Two years ago—in the winter 2020 edition of Utah Historical Quarterly—we published a series of essays addressing race and religion in twentieth-century Utah. As we shared with readers then, we had not planned a thematically orchestrated issue. Beholden to the historical research submitted to our editorial office, we often look for ways to group like articles, and sometimes the results pleasantly surprise us. Like the winter 2020 issue, the edition before you continues the conversation about the African American experience in Utah.
However serendipitous may be the configuration of articles in the current issue, both social and academic trends likely account for heightened attention to racial and ethnic communities here in Utah and nationally. In legislative halls, classrooms, and public discourse, we collectively question socioeconomic disparities between racial groups, unequal representation in public institutions, healthcare access and public health outcomes, educational opportunities, and a host of other issues faced...
