Crossing the Line

“Crossing the Line is not only a powerful recounting of a young man’s journey in a racialized society, it embodies the realization and embrace of the spiritual and scientific truth that we are one human family. James Richard (Ricky) Abercrombie’s story is uplifting testimony to the power of faith to spiritually transform a gnat into an eagle. This is a must-read across generations.” –William H. “Smitty” Smith, EdD, Founding Executive Director of the National Center for Race Amity “Crossing the Line is a delightful memoir and an invaluable record of one of the early Baha’i communities in the Deep South and of a woefully underappreciated stream of interracial activism during the 1960s. Richard Abercrombie is an engaging storyteller who provides vivid details about the events and experiences he recounts with humbleness and humor.” –Louis Venters, PhD, author of No Jim Crow Church: The Origins of South Carolina’s Baha’i Community and A History of the Baha’i Faith in South Carolina “From the first sentence to the last word, Crossing the Line leads readers into a world swirling with questions about the meaning of life and the possibility of hope during times of difficulty–questions that are as relevant today as they were a half-century ago.” Frances Worthington, author of Abraham–One God, Three Wives, Five Religions and Baha’i Basics

Richard Abercrombie has traveled in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East in the pursuit of knowledge as well as in service to the Baha’i Faith, and he has served in a number of elected and appointed positions in the Baha’i community. Richard currently resides in South Carolina, where he serves on the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Greenville and delights everyone with his down-home humor.

JoAnn Borovicka is a freelance researcher, writer, and educational consultant whose creative ventures have included immersion in a wide range of subjects as well as performing and visual art forms. She is the author of Light of the Kingdom–Biblical Topics in the Baha’i Writings and additional interfaith works, a presenter at theology colloquiums and other venues, and a prolific mixed-media artist. JoAnn has served in a number of elected and appointed positions in service to the Baha’i Faith.