Jessie Streater, an African American mother of three, converted to Mormonism in 1979, just one year after the church relaxed its ban on African Americans holding the priesthood, a position in the church that conveys certain privileges and responsibilities. Streater had been a seeker, visiting churches of various denominations before finding Mormonism, a religion that offered her the religious community that she desired despite its relatively recent embrace of full membership for African American men. In this interview, Streater shares some observations about the growing African American population in the church, as well some descriptions of Mormon practices and church organization. African Americans' greatest disadvantage is their relatively small number within the church, meaning that they often have to look outside Mormonism to find spouses. But overall, Streater has found only spiritual succor, and not discrimination, in her more than two decades with the church. Interviewers interested in race and religion, as well as some of the details of Mormon belief and practice, will find this interview useful.

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Title from menu page (viewed on Nov. 19, 2008).

Interview participants: Jessie Streater, interviewee; Barbara Copeland, interviewer.

Duration: 01:14:10.

This electronic edition is part of the UNC-Chapel Hill digital library, Documenting the American South. It is a part of the collection Oral histories of the American South.

Text encoded by Jennifer Joyner. Sound recordings digitized by Aaron Smithers.

Forms part of Oral histories of the American South collection.