Meet an innoFaither: Mat Cotton
Meet Mat Cotton, Race Discourse Officer with the Bahá’í Office of Public Affairs, where he advances racial justice and unity and cultivates a shared vision for the future of the U.S. Deeply rooted in the Bahá’í concept of unity, Mat builds dialogue and collaboration across lines of difference in pursuit of social progress. Mat spends a lot of time in Washington, DC, where his office is based, but he was raised and resides in Chicago, which is also home to the beautiful Bahá’í House of Worship for North America.
What faith(s), if any, do you practice? How does your tradition and/or spiritual practice inspire or influence you as an innovator?
I am a practicing member of the Bahá’í Faith, and the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith have inspired and influenced me as an innovator in a number of ways. The pivot around which all the Bahá’í teachings revolve is the conviction that humanity is essentially one human family. That conviction informs the ends I seek in making my contribution to the betterment of my community, nation, and world, as well as the means I use to achieve such ends. In my work with the U.S. Bahá’í Office of Public Affairs, the principle of oneness and unity helps us to approach social issues not as isolated problems, but as symptoms of deeper patterns in our collective life; to prioritize solutions that strengthen relationships, build trust, and enhance collective capacity—not just short-term fixes; and to bring attention to the structural and conceptual forces that keep groups divided and impede cooperation.
In my personal life in my neighborhood and community, alongside friends and family, this principle helps me to value the importance of creating spaces for consultation—spaces where a group can collectively determine the direction of the progress we wish to make, rather than leaving decisions to those with the loudest voices or the greatest material means. In the Bahá’í context, consultation is not simply discussion or debate; it is a disciplined, spiritual process aimed at uncovering truth together. By inviting each person to contribute freely, detaching from personal agendas, speaking with honesty and humility, and listening with openness, consultation becomes a practical means of realizing the principle of the oneness of humanity. It fosters universal participation in decision-making processes, ensuring that every individual—regardless of background, status, or capacity—has a voice in shaping collective life. To help make this possible, we strive to ensure that all members of the community have access to educational and developmental opportunities that strengthen their ability to participate meaningfully. In this way, consultation not only guides our decisions but also builds the capacities and relationships that enable a more unified, inclusive, and just community to emerge.
What are you currently working on?
Currently, I am working with my office and many others in the country on a project known as the Narratives of America Project. The project explores how we can create a positive vision for our shared future as a country, and how the narratives we tell ourselves about who we are impact our ability to do so. We are grappling with questions such as: How can we articulate a narrative of this country, both of where we have been and where we are going, so that more people can see themselves in it? When more people can see themselves in it, we’re far better equipped to tackle the challenges ahead.
The Narratives of America Project is by design a national-level initiative to foster an honest, inclusive, and forward-looking vision of America — not imposed from the top, but born through conversation. We believe that narratives shape identity, purpose, and possibility; they influence how individuals and communities understand their place in this country, what they aspire to, and how they relate to one another. To that end, the project convenes diverse participants — drawn from faith communities, civic organizations, scholarly networks, and grassroots movements — and creates structured spaces for reflection and dialogue about America’s many “strands.” These include stories of Indigenous peoples, the legacy of colonization and enslavement, immigration, contributions of generations of immigrants, economic transformations, social movements, cultural contributions, and the often-overlooked resilience, ingenuity, and dignity of communities historically marginalized. We don’t treat America’s story as a single, fixed monolith, but as a living tapestry, a braid of many narratives, each worthy of being heard, honored, and woven into a shared story. The goal isn’t to supplant certain histories with others, but to co-create a richer, more truthful, dimensional narrative that acknowledges injustice and pain, celebrates resilience and contribution, and reflects the full diversity of lived experience across the country.
Through repeated conversations (we began convening in August 2022, and since have held more than a few dozen sessions with over three hundred participants), we iteratively shape and refine a concept note — a living framework — that guides ongoing dialogue. This concept note is shared as an open-source resource, inviting others across the country — individuals, faith groups, civic organizations — to host their own conversations, contribute their perspectives, and add to the growing national discourse. By building new spaces of mutual listening, learning, and shared imagination, the Narratives of America Project aims to transform more than just what we know about the country, but how we see ourselves, each other, and what we believe is possible together. The intention is to complement grassroots organizing, movement building, policy efforts, and institutional reform — because narrative-shaping changes the underlying frames of identity, belonging, and possibility that guide collective action.
What can we find you doing when you’re not working?
When I'm not working, you can find me volunteering alongside my family in activities in my local community that especially involve spiritual education for young people to develop a sense of their innate nobility as children of God, as well as their intellectual and spiritual capacities to contribute constructively to the well-being of their communities.
What is piquing your curiosity these days?
One thing that has been piquing my curiosity these days is what individuals, communities, or organizations are learning about how to foster a sustained process of local community-building, such that over time it is positively influencing aspects of local culture. I know a lot of folks promote meaningful events and activities at the local level that bring people together to work on a common service project or initiative, but where are we seeing those kinds of things sustained, and what is distinct in those places where they are sustained compared to where they are not?
What is something you’d like help on?
There are a number of things I would like help on. One is connecting with a community of folks engaged in the national discourse around the role of religion and faith in society, especially around themes such as community, bridging, belonging, and democracy, to explore and test ideas together in conversation. Another is to engage with others on how they are learning to connect insights gleaned from grassroots social action to related conversations at the national level. What are examples of how local experiences are helping us to address the big nationwide challenges and questions we have, at least at the level of thought and idea?
What is something you can offer others in the innoFaith network?
I would love to offer anything I can to the innoFaith network! Some skills I think I could bring to this network include: consultation, facilitation, creating spaces and convening, thought partnership, connection to insights from local experiences of community-building efforts from across the country, creating content together, relationship-building, etc.
Meet an innoFaither is our series to introduce the inspiring optimists in the innoFaith world and what they’re working on and thinking about. We hope it helps you find and engage with each other across the network to advance faith-rooted social innovation and interfaith collaboration for social impact. Or just meet some cool people. Find the full series at innofaith.org/meet-an-innofaither.