Posted on 11/06/2009 12:24:00 PM PST by Colofornian
LARAMIE - Forty years ago, 14 black University of Wyoming football players were kicked off the team for wanting to wear black armbands to protest The Jesus Christ Church of Latter-day Saints' policy of not calling black men into its priesthood.
But on Tuesday, members of the "Black 14," as well as others involved in the situation, returned to Laramie for a panel discussion to both remember and teach about an incident that's little known among young people and is still a sore subject among many who lived through it.
On Oct. 17, 1969, on the eve of the Cowboys' game with Brigham Young University, 14 black players were called in by coach Lloyd Eaton.
The players had previously asked Eaton if they could wear black armbands during the game against the Mormon university. Eaton rejected their request, saying that individual protests weren't allowed.
When the players asked to meet with Eaton again to urge him to reconsider, he threw them all off the team - adding comments, several players said, about how the players could go back to living on food stamps or welfare.
"It was a very racist move," said John Griffin, a Black 14 member. "He didn't look at Mel (Hamilton) and I and 12 other guys as human beings. He looked at our skin."
Some of the Black 14 disagree that Lloyd was a racist, seeing him instead as a tough, disciplinary coach who felt that allowing individual action would help break apart his team, said journalist Ryan Thorburn, the author of a recently published book about the Black 14 incident.
Eaton, who died in 2007, talked little about the incident in his later years, though he always maintained that he did the right thing in kicking the players off the team.
At the time, most of the 14 players had little idea even what a Mormon was. But during a time of civil-rights protests and racial clashes around the country, the players felt they had to do their part.
"It was my time to contribute to the social revolution," said Hamilton, a starting guard. "If I had not done something when I was told about the Mormons, I would be doing the same dereliction as if my daughter was trying to reach up for hot boiling water without my guidance. It was the same thing to me."
When the university refused to reinstate the players, they filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court. But Judge Ewing T. Kerr dismissed the case - a decision that was eventually upheld on appeal.
"I regret that I did not take the case to the Supreme Court," Hamilton said. "I think the tenor of the court at the time would've been favorable."
Some of the players later returned to the team. Two of the players - Joe Williams and Tony McGee - later played in the NFL, though the incident cost many of the other players a chance at a pro football career, Griffin said.
After the incident, Hamilton lived in North Carolina briefly before returning to Wyoming; he's now an associate principal and director of diversity with the Natrona County School District. Griffin retired five years ago from his job as a baggage supervisor for United Airlines at Denver International Airport.
Wyoming football arguably never recovered from the Black 14 incident. Going into the BYU game in 1969, the Cowboys were off to a 4-0 start, were ranked No. 10 in the nation and seemed primed for a second consecutive trip to the Sugar Bowl.
But after the 14 players were kicked off the team, the Cowboys went 2-4 the rest of the 1969 season. The program didn't have another winning season for seven years and didn't play in another bowl game until 1987.
The cause the Black 14 was fighting for - African-American rights within the Mormon church - found much more success. The year after the Black 14 were kicked off, an African-American played on Brigham Young's football team for the first time. And in 1978, the church announced that men of African descent would be accepted into the priesthood.
Today, Hamilton's own son, Malik, is a practicing Mormon - a decision Hamilton says he firmly supports.
"I said (to Malik), 'I did this because of people like you that want to go into the church, and I want to make sure you have a fair shot.' "
Darius Gray, an African-American Mormon church member who was asked by BYU President Cecil Samuelson to attend Tuesday's panel discussion, said Samuelson sends his "good wishes" to the panel members.
Wearing a black armband with a white "14" around his shoulder, Gray said Tuesday's discussion showed that we as human beings have grown, whether black or white or Latter-day Saint or not. "We tend to have greater respect, I think, for one another.
"We become better by knowing who we are and what we've been through, so that we can maybe turn to something better in the future."
Thorburn said most people under 40 today aren't aware of the incident - and those who were around for it often don't like to talk about it.
"But I think now enough time has passed it can be viewed as more of a part of our history instead of a sore subject," Thorburn said.
"This could be a Hollywood movie if you could figure out the happy ending," he said. "I'm sure they would have these guys back as they are today as the ending."
BYU's football team was "white and delightsome" only thru the entirety of the 1960s?
From the article: "It was a very racist move," said John Griffin, a Black 14 member. "He didn't look at Mel (Hamilton) and I and 12 other guys as human beings. He looked at our skin."
Utah-campus racism begets Wyoming-campus racism.
