A Seat of Honor for Louis Gregory
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When in Bahá'í history
Washington, D.C. (today: Washington, D.C., USA)
In her diary, Mrs. Parsons discreetly avoids mentioning that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá broke with contemporary social conventions of racial separation by insisting that Louis Gregory, a prominent African-American Bahá’í, attend this luncheon in segregated Washington, D.C., even though he had not been invited. Harlan Ober tells the story. . . . “Just an hour before the luncheon ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent word to Louis Gregory that he might come to Him for the promised conference. Louis arrived at the appointed time, and the conference went on and on; ‘Abdu’l-Bahá seemed to want to prolong it. When luncheon was announced, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá led the way and all followed Him into the dining room, except Louis.
“All were seated when suddenly ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stood up, looked around, and then said to Mírzá Khan, ‘Where is Mr. Gregory? Bring Mr. Gregory!’ There was nothing for Mírzá Khan to do but find Mr. Gregory, who fortunately had not yet left the house, but was quietly waiting for a chance to do so. Finally Mr. Gregory came into the room with Mírzá Khan.
“‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who was really the Host (as He was wherever He was), had by this time rearranged the place setting and made room for Mr. Gregory, giving him the seat of honor at His right. He stated He was very pleased to have Mr. Gregory there, and then, in the most natural way as if nothing unusual had happened, proceeded to give a talk on the oneness of mankind.”
Source: 'Abdu'l-Bahá in America: Agnes Parsons' Diary (ed. Richard Hollinger), pp. 31, 33. The same luncheon is described in Annamarie Honnold, Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, no. 104.
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