The Eleventh Hour: Blacks in the Mormon Church set to begin film production

New documentary of the almost 12-million-member religion to provide insights, understanding

Salt Lake City, UT -- A documentary film that chronicles the experiences of many black members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS, Mormon), a church with a racist reputation for their history of denying blacks the opportunity for the Priesthood until June 1978.

This feature-length documentary film will tell the true stories of blacks and their interactions with the LDS Church. "The Eleventh Hour" will introduce us to the first pre-Civil War black converts to Mormonism in the 1830s. It will remind us both of the civil rights activists who fought the LDS Church in the 1960's-1970s and of the black Mormons who stayed with the Church during these turbulent times. In addition, "The Eleventh Hour" will take a closer look at the complex and often violent race/religious struggles in the broader American social landscape of