A lot of hurtful things were said in the past about blacks, by Mormon authorities. Brigham Young, in particular, comes to mind.
Unfortunately, some of that mindset also existed among members. The priesthood ban was like proof that God didn't like blacks either. It justified racism.
It's not hard to imagine how this might cause great hurt.
I heard from a member of my ward, growing up, that when the 1978 priesthood revelation was announced, that full page ads were taken in Salt Lake papers by individuals in protest.
Personally, I thought the segment on blacks and the priesthood was VERY generous. It could have been much more critical than it was.
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