From the article: "It was my time to contribute to the social revolution," said Hamilton, a starting guard. "If I had not done something when I was told about the Mormons, I would be doing the same dereliction as if my daughter was trying to reach up for hot boiling water without my guidance. It was the same thing to me."
So, except for the Wyoming-BYU game in '69, which Wyoming won 40-7, Wyoming won only 2 of their next 15 games & then this coach was let go. Two of these players were good enough to still make the NFL despite the obstacle of being kicked off. Wyoming, then only manages one winning season in the 1970s and only two over the ensuing 17 years as the recruiting nightmare edged on, season after season.
Get over it.
L
History teacher at school: "In 1861, the..." [Lurker, interrupting her]: "It was 140 plus years ago. Get over it."
(So, I guess you're telling the Salt Lake Trib, the Deseret News, the Billings Gazette, the Casper Star Tribune, and the Laramie Herald Extra, and any other newspaper that coverered this within the past week that they should just ignore articles tied to whatever your specific sand timer is good for, tolerance-wise?)
It’s called an “agenda”. Look into it, newbie.
It's not like the Surrender at Appotmatox or anything.
That was too harsh...
i could see the players being stood down for that one game because they were disruptive (if they were)
But they should have been kept on the team...
Apparently they had not caused any trouble in the past...
and were not likely too after the BYU game...
Blacks in The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints were never denied entance to church services except the temple. They were allowed in all chapels, they drank from the same water fountains, used the same bathroom facilities, partook of The Sacrament and were treated the same as other members.
There were no beatings, hangings, torture,or banning from facilites that whites used. It is remarkable how this issue keeps coming up while treatment of blacks in the southern
Christian churches seems to escape discussion. For over 100 years southern church members forbade their black bretheren from attending church with them and either looked the other way or participated in the deeds of the Klu KLux Klan.
We would all do well to look at the good done by others.
And by that they denied them the priesthood and the opportunity to become 'exalted' to godhood (but allowed them to be 'servants' / aka slaves / to the white and delightsome mormon 'gods'. If the curse has been removed (as claimed by the prophet,seer and president), why haven't the mormon scriptures been changed to reflect God's new attitude regarding blacks?
#1 Well, somehow a black never made it on to the BYU football field wearing a Cougar jersey throughout the 1960s. (Was that just a "random" act of racism?)
#2 You know, outer darkness well, that no Mormon can make it to the highest degree of exaltation minus temple access. (What you just said is like saying to us: "You know, the celestial neighborhood in heaven is the 'White only' ghetto; the other 2/3rds are for racial integration. We didn't keep blacks out of heaven; just out of our highest neighborhood of exaltation.")
There were no beatings, hangings, torture,or banning from facilites that whites used. It is remarkable how this issue keeps coming up while treatment of blacks in the southern Christian churches seems to escape discussion
#1 Where have you been? Here's a link to a 2002 article re: the desegregation of the Ole Miss campus: OleMiss40YearsLater
That was all prominent in 2002 -- and the 50th anniversary will be all in the news again in 2012 right before the Obama re-election (Sept. 29).
#2 Hey, if you want to research it & see if Southern Methodist University or Texas Christian University or Notre Dame or Boston College (or similar religious-based universities) were denying the ability for blacks to play on their teams throughout the 60s -- and if it drew protests from their opposition -- be my guest, post away. If not, I guess we'll assume that only BYU has that claim to racial shutout shame-fame.
#3 I'm a Mtn West veteran. This was an issue in the Mtn West. It's poppin' up in most of the major Mtn West newspapers in the past week -- including the Mormon-owned Deseret News. (Have you given feedback to the Deseret News how "remarkable" it is for them to resurrect this event?)
I suppose if I lived in the South & the South was doing the same thing with reporting all over within that region an incident from 50 years ago, that matter might be before us this week. (Apparently it's not)
For over 100 years southern church members forbade their black bretheren from attending church with them and either looked the other way or participated in the deeds of the Klu KLux Klan.
You know we read all about the race-based Southern social uprisings in the late 50s and early 60s...and even racists like George Wallace making the news (1968 & again in 1972 when he was shot). But somehow, open racism started greatly receding by the early 1970s. But not in the Mormon church. When Mitt Romney was a card-carrying, 30 yo member of the Lds church, the Lds church was still denying priestholder status to blacks. And you could then still find Book of Mormon passages like "white and delightsome"
And for you to contend that all Mormons did was deny blacks temple access is a shame-filled apologetic. Why? Because to the Mormon, priesthood status is the essence of its entire authority structure. It's the supposed power the Mormon god has given to the Lds church to exclusively be the only true church in town.
