The Provo Daily Herald reviews “Blacks in the Scriptures,” a DVD produced by Darius Gray and Marvin Perkins to educate Mormons and non-Mormons alike on some of the difficult questions related to race, the priesthood, and Church history:

Perkins, 44, thinks the DVD has value for people who are not LDS but have questions about the faith. The four-part presentation contained on the film’s two discs, he said, is “for everybody, whites, blacks, Polynesians, Latinos, Asians — everybody, both inside and outside the church.”

The most important audience, however, is Latter-day Saints. “Our desire is to cleanse the inner vessel first,” he said, referring to a metaphor used by the warrior Moroni in the LDS scriptural volume the Book of Mormon. “We’re keeping thousands of people out of the church each year because the members don’t know the answers.”

Read Black-and-white Issue by Cody Clark.

A new poll done by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life shows that three percent of American Latter-day Saints (Mormons) are Black. The poll showed higher percentages for Jehovah Witnesses, Evangelicals, and Orthodox Christians and lower percentages for Catholics and Mainline Protestants. You can look at the entire survey here: Pew Forum Research Poll

This survey marks substantial progress. Darius Gray notes that estimates in 1965 of Black Latter-day Saints were only about 300 to 400 people. The current 3% estimate would mean roughly 200,000 people in the USA. Looking at the Deseret News Church Almanac, Darius Gray concludes that about 750,000 Latter-day Saints worldwide have Black African roots.

We would like to see the percentage of Black Latter-day Saints increase. More importantly, we hope that all people would have a better understanding of the Mormon faith and the contribution of Black members. We also hope that Latter-day Saints would continue to improve in their understanding and appreciation of various ethnic groups and religions.

For a scholarly study of these issues, we recommend the book “All Abraham’s Children” by Armand Mauss. To read an article where Dr. Mauss summarizes some of his analysis, go to http://www.blacklds.org/mauss.

This Sunday, March 23, 2008 from 5-6 pm MST.  Marvin will be on the air with Van Hale for one hour discussing the new Blacks in the Scriptures DVD series that he and Darius Gray produced.  Here are details on how to listen and or call in to the show:    Radio Station: KTKK 630 AM, Salt Lake City.  Live Internet Streaming Audio can be accessed at: www.k-talk.com or mms://stream.netro.ca/ktkk  Salt Lake Call-in Number: 254-5855. Outside Salt Lake : 801-254-5855  To Participate by email send your question for Marvin or comment to van.hale@k-talk.com

SEATTLE 14 March 2008

When Lynn Stowell, a volunteer guide at Saturday’s opening of the new Northwest African American Museum, helped a man find information about his grandfather, the man wept. Such was the very personal response among some of the guests…

…The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated computers, a digital imaging system and other equipment and software to the center. Local Latter-day Saint family history experts provided training to center personnel…

Read the full story

This excellent review article, posted on the Juvenile Instructor blog site and titled “I Was Told That It Was True And It Was A Marvelous Day,” provides personal insights to viewing the new film. Additionally, there are several comments as well. Review of Nobody Knows: The Untold Story of Black Mormons

http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/i-was-told-that-it-was-true-and-it-was-a-marvelous-day/

This spring, nationally renowned specialists will join community members to discuss the genealogical resources and techniques available to members of the African American community who want to research their ancestors.

Sponsored by the African American Genealogy Group, Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, The African American Museum in Philadelphia, Chick-fil-A, National Archives and Records Administration Mid-Atlantic Region, Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation and The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mid-Atlantic African American Genealogy Conference (MAAAGC) will be held April 19, 2008, Cherry Hill Family History Center, located at 252 Evesham Ave., Cherry Hill, NJ 08003.

Conference presenters include:

Dr. Rick Kittles, Scientific Director of African Ancestry Inc, and featured geneticist in the popular PBS specials “African American Lives” and “Finding Oprah’s Roots.” Dr. Kittles specializes in tracing ancestry using DNA testing and will be the keynote speaker.

Reginald Washington, African American Genealogy Specialist at the National Archives

Khadijah Matin, National President of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society

Attendees will be able to attend more than 20 hour-long training sessions for beginning and intermediate researchers, including topics, such as: Military and Slavery Records, Native American Ancestry, Internet and Technology Tools, Repositories, Research Tips and Techniques, Family Involvement, and more. Those who register in advance may also discuss questions or problems specific to their research and receive individual help during a special “brick wall” session (geared specifically for researchers who have hit a “brick wall” in their endeavors to research ancestors).

Community members and organizations from throughout the Mid-Atlantic region are invited to the conference, and to access the expertise of some of the best and most experienced African American genealogical researchers to delve deeper into their own family legacies.

For more information on the conference or to pre-register yourself or your group/organization, please visit the conference web site at: www.maaagc.com.

On Saturday, March 8, at 11:00 am, the new film “Nobody Knows: The Untold Story of Black Mormons” will be shown at Peery’s Egyptian Theater, 2415 Washington Blvd. The ticket price is $10.

Information on the film is as follows:

Using interviews with scholars, Civil Rights workers, clergy, and Black Mormons and former Mormons, as well as rare archival footage, this documentary introduces the audience to an unfamiliar history: Black Mormons, who have been present in the faith from its earliest days and who were ordained in the priesthood and served as missionaries. The documentary traces the origins and consequences of the early racialist policies which denied Blacks priesthood and the most important privileges of the faith (performed in temples). The restriction ended in 1978, but as the documentary shows, the folklore which once upheld past policies was not repudiated, and continues to circulate within the Mormon Church. Nonetheless, there are modern Black Mormon pioneers, just as there were Black pioneers in the Mormon migration of 1847.

Margaret Young wrote a blog post on Biddy Smith Mason. You can read it here: Biddy Smith Mason

Bro. Martins visited the Orem, Utah Institute of Religion on February 29, 2008. He gave a talk entitled “Thirty Years After the Long Promised Day.” You can read the talk by following this link. Thirty Years After the Long Promised Day.