Two and a half years following the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take control of the state and enforce the freedom of those enslaved.
That day, June 19th, 1865, is now celebrated each year in the United States as a federally observed holiday called Juneteenth — a combination of the words “June” and “nineteenth”.
Frederick Douglass, a civil rights leader in the 19th century once said, “What to a slave is the Fourth of July?”
For many African-Americans, Juneteenth is a type of independence day, a day when their progenitors finally gained freedom and independence.
A message on racism and unity in Jesus Christ
A June 18, 2025, video published by the Church condemned racism and amplified the importance of unity.
The video begins with President Russell M. Nelson from an October 2020 general conference talk: “Brothers and sisters, please listen carefully to what I’m about to say. God does not love one race more than another.”
It continues with other Church leaders’ testimonies and invitations regarding racism, prejudice and unity.
Black Latter-day Saints, the NAACP and Church leaders
Since President Nelson began his tenure as Church President in 2018, he has consistently worked to help Black Latter-day Saints and friends by leading outreach initiatives to promote unity and healing.
In May 2018, NAACP leaders joined the First Presidency at the Church Administration Building to call for unity.
At that event, President Nelson said, “Today, in unity with such capable and impressive leaders as the national officials of the NAACP, we are impressed to call on people of this nation — and indeed, the entire world — to demonstrate greater civility, racial and ethnic harmony and mutual respect.”
In June 2018, President Nelson and President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, spoke at the “Be One” celebration commemorating the 40th anniversary celebration of the revelation allowing all worthy Latter-day Saints to receive temple ordinances and worthy men to receive the priesthood.
Then, in July 2019, President Nelson addressed the 110th annual NAACP national convention in Detroit, Michigan. He said, “Simply stated, we strive to build bridges of cooperation rather than walls of segregation.”
Elder Ahmad S. Corbitt was sustained as first counselor in the Young Men general presidency in April 2020; he wrote a four-part personal essay about race and the priesthood.
In June 2020, after racial tensions, peaceful protests and lawless riots, President Nelson and NAACP leaders wrote a joint op-ed inviting people “of goodwill everywhere to look for ways to reach out and serve someone of a different background or race. Everyone can do something.”
They continued by explaining: “Prejudice, hate and discrimination are learned. Thus, we call on parents, family members, and teachers to be the first line of defense. Teaching children to love all, and find the good in others, is more crucial than ever. Oneness is not sameness in America. We must all learn to value the differences.”
In the October 2020 general conference, President Nelson invited Latter-day Saints “to lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice.”
In June 2021, the Church in partnership with the NAACP announced education and humanitarian initiatives. Through these initiatives, the Church committed more than $9 million to encourage service and give aid to scholarships managed by the United Negro College Fund and to establish the Amos C. Brown Student Fellowship to Ghana for U.S. students to explore their heritage.
On August 1, 2022 Sister Tracy Y. Browning began serving as second counselor in the Primary presidency, the first Black woman to serve in a general presidency.
On Juneteenth 2023, the Church and the NAACP announced efforts to ensure the longevity of MyBaby4Me, a program implemented to help reduce infant mortality.
For President Nelson’s 100th birthday in September 2024, Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown, an NAACP board member, recorded a birthday tribute.
In March 2025, the Church released a documentary following young adults who participated in the Amos C. Brown Fellowship to Ghana.
The Church also added a section on the Church’s Topic and Questions page about “Race and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
As the leader of the restored Church of Jesus Christ, President Nelson has continually condemned racism and prejudice and has testified of the importance of unity in Christ. He has invited Latter-day Saints to be peacemakers and has shown by example what a peacemaker is.
“Differences in culture, language, gender, race and nationality fade into insignificance as the faithful enter the covenant path and come unto our beloved Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ,” he said.
