The Marriage of Louis and Louisa Gregory

In response to the urging of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that they do so, Louis Gregory, an African-American man, and Louisa Mathew, a British woman, were married on September 27, 1912 in New York City.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá frequently urged inter-racial marriage. Bringing the Gregorys together in marriage is considered in Bahá’í history as an “exemplary act” of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and one of the most significant of the acts He carried out during His time in the United States. (God Passes By, p. 288)

Photo: Louis Gregory's Mother

Louis Gregory's Mother

This is a photograph of Louis Gregory’s mother, Mary Elizabeth, freed from slavery at age 14. Her mother was a slave; her father was a white slave-owner. -To Move The World, pp. 11-12.