With help from the Baha'i community, the world's youngest independent religion, Bedford County is helping to bridge the racial divide by sponsoring a Race Unity Day picnic Saturday at H.V. Griffin Park.

The Baha'i Faith is based on the premise that "humanity is one single race and that the day has come for its unification in one global society," according to the religion's official web site.

More than 50 years ago, the religious group saw to it that Race Unity Day became inaugurated. Ever since, people around the globe have been celebrating racial harmony and unification on the second Sunday of June.

This year, Bedford County is getting a head start on national Race Unity Day celebrations.

"Our picnic is our way of recognizing all of our diversity in the world," said Dr. Navid Monajjem, an organizer of the picnic. "It's a way of recognizing that different races should be united in everything we do."

The picnic will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lions Club pavilion. There will be plenty of food, music and dancing, and everyone is encouraged to attend, Monajjem said.

"This is very informal," said Monajjem. "There won't be any proclamation for any particular cause or religion ... It's just a bunch of us getting together to celebrate diversity."

The music Saturday will be representative of different cultures and organizers are also trying to line up some Hispanic dancers.

Approximately 100 people showed up for the picnic last year, many of them being Hispanic, but this year they're hoping for at least 200 people.

Monajjem is also hopeful that the Somali community will partake in the picnic Saturday, in addition to Bedford Countians of all races and backgrounds.

Bedford County is comprised of folks from more than 40 countries, according to Monajjem, and this celebration should help call to mind the ideal of equal opportunity for people of every race and nationality.