By Margaret Blair Young and Darius Aidan Gray

We believe that there must and will be a significant future for those of African descent in the Church, and far greater prominence in the leadership than we see today. But it won’t come without full acknowledgment of the complexities that always attend race issues, and some bold approaches to the challenges before us. …

See http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/The-Colorful-LDS-Future-The-Future-of-those-of-African-Descent-in-the-Mormon-Church.html

After arising at 4:50 each school-day morning, 16-year-old Sonia Brown leaves home at 5:25 to make her way by Chicago Transit Authority bus and train through the streets of the third-largest city in the U.S. Her destination: seminary class. …

http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/58913/An-early-morning-start-for-seminary-students-in-Chicago.html

Silas 1st African-American to hold position (in Hattiesburg MS)
Hattiesburg American
August 29, 2009

Randall Silas is the new bishop of a Hattiesburg congregation of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints…

…Silas said he hopes his new position will encourage other blacks to
explore the Mormon church, but “I would hope that no one would base
their spiritual …

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20090829/LIFESTYLE/908290329

 Part 3
http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2009/05/12-questions-for-marvin-perkins-part-three/

The Pew Forum has published an extension report on the religious beliefs, practices, and affiliations of African-Americans.

While the U.S. is generally considered a highly religious nation, African-Americans are markedly more religious on a variety of measures than the U.S. population as a whole, including level of affiliation with a religion, attendance at religious services, frequency of prayer and religion’s importance in life.

See A Religious Portrait of African-Americans by The Pew Forum.