Darius Gray facts for kids

Darius Gray is an important African-American speaker and writer. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Darius Gray was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1964. He studied at Brigham Young University for one year. Later, he transferred to the University of Utah. For a time, Mr. Gray worked as a journalist.

Helping Others in the Church

Darius Gray has spent many years helping people in his church.

Leading the Genesis Group

In 1971, a group called the Genesis Group was started. This group helps African-American members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Darius Gray was one of the first leaders of this group. He was the president of the Genesis Group from 1997 to 2003.

Working with Family History

Mr. Gray also helped with a big project called the Freedmens Bank Records. This project helped people find information about their family history. He worked with Marie Taylor on this project for the church's Family History Department.

Sharing Knowledge and Stories

Darius Gray is a popular speaker. He talks about many interesting topics. These include African-American genealogy, which is the study of family history. He also speaks about black people in the Bible. Another topic he shares is the history of black people in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He has also written a series of three historical novels. These books are called "Standing on the Promises." He wrote them with Margaret Blair Young. Together, they also made a documentary film. It is called "Nobody Knows: The Untold Story of Black Mormons".

Awards and Recognition

Mr. Gray has received special awards for his work. In 2008, the NAACP in Utah gave him the Martin Luther King Jr. award. This award honors people who work for civil rights. In 2011, a fraternity called Omega Psi Phi honored him. They named him "Citizen of the Year."

Sharing His Message Widely

Darius Gray has traveled all over the United States. He gives presentations and shares his knowledge.

Appearances and Projects

In 2007, he was featured in a PBS documentary. The film was called The Mormons. In February 2008, he gave a special presentation. It was at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. This event was partly supported by New Detroit.

He also appears in a TV series on BYU Television. The series is called Questions and Ancestors. Mr. Gray helped create the website blacklds.org. This website provides information for black members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He also served on the board of Reach the Children. This group helps people in Africa.

Important Church Essay

Darius Gray was part of a group that helped write an important essay. This essay is called "Race and the Priesthood." It was published on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints website in December 2013. In 2014, the Mormon History Association gave him a special award. This award was for his important contributions to Mormon history.