About Keith
Keith N. Hamilton was born in Virginia near the end of the Jim Crow era and attended segregated schools until middle school. His parents died while he was a youth, and he eventually moved to North Carolina, where he attended high school and college.
As a student at NC State University, he helped establish, on campus, a chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, a national black fraternity, and also had his own Soul/R&B music radio program on the campus station.
He joined the LDS Church his senior year, served a mission to Puerto Rico, and went on to become the first black graduate of BYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law School.
Following law school he went on active duty with the U.S. Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps, and while stationed at Naval Station Treasure Island served as bishop of the San Francisco Bay Ward, and as a member of the SF Stake High Council, under the leadership of President Quentin L. Cook.
He has also worked as a university administrator for BYU and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and served two terms as a member of the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole. He was appointed Chairman of the Board from 2006-07 by former Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., becoming the first black Cabinet member in the state of Utah.
Keith is married and has six children, and currently is in the High Priest leadership in his ward in South Jordan, Utah. He also is a volunteer at the Jordan River Temple, where he serves as a veil worker.
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Dear Keith,
I heard your radio interview this morning and was so inspired by your words, especially when you spoke of Jesus’ mission to the House of Israel and how He has never been accused of racism. I have four black grandchildren, two from Haiti, one from San Diego and one from Kansas City. I appreciate your example and your testimony, as well as all the work you do. Thank you again for everything.
Sally
Dear Keith,
I am excited to read your book. You probably do not remember me, but I was one of the many missionaries that lived in the same apartment complex with you in Amherst, Massachusetts. I have always been grateful for the opportunity of meeting you and your family and was impressed with the stories that you shared with us. I look forward to reading more of your experiences in this new book.
All the best,
Nathan
Dear Kieth~
I found your blog through the Nie Nie dialogues this morning, and am SO glad I did! We have a beautiful, trans-racial family through the miracle of adoption. We are caucasian (my hubby and I). We have a biracial daughter, a son who is full African American, a son who is Hispanic and 2 more who are caucasian! (We will adopt another baby girl this year, to complete our family!) In short we have a beautiful family! :0) I am excited to hear of your book as my husband and I have always felt the enormity of our responsibility to understand answers to the sensitive questions we know our children will ask about someday, in reference to the church and African Americans! I have always known and felt that Heavenly Father loves us all very much, and it’s my hope and prayer that I can fortify the testimonies for each of us in our family, so that we will stay close to the gospel as we come to understand stereotypes, words and behaviors of past prophets, apostles, etc. and as we seek to know more about Heavenly Father’s feelings for our family, the gospel, etc! It has particularly bothered me, to hear some reference that in the next life everyone will be white. I KNOW that Heavenly Father would never do that! He is proud of the beauty He has made, and would never change it in that way! I am expecting our beautiful family to be just that in heaven…trans-racial, beautiful and full of lots of family members! :0) I am excited to get a copy of your book and learn so much from it! :0)
Warmly,
Ranee (and Pete) Hansen
and 5 (almost 6) really cute kiddo’s
Dear Keith,
I was so pleased to read about you and your new book in Mormon Times. We remember you and your family when you lived in Amherst and attended our ward there. Our ward is still doing well. We have several families who are doing graduate work at one of the surrounding colleges. We also now have a family from Puerto Rico. The wife was recently our Relief Society president and the husband is now Young Men president. We also have a family from Micronesia, a sister from the Dominican Republic and a black couple from Amherst. We are becoming more diverse and that’s a wonderful thing. My husband and I served a mission in Fiji and have fond memories of that. Our family is becoming more diverse too. We have a Samoan son-in-law and a granddaughter who told her kindergarten teacher, “I’m a Samoan princess, but I was born in Massachusetts.” Great fun.
We wish you well, and when you have the opportunity to travel back to Amherst, you will be welcomed by all of us who remember you.
Best Wishes,
Darleen & Ed LaFond
It is so “Wonderful” to see another black man as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints..I to am a black member and I live in the high desert in California, in Apple Valley.I plan to buy your book to learn more of your personal experience as man and a member of the Church. My love for the Church and all mankind has become a important part of my life. I have received many blessings from family, friends and church members.I hope to maybe meet you someday. My live is good with the love and spiritual gifts I have received from all. Thank you for writing your book and may God bless you… Norris (Les) Kirk
Dear Keith,
I read your artical in the Dessert News today. I wanted you to know how it made me feel. I am so glad that your “Nana”‘s words came to your mind that day with the missionaries. Your story builds my testimony, especially when you prayed and received your answer.
I am honored to be associated with you as a fellow member of the Church.
Sincererly,
Robert
I was walking through the foyer of my apartment complex and I saw a magazine”LDS Living” lying on a table with your picture on the cover. I was impressed enough to pick it up and read your story,I have since purchased your book and am enjoying it. I am from a back woods coal mining area in Pennslyvania and my first look at racial problems was after I joined the Air Force my best friend and I were stationed together at Amarillo Texas we decided to go to a movie together and were refused entrance to the theater because he was black. I am a convert and have always questioned the church’s stance on the priesthood. I was excited when I read your article in the magazine. Thank you for your insight and your courage. My friend who I tried to attend the movie with was named Jones he was affectionaly called Jonesy. of all the people I have served with during 21 years in the Airforce he is the only one I think of all the time.
I also saw the article in LDS Living magazine and had my library order your book, which I just finished reading. I’m a convert to the LDS church after the priesthood revelation and I’ve always been a bit bothered by the history of the issue. I didn’t know how to put it in the proper perspective, since I was taught to love and treat everyone equally. Thank you so much for sharing your understanding and insight, and especially teaching me about humility and faith. I was really touched by that.
I found your blog through the Nie Nie dialogues this morning, and am SO glad I did! We have a beautiful, trans-racial family through the miracle of adoption. We are caucasian (my hubby and I). We have a biracial daughter, a son who is full African American, a son who is Hispanic and 2 more who are caucasian! (We will adopt another baby girl this year, to complete our family!) In short we have a beautiful family! :0) I am excited to hear of your book as my husband and I have always felt the enormity of our responsibility to understand answers to the sensitive questions we know our children will ask about someday, in reference to the church and African Americans! I have always known and felt that Heavenly Father loves us all very much, and it’s my hope and prayer that I can fortify the testimonies for each of us in our family, so that we will stay close to the gospel as we come to understand stereotypes, words and behaviors of past prophets, apostles, etc. and as we seek to know more about Heavenly Father’s feelings for our family, the gospel, etc! It has particularly bothered me, to hear some reference that in the next life everyone will be white. I KNOW that Heavenly Father would never do that! He is proud of the beauty He has made, and would never change it in that way! I am expecting our beautiful family to be just that in heaven…trans-racial, beautiful and full of lots of family members! :0) I am excited to get a copy of your book and learn so much from it! :0)
+1
I have been a very active member of the LDS church all my life and never delved into this issue. I have actually avoided it because I didn’t know what my response would be if asked to explain the former Priesthood restrictions. I felt bad about it and was somewhat embarrassed.
Thanks to your thorough and sincere words, I now see more of the big picture spoken of by Pres. Hinkley near the end of your book.
And I want to see you act in “I Am Jane!”
Hi Keith,
I just saw your Mormon Messages video and felt the Spirit so strong and just checked out your blog and wanted to let you know how awesome you are! Thanks for your testimony and for everything you’ve done. As a convert myself, I know how hard it is to do something nobody seems to understand around you knowing that it is true. Thank you for your sincere words, I can’t wait to read your book!
Best,
Daisy