In 1968, conspiracy theories flourished that blacks from California were coming en masse to Utah, where they would start riots which would result in blood “flowing down the street.” I heard these scary reports from a Home Teacher, who read an alleged prophecy from John Taylor, which was subsequently revealed as a fake. But we all-white Provonians were a ready audience and utterly scarable. I definitely was scared. It was quite a different experience for Darius, of course. He found... Read more
In 2012, I was teaching LDS Institute in Spanish. Most of my students were from Mexico, but I had some from Chile, El Salvador, and Puerto Rico. I had attended summer training for Seminary and Institute teachers at BYU and had received the manual given to all instructors. It was November and I still had not opened it. I was more than halfway through the Doctrine and Covenants when I decided to see what was in the supplement. It was still shrink-wrapped.... Read more
Today, June 19th, 2020, I give you the excerpt from The Last Mile of the Way, which I wrote with Darius Gray fifteen years ago. We used vocabulary (“Negro” “Colored”) consistent with our narrator’s time. This excerpt addresses the Greenwood massacre. The cover of this book in its original publication shows Darius’s family–his parents, Elsie and Darius (Derrus) and his sister Sandra. Darius is the baby. End of Chapter 22 Thousands of former slaves had migrated to Oklahoma to find... Read more
I wrote some of this in 2013, but it has additional relevance today, so I have brought it up again and revised it. Not much revision. I retired from BYU two years ago. I don’t know if there’s an African American Studies major, though I know African Studies exists. I would love more information. DARIUS: In 1965 when Darius Gray came to BYU, he was called in to the Dean of Students’ office. “We’ve had complaints,” the dean said. “We’ve... Read more
A recent controversy comparing Mormon hardships to Black hardships went viral. I honestly wonder if some Latter-day Saints might be unaware of the real suffering (the foundation of the BLM movement) which is part of our global history and of Mormon history. The comparison is not new. The First Presidency issued a justification for the race-based priesthood restriction in 1969, which included these words: We know something of the sufferings of those who are discriminated against in a denial of... Read more
ART DAY Go the Museum of Art online and ENJOY everything there. You might visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, or the Louvre I have provided a few artworks in this post in case you have problems accessing a virtual art museum tour. Choose a work which speaks to you and write a story or a poem or a journal entry stemming from some of these possibilities (several of which are borrowed from... Read more
The funeral of Aileen Clyde was a time marker in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a tribute to the legacy of strong women and a hint of what’s on the horizon. Pall bearers–male and female–wore yellow roses, and the opening prayer addressed “Our Heavenly Parents.” On the stand were former Relief Society President Elaine Jack, current president Jean Bingham, and counselors Sharon Eubank and Rayna Aburto. Also in attendance was Elder Quenton Cook. Aileen was praised as... Read more
The following ia a letter from Congolese writer/director Paradis Mananga. Dear Sir, I am a Congolese screenwriter/director currently in Montreal, Canada preparing to make my first feature film. Several of my colleagues have already made feature films and have won awards in film festivals throughout the world. We Congolese are happy to note your interest in telling the story about the difficult history of our country under the Belgian King Leopold 2. We are pleased that you wish to make... Read more
Some forty years ago, I was talking to an excellent LDS filmmaker who told me the one film he dreamed of making would be set in Liberty Jail. But he didn’t want it sugar-coated. He didn’t want a Clark Gable prophet with fresh make-up reciting a prayer like a Shakespearean soliloquy at The Globe. He wanted the smells, the filth, the vermin, the bugs of that dungeon and the prisoners sleep-deprived and on edge. He wanted movie-goers to really feel... Read more
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