Johnisha Demease-Williams had a serious case of culture shock when she arrived at Brigham Young University last fall.
Despite being loaded with thousands of young people who shared the black student's LDS faith, the Provo campus was nothing like the multicultural Mormon congregation in Houston that had nurtured her throughout her childhood and teen years.
In her Texas home, many members were converts from other religious traditions whose backgrounds were understood and celebrated. They seemed more aware and accepting of cultural differences, she says. They knew about world and national events like the police killings of unarmed citizens. Whether or not they embraced Black Lives Matter, they understood what drove the movement.
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