With candles in their hands and songs in the air, hundreds of families, friends, students and professors gathered under the Bell Tower to honor King’s mission and achievement on Monday evening as part of the “Walk of Life” candlelight procession, followed by a memorial program featuring a BYU student gospel choir, an excerpt of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, and keynote speaker Darius Gray, a broadcast journalist, author and former president of the Genesis Group.

See this link for the rest of the story:

http://universe.byu.edu/node/13227

These links tell the news preceding the event and relate this event to what happened in the 1960′s at BYU.

Pioneer student, Darius Gray, returns to BYU

http://universe.byu.edu/node/13144

Prominent Black Mormon to speak about King

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/faith/51037916-142/gray-king-black-darius.html.csp

Gladys Knight and her 60-person choir of Latter-day Saints gave four performances for more than 5,000 people in southern Florida last week.

“This is the way, this is the light,” she said in teary testimony regarding The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

http://www.meridianmagazine.com/arts/070115light.html

http://www.ldsgenesisgroup.org/knightflorida.html

Elder Sitati earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Nairobi, a diploma in accounting and finance from the Association of Certified Accountants and has also done course work for an MBA degree. He has worked as an executive for a nongovernmental organization and in several positions with a large oil and gas company. More recently he served as the Church’s international director of public affairs in Africa. Elder Sitati and his wife Gladys Nangoni are the parents of five children.

See http://www.newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/new-general-authorities-and-auxiliary-leaders-called

He is the first Black African General Authority of the church. Other church leaders of Black African descent have served in the Seventy quoroms. The others were Elder Helvecio Martins from Brazil who served as a General Authority from April 1990 – September 1995 in the Second Quorum of the Seventy, and Elder Elijah Abel, an African American, who was ordained in 1839 to the Third Quorum of the Seventy. 

Story and Photos by Elder John Bingham and Sister Jo Bingham — Africa Area West Public Affairs Missionaries

http://www.ldsmag.com/churchupdate/081010ghana.html

SALT LAKE CITY 9 June 2008 Close to 3,000 people packed the Salt Lake Tabernacle last night to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ action in June 1978 to extend its lay priesthood to men of all races.

Church leaders and members, including many who are African American, spoke to those attending the gathering. The celebration also featured musical selections from a choir led by Mormon Tabernacle Choir music director, Mack Wilberg, and soloist Alex Boye.

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/unity-and-gratitude-emphasized-at-30th-anniversary-of-priesthood-revelation

Mormons to mark 30 years of blacks in priesthood

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gizVEnP-UIf95V2CcjYOUMrJlQ-AD915CFHO0

Questions Raised in the Public Square by Dana Lynn King in Meridian

http://www.ldsmag.com/ideas/080609dvd.html

Latter-day Saints examine racial history by Dana Lynn King in St Louis Dispatch
http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/civil-religion/race/2008/06/latter-day-saints-examine-racial-history/ 

Salt Lake Tribune articles about blacks and the Church for the 30th anniversary:

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9497769  (Mormon and Black)

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9525797 (Why did it take so long?)

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9497773  (Black voices)

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9497771  (Vanna Cox)

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9497768  (Darius Gray)

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9497767  (Amram Musungu)

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9497770  (Jesse Stott)

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9497772  (Edmon Washington)

Tickets can be obtained over the Internet or by calling 570-0080 (locally) or toll-free 1-866-537-8457. The number of tickets will be limited to 4-tickets per family. Tickets are on a first come basis and will be distributed on Sunday, June 1 at the Genesis Building at 7:00 p.m. and at the Genesis Picnic on Saturday, June 7. If you are unable to pick up tickets at any of these locations, you should check the Genesis website for the alternative pick up options.

EAST ST. LOUIS….For East St. Louis high school youth, a bright future lies ahead, thanks to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Donald Peterson Foundation and other area faith based and civic organizations.  The all-day Black History Remembered 2008 event will begin at 9am on Saturday, April 12th at the Ainad Shriners’ Auditorium, located at 609 St. Louis Avenue in East St. Louis.    Over 400 area youth and parents from East St. Louis and Madison High Schools have registered to attend.

According to Event Sponsorship Director, Reginald Petty, Black History Remembered 2008 is designed to inspire and encourage our youth to envision possibilities of things that could be and help them gain a desire to achieve their dreams.

“We believe that the youth of East St. Louis have great potential to be successful in their personal lives, education, careers, and families,” commented Petty.  “We’d like to inspire them toward success by presenting stories of individuals, both living and , who grew up in East St. Louis and whose lives are rich with success and achievement, as well as goodness and service to others.  We want them to learn from the past that their dreams, their hopes, their desires can be realized.”

The event will bring together many successful individuals who were raised in East St. Louis.  They will share their stories, including their early years in East St. Louis, their dreams and hopes as young people, and their road through education and career to today’s success.

Those invited to come and share their stories are:   Edna Paterson-Petty, Jimmy Williams,  Eugene Redmond, Ambassador Donald McHenry, Reginald Hudlin, Maurice Hurst, Dr. William Mason, Dr. Ted Savage, Dr. Karla Scott, Barbara Ann Teer, Reginald Thomas, James Overton, Phineas Overton, Dr. Gordon Bush, Dr. E Mosley and the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation.

More than twenty organizations will be on hand to provide on-going mentoring, guidance, scholarship and other post-secondary education funding information, career counseling, and leads on employment opportunities.  Lunch and dinner will be served.  All Black History Remembered 2008 events are free to pre-registered area youth and their guests.

Participants will also enjoy an evening of entertainment, featuring The Hallelujah Singers.  The choir will perform A History of Gullah, “Legacy” a celebration of song, dance, and story telling native to the people of West Africa.  A choir comprised of youth from area churches will perform two musical numbers both nights with The Hallelujah Singers.

A public benefit performance featuring The Hallelujah Singers will also be held April 11th at 7pm at the Ainad Shriners’ Auditorium. All proceeds will go to support this day-long event.  For ticket information, visit the Black History Remembered 2008 website www.bhr08.org and tickets may be purchased through Ticketmasters.  Tickets will be available at the door each night.

You can help!  Give a young person a vision of what can be…As an individual or business sponsor; you have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our youth and their families for generations to come.  Open your heart and your purse strings and contribute generously.  All donations and disbursement of funds shall be handled through a BHR08 checking account established through The Donald Peterson Foundation, a 501(c) (3), non-profit organization.   Your kind donation will enable us to provide this event to area high school youth, with hopes that they will be inspired to dream, and to work toward making those dreams become a reality.  At the conclusion of the event, all remaining funds will be given to area organizations which offer scholarships and mentoring to area youth.  Donations should be made payable to Donald Peterson Foundation, BHR08 Event and should be mailed to BHR08, PO Box 818, O’Fallon, IL 62269.  Donations are also accepted online at www.bhr08.org.

As a volunteer, you can also provide much needed help before and during the event.  Please sign up online at www.bhr08.org.
- 30 –

Contact Information:
Reginald Petty
274-1878