In today's episode, we delve into the remarkable story of Rachel Weaver—another member of BYU's Black Menaces. Prepare for an inspiring exploration of Rachel's life as a black convert to a conservative religion in a liberal environment to her life as a student at BYU. What eventually led her to forge her own path by stepping away from the faith that once defined her? Rachel's insta: https://www.instagram.com/_chellllll/ Nate's insta: https://www.instagram.com/big.n.8.b/ Support @blackmenaces : Podcast: https://www.theblackmenaces.org/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackmenaces Insta: https://www.instagram.com/blackmenaces/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackMenaces Episode Show Notes: https://www.mormonstories.org/podcast/exposing-racism-at-byu-rachel-weaver/ Chapters: 00:07:45 Why would a person of color join the Mormon church? 00:14:00 Racism in the Mormon Church 00:20:50 What was her family needing or wanting in order to join the church? 00:26:00 Childhood and teenage years 00:31:50 My dad came back from the Navy in 2009. He was upset that they joined the church 00:33:35 What was it like to be a Mormon girl in Primary? 00:37:00 The Mormon markers 00:39:20 Middle school as a Mormon 00:41:50 Understanding blackness vs striving toward whiteness 00:44:40 What are the benefits of a black family joining the church? 00:49:50 Code switching 00:58:20 The type of people in my ward 01:01:10 Youth Group Story with water game 01:10:00 Some of the mistakes her ward made 01:16:31 What she was taught from Church history? 01:45:50 Considering different colleges to attend: Spelman vs. BYU 01:55:00 Her experience at BYU 01:59:50 Black Student Union at BYU 02:08:35 Why code switching is necessary 02:12:10 Affirmative action benefits 02:25:00 Darting at BYU - How returned missionaries can dehumanize people of color 02:47:00 Serving her mission not feeling like being black and LDS mix 02:49:40 I wanted to find a solution, I wanted this church to be true, I wanted it to not bother me. 03:01:30 Rachel was confused doctrinally 03:09:20 Because of the color of my skin I couldn’t have been endowed a few years ago. How do I know that anything else they’re saying is true? 03:13:25 my negative thoughts were outweighed by good experiences 03:28:35 Dating after Mission 03:42:38 All lives matter compared to All Missouri Lives matter 03:44:35 how NOT to fix white supremacy. You need an actual plan of action 03:51:30 How BYU responds to black people. Anytime we suggest things it’s always a No 03:52:40 Requests of BYU to change (it ends 03:57:40) 04:01:40 Making the Black Menaces 04:06:55 Why not just leave? 04:16:00 The start of Black Menaces 04:18:15 Brad Wilcox 04:26:20 They confronted Brad Wilcox 04:29:45 The first Black Menaces video was in response to Brad Wilcox 04:43:55 The Church is not going to change, deliberately 04:48:00 Being seen as a celebrity at BYU 04:49:05 Were they bullied? 04:54:45 Navigating the paradox of gratitude and anger 05:03:30 The truth aspects of Mormonism 05:10:00 Her family relationships after leaving the Church 05:22:45 Risks by joining the church 05:26:00 Black people in the church have sacrificed their identity to be accepted by the church 05:26:50 Responding to black people who want to go to BYU 05:30:35 Nate’s three favorite traits of Rachel ___________________ At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes 🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772 🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories 📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast 🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 #MormonStories #Mormon #lds