In reality only 1% of the Mormon church is African American, while African Americans make up 3% of the population, so it's mostly lily white, but, I see that question asked a lot on different comment sections on social media and in newspaper stories comment sections regarding Mormon racism.

I used to ask myself that question as a Mormon, how could that Brother be Mormon knowing the history of racism in the Mormon church?

But then I realized how racist it was for me to even ask that question to myself. I mean, What difference does skin color make in determining right and wrong? If it's wrong, it's wrong. Plain and simple. No two words about it.

If it's not wrong, then don't pretend it is.
My conscience forced me to leave when I could no longer, in good conscience allow my children to be indoctrinated with the same naive, bogus racist myths I'd been brainwashed to believe. To think that our God turned people black when they sinned and white again when they repented. It's absurd. It's a myth that must be destroyed, brick by brick.
Or just blown to pieces.

They shouldn't, any more than a white person would want to be a Nuwaubian or a follower of Moorish Science.

Unfortunately that ship has long sailed -- originally Mormonism was aimed only at "the lost sheep of the House of Israel," meaning certain Anglo-Saxon type people. But the marketing figures didn't work out for that long-term, so they had to expand their reach to no one's good. They can't step back now, especially with growth in white countries slow to nonexistent and growth in Africa expanding with new temples and so forth.

Doesn't the church obfuscate its teachings of its past history? Like many other issues, converts are not taught the racial doctrine as it was understood, pre-1978.

Many of the church's youth are not aware of that fact, including the missionaries as they're sent 'into the field.'

For black converts, unless they'd been around pre-1978, or their parents were conscious of it and passed it on to their children, they simply aren't aware such a doctrine once existed - at least not until well after they've been baptized and confirmed members of the cult.

That's the only reason I can think as to why they might identify as LDS, until the blatant racism creeps in as the SLT article suggests it still is a prevalent attitude among certain Mormons.

Patty Hearst syndrome?

Those few African-Americans who convert now probably do not know the history of Mormon racism because the mishies would never tell them. Unless they do their own research, unless they live in the Morridor, how would they know? it is presented to them as just another Christian Church but even better.

Women are second class citizens in Mormonism, and always will be.

Never underestimate the power of denial and compartmentation.

Don't you mean: "Why would any black person identify as Mormon?"

The lds religion didn't just have it in for "African-Americans," but rather, for all black people.