We would all do well to look at the good done by others.
(No, not if some religious folks are using "good" as a means to audition for godhood. If that's the case, their "good" deeds are tainted & corrupt with anywhere from 10% to 100% selfish motives. Besides, what's really remarkable about all this is how much of Mormon racism is rooted in the Book of Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price & the Book of Mormon -- "scriptures" which haven't undergone any great social "awakening." And it's that same Pearl of Great Price which, in the 1820s & 1830s, instead of looking at the good done by the Christian church, proceeded to label all their professing believers/leaders as "corrupt" -- as not worth joining -- and riddled with 100% "abominable" creeds. If you're going to advocate looking at the good done by others, why don't set the example for us by taking scissors to vv. 18-20 of Joseph Smith, History, PoGP?)
All six of them.
Oh you are going to be fun, I can tell already...
“Negroes in this life are denied the Priesthood; under no circumstances can they hold this delegation of authority from the Almighty. (Abra. 1:20-27.) The gospel message of salvation is not carried affirmatively to them... negroes are not equal with other races where the receipt of certain spiritual blessings are concerned, particularly the priesthood and the temple blessings that flow there from, but this inequality is not of man’s origin. It is the Lord’s doing, is based on his eternal laws of justice, and grows out of the lack of Spiritual valiance of those concerned in their first estate.” (Mormon Doctrine, 1966, pp. 527-528)
“The Book of Abraham is rich both in doctrine and in historical incidents. Of the latter the fact of the large influence (if not identity) of Egyptian religious ideas in Chaldea in the days of Abraham is established; the descent of the black race (Negro) from Cain, the first murderer; the preservation of that race through the flood by the wife of Ham—”Egyptus,” which in the Chaldean signifies “Egypt,” “which signifies that which is forbidden”—the descendants of “Egyptus” were cursed as pertaining to the priesthood—that is, they were barred from holding that divine power; the origin also of the Egyptians—these things, together with the account of Abraham migrating from Chaldea to Egypt, constitute the chief historical items that are contained in the book.
- Comprehensive History of the Church, Vol.2, Ch.47, Pg.128
“Their skin is quite black, their hair woolly and black, their intelligence stunted, and they appear never to have arisen from the most savage state of barbarism.”
- The Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 3, page 157
Consider the following events that directly proceeded the 1978 revelation:
Under President Jimmy Carter, Brigham Young University and possibly the LDS Church itself was in danger of losing their tax exempt status if they continued to discriminate against blacks.
Colleges were boycotting athletic games against BYU.
The Boy Scouts of America was putting a lot of pressure on the Church since only priesthood holders could be boy scout troop leaders in LDS scout troops this was denying black scouts the same opportunities that white scouts had. “A 12-year-old boy scout has been denied a senior patrol leadership in his troop because he is black, Don L. Cope, black ombudsman for the state, said Wednesday.... The ombudsman said Mormon ‘troop policy is that in order to become a patrol leader, he must be a deacon’s quorum president in the LDS church. Since the boy cannot hold the priesthood, he cannot become a patrol leader.” Salt Lake Tribune, July 18, 1974
Members and missionaries the world over were embarrassed and ashamed at what the church taught in Sunday School about blacks.
The members were not racist and did not like believing in and teaching racist doctrine.
The 1978 “revelation” was just prior to the temple opening in Sao Paulo Brazil. They had built an area office, distribution center and temple. The population has intermarried to an extent that it could not be determined if the people have any black lineage. The Church had publicly stated that people could not enter the temple if they “had even a drop of negro blood.” Who was going to use the temple in Brazil? This was creating a public image nightmare in Brazil.
The Church was becoming a global church. How could they possibly succeed in Africa and countries with large black populations?
Blacks in The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints were never denied entance to church services except the temple.
_________________________________________________
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Captain Obvious asks “Why not the temple ???”
“A 12-year-old boy scout has been denied a senior patrol leadership in his troop because he is black, Don L. Cope, black ombudsman for the state, said Wednesday.... The ombudsman said Mormon ‘troop policy is that in order to become a patrol leader, he must be a deacon’s quorum president in the LDS church. Since the boy cannot hold the priesthood, he cannot become a patrol leader.” Salt Lake Tribune, July 18, 1974
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That’s discrimation...
The mormons were racists against little kids ???
What jerks...
“It is the Lord’s doing, is based on his eternal laws of justice,”
Eternal for a while anyway
SOPLDS
In the same vein as we worship only one god, there is just a lot them.
(Didn't pass the Mormon god's skin color test, eh?)
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