The Black Menaces challenging racism at Brigham Young University
On predominantly white institutions, racism within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the use of TikTok as a tool for agitating for change on a local scale.
A TikTok account that’s been making waves recently is one belonging to the ‘Black Menaces’, a group of Black students who attend Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
For those who aren’t fascinated by uniquely American religions, BYU is the largest LDS-sponsored university in the world, and was founded in 1875 by Brigham Young, the man who took over as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints following the death of Joseph Smith ("You must lead the people now… My good friend, Brigham Young").
Almost all (~98%) students are members of the church, including the Black Menaces themselves (in response to one comment, they said that ‘technically’ they’re all still members of the church, but some attend church and are more active than others), which makes sense because many non-Mormons would probably chafe at the way the religion impacts day-to-day life at the school, in ways such as being required to adhere to the Honor Code. The Honor Code states that students must:
Be honest.
Live a chaste and virtuous life, including abstaining from any sexual relations outside a marriage between a man and a woman.
Respect others, including the avoidance of profane and vulgar language.
Obey the law and follow campus policies.
Abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee, vaping, and substance abuse.
Participate regularly in Church services (required only of Church members).
Observe Brigham Young University’s Dress and Grooming Standards.
Encourage others in their commitment to comply with the Honor Code.
The Dress and Grooming Standards set out rules on hair colour, sideburn length, facial hair (beards are a no-no), piercings, and short/dress/skirt length.
The school has been ranked as one of the most LGBTQ-unfriendly universities in the United States, with the university using the Honor Code to take a stance against ‘homosexual behaviour’ up until 2020, with queer students at risk of expulsion for engaging in lewd homosexual acts like hugging.
It’s also one of the whitest universities in the United States. In 2020, the student body was 81% white, 7.3% Hispanic, 4.4% multiethnic, 3.3% international (is that a race?), 1.9% Asian, 1.0% unknown, 0.7% native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and just 0.4% Black.
The lack of Black students is not particularly surprising to anyone familiar with the history of anti-Black racism in the LDS Church. Up until 1978, Black men were not allowed to enter the priesthood (women are still not allowed, regardless of race), and the church did not allow Black people to participate in the church’s sacred rites and rituals. Even after the priesthood ban was lifted in 1978, the church continued to officially discourage interracial marriage.
That is the environment the Black Menaces are operating in. College is hard enough on its own. College during a pandemic is that much harder. College at a university sponsored by a historically racist church during a pandemic on a campus where you’re part of a small minority? I genuinely cannot even imagine.
Which is partly why I like their account: for the glimpse into another world, a very specifically white and middle-class American world that is often not widely understood outside America (while there are Mormons around the world thanks to their dedication to proselytizing, the US is home to over 6 million Mormons, with Mexico a distant second at 1.4 million). They’re not just surviving in this environment though: they’re seeking to challenge it.
Since posting their first video almost exactly a month ago – a denouncement of racist statements made by BYU professor Brad Wilcox - they’ve racked up over 4.3 million likes and 128,000 followers.
The majority of their videos follow the same format: approaching students around campus for vox pops, asking them questions ranging from, “Who did you vote for in the 2020 presidential election?” to “Who said this quote, Brigham Young or Robert. E Lee?”, as well as asking students to identify photos of Rosa Parks and Malcolm X.
Their interview style is friendly and affable - they can hardly afford not to be, lest they be accused of hostility or reverse racism - and their lack of response to interviewees beyond, “Okay!” or “Thanks for answering!” has the advantage of allowing people’s words to speak for themselves.
As an outsider, I was surprised by the number of students who supported things like Black Lives Matter or marriage equality. As a lover of drama, those decent people’s responses aren’t what interest me; it’s the wishy-washy or outright bigoted responses that do.
When asked if he supports Black Lives Matter, one student said, “I don't know what to believe about stuff nowadays, but I do believe that everyone should be treated equally and we're all children of God”. It’s a yes or no question, sir. Another student, when asked if she supported gay marriage, said “I wouldn’t say that I encourage it, but I definitely don’t judge people who are in gay marriages.” I need to know how someone encourages gay marriage, so that I can do more of it. Please let me know, random BYU student.
More specifically on Mormon issues, they’ve asked students if they felt the priesthood ban was ‘of God’, what they like about BYU, what Black women’s experiences dating at the school have been like, and whether students have dated black women or not. In addition to asking students who out of Brigham Young or Robert E. Lee said “I am a firm believer in slavery” (it was Young, but I’m sure Lee was too), they’ve also asked whether church Elder Bruce R. McConkie or Adolf Hitler said, “Negroes are not equal to other races”. It was McConkie – the full quote is, “The 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 therefrom, but this inequality is not of man’s origin. It is the Lord’s doing…”
Perhaps some of the most telling videos are the ones where the Menaces ask fellow Black students what their favourite thing about BYU is, or the video where they ask Black athletes why they chose to attend BYU. Many of the answers refer to the affordability; several of the students interviewed attend BYU on scholarships. My personal favourite responses are the guy who simply said “I don’t know”, or the girl who ran away from the camera rather than give an answer that might jeopardise her position at the school.
For some insight into their motivations behind creating the account, this video is worth a watch. One of the Menaces, Sebastian, said he created the account to “highlight a reality that’s hardly ever highlighted at a church institution, but also in white spaces”. Another member, Chel, said her goal was to “bring awareness to the experience that Black people have at BYU”. Another member said, “Because I deal with all of my trauma through humour. It makes it better.” Relatable.
A more recent vi