Menu

One Black Latter-day Saint’s reflections on Black history in the Church

Clareena and Hugo Lindsay and their children. Born in the U.K., Clareena is a Black Latter-day Saint who moved to Canada with her family as a teenager. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Victor and Vera Nugent were the first Jamaicans to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Jamaica. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Black History Month is an opportunity for Canadians to celebrate the legacy of Black men and women who have shaped history. Jane Elizabeth Manning James was an early Latter-day Saint pioneer. She walked over 1,200 km to join the Saints in Nauvoo and had a Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Clareena Lindsay, left, was the organizer of the first Black History Month event of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Montreal, Quebec, held in 2020. She is shown here with Serena Mills and Stephanie Mills. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
In 2020, Clareena Lindsay gave a presentation focused on Black Latter-day Saints in Church history and the growth of the Church in Africa and the Caribbean. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Clareena Lindsay, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Montreal, Quebec, reflects on her Black History Month presentation given in the Montreal Quebec Mount Royal Stake in 2020. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Clareena Lindsay, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Montreal, Quebec, recently reflected on a presentation at a Black History Month event held in the Montreal Quebec Mount Royal Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in February 2020. 

“It’s great to focus on Black history in February,” Lindsay told the Church’s Canada Newsroom, “but Black history should be learned any time of the year.”

Clareena Lindsay, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Montreal, Quebec, reflects on her Black History Month presentation given in the Montreal Quebec Mount Royal Stake in 2020.
Clareena Lindsay, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Montreal, Quebec, reflects on her Black History Month presentation given in the Montreal Quebec Mount Royal Stake in 2020. | Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

As she learned in Church meetings about pioneers, she felt that she could not fully relate to the stories of the mostly white pioneers and early Saints. “By researching Black pioneers, it helped me connect more,” she said. “What motivated me to research this topic was wanting to explain the circumstances at that time and share all the information in a way that would uplift. I wanted my presentation to be balanced and informative.” 

During her 2020 presentation, Lindsay addressed the Church’s policy from 1852 to 1978 that restricted Black people of African descent from holding the priesthood and participating in some of the ordinances offered to Church members. 

“I still do not fully understand why this ban was put in place and why it took so long for it to be lifted,” she said. “There are theories that some came up with, but none are accepted as official doctrine of the Church.”

Lindsay hopes that others will begin to speak more openly about Black Latter-day Saint history, share their own experiences and face the past together.

“Researching about Black members of the Church was a healing process for me. Although there is still more to learn, I felt peace and was able to come to terms with what had happened in the past regarding the priesthood ban. By sharing about Black history in the Church, I was able to have more conversations with those around me.”

Read more from the interview with Lindsay on Canada Newsroom.

Newsletters
Subscribe for free and get daily or weekly updates straight to your inbox
The three things you need to know everyday
Highlights from the last week to keep you informed