gave me the Hidden Words [of Bahá'u'lláh] and I started reading it. Well, I knew this was the word of God. I [knew I] was a Bahá'í that night.… That was in 1954.
Much is written about her in travels to South Carolina in Crossing the Line by Richard Abrercombie
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