Black 14 Partnership with the Church of Jesus Christ
Black 14 Philanthropy and Latter-day Saint Charities have come together to donate food to a number of charities in eight states. John Griffin, one of the Black 14, said: “The fact that they respected us and we’ve gained that respect for them made them interested in grabbing that olive branch with us and doing something for the greater good for us and for the greater good of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That’s where we are today. That helps with the healing process overall because it brought everything full circle.”[1]
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History of Black 14 and BYU
In 1969, college athletes at several universities in the United States began protesting Brigham Young University over the Church’s then-policy of restricting Black members of the Church from being ordained to the priesthood and entering the temple. In October 1969, fourteen Black football players at the University of Wyoming approached their coach to tell him they wanted to protest by wearing black arm bands, and the day before the university’s game with BYU, those fourteen players were kicked off the team. That action jeopardized their educations and possible football careers. The coach based this action on their violation of two of his rules: scholarship players could not participate in demonstrations, and players could not form factions within the team. “Realizing that these rules were probably unconstitutional, the rules were withdrawn by UW authorities the next week, but the players were not reinstated for the 1969 season.”[2]
Those fourteen players refused to be defined by their coach’s actions, which had made national headlines. Despite losing their scholarships and finding it hard to be employed, ten of those athletes graduated from college and two became Super Bowl champions. One of the fourteen, Mel Hamilton, said, “Never did I hate the people of the Latter-day Saint religion. It was a mission of mine to . . . speak out wherever I went to clarify we don’t hate people. We just wanted that one policy changed. And thank God, there was a revelation that changed it.”[3]
The Church’s policy was revoked in 1978 when, through a revelation to President Spencer W. Kimball, all worthy male members of the Church were able to receive priesthood blessings and consequently temple covenants.[4]
The Formation of Black 14 Philanthropy
Years later the former football players wanted to give goodness and formed Black 14 Philanthropy.
One former player, Mel Hamilton, spent more than 15 years building bridges with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His wife is a distant relative of Brigham Young and their son Malik joined the Church.
In 2019, the University of Wyoming issued a formal apology to the Black 14.[5] Hamilton invited Laramie Wyoming Stake President Cory Allen, Laramie Institute of Religion Director John Williams, and Elder Michael Jones, an Area Seventy, to a dinner honoring the players. There, he asked them if the Church could support Black 14 Philanthropy.
- A few weeks later, Elder Gifford Nielsen, who played quarterback at BYU in the mid ’70s, hosted Hamilton and his son and their wives in Salt Lake City, where they attended general conference and visited Welfare Square. In spring 2020, when Griffin, Hamilton, and another member of the Black 14, Tony McGee, were talking about the food insecurity caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Hamilton decided to call Elder Nielsen, who consulted with Church leaders and Latter-day Saint Charities.
Elder Nielsen reported to Hamilton that the Church would provide 40,000 pounds of food delivered to each of the nine locations related to the eleven living members of Black 14.
Griffin said Hamilton called him and said, “You’re not going to believe this.”[6]
- Elder Nielsen said the partnership with the Black 14 is a story of forgiveness.
- “We can forgive and move forward,” he said. “It’s up to each one of us to make that decision. In this particular case, Mel has made that decision and those members of the Black 14 that are with him have made that decision, which puts us in a position where we can really help them.”[7]
- “Especially now,” Hamilton said, “in this climate that we have, this polarizing climate of love and hate, I don’t want to be on that hateful side, and I don’t want people to think that the Black 14 is on that hateful side. We certainly are not.”[8]
During October 2020 General Conference, President Russell M. Nelson asked Church members to be leaders in ending racism. “I grieve that our Black brothers and sisters the world over are enduring the pains of racism and prejudice. Today, I call upon our members everywhere to lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice. I plead with you to promote respect for all of God’s children.”[9]
Ongoing Partnership
The Church partnership with Black 14 continues. In September 2022, John Griffin and Mel Hamilton again visited Church headquarters, which included a tour of the Bishops’ Central Storehouse in Salt Lake City on Friday, September 23. Griffin and Hamilton spent Friday and Saturday at BYU. Friday night they took part in a Q&A after the premiere of a student-produced documentary called “The Black 14: Healing Hearts and Feeding Souls.” And Saturday night, prior to the BYU vs. UW football game, the duo was honored for their philanthropic endeavors before ceremonially lighting the large Y on the mountain above the football stadium in Provo.
- “This [moment] is an extraordinary snapshot in time for entities that were miles apart and now there’s nothing between us but good,” Griffin said. “That’s what is important to me. . . . We have more time behind us than we have left in front of us. We’re trying to do the best we can for the time we have remaining, whatever that is. And that’s why we’re in this relationship together [with the Church].”[10]
Griffin and Hamilton also had lunch in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building with Elder Randall K. Bennett and his wife, Shelley. At the end of Friday’s lunch, Elder Bennett of the Church’s North America Central Area Presidency praised the Black 14 for their example of selflessness and hope.
“John and Mel and the others aren’t self-focused,” said Elder Bennett, whose service area includes Wyoming and John’s home state of Colorado. “You’re like the Savior would be. It’s about others. It’s an outward focus. Who do we help? Who do we bless? We know we have the same Father. We’re part of the same family. We’re brothers. We’re just here to help one another.
“You’re just remarkable examples to us — examples that we need to follow in terms of optimism, forgiveness and focusing on the future, not the past. Thank you,” added Elder Bennett.[11]
In November 2022, another shipment of 80,000 pounds of food was delivered to Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Wyoming.
Football Hall of Fame Black History Month event
To kick off its observance of Black History Month, the College Football Hall of Fame honored the Black 14 with a two-day event February 5-6, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Hall of Fame invited Mel Hamilton, John Griffin, and Tony McGee of the Black 14 to join the event, which included a food donation in partnership with the Church of Jesus Christ and screenings of a short film about the Black 14 produced by BYU students. The Black 14 donated 40,000 pounds of nonperishable food items to the Atlanta Community Food Bank through a collaborative effort with the Church.
“I want people to realize that revenge is not going to get you anywhere,” Hamilton said. “Hate is not going to get you anywhere. Try to think of a way to turn that bad incident around to the benefit of others. That’s my takeaway.”[12]
The Black 14’s story is showcased in a temporary display on the second floor of the Hall of Fame during February. The display — presented in collaboration with the Black 14, Auburn Avenue Research Library and BYU School of Communications — features infographics and artifacts such as a Black 14 armband and banner, a 1969 Wyoming vs. BYU game program and more.
