Source: The Salt Lake Tribune
Tamu Smith was called the N-word in the Salt Lake LDS Temple a week after her wedding day more than 20 years ago. The same slur was aimed at Zandra Vranes in April on her Facebook page by a temple-going Mormon.
In both cases, the women were advised to forgive the offense, take the high road and focus on the positive.
That approach, however, has hidden rather than solved latent racism in LDS Church ranks, says Vranes, co-author with Smith of “Diary of Two Mad Black Mormons.”
Thursday marks the 39th anniversary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-days Saints ending its long-standing ban on blacks being ordained to its all-male priesthood and black women being barred from its temples. But some Mormons argue that their church is still grappling with racism and that failure to face the nagging problem head-on looms as a roadblock.
Black members routinely endure slurs, stereotyping, shunning and insulting assumptions (“You only got into Brigham Young University because you’re black”) — even from fellow believers.
Categories: Mormonism, Racism, The Muslim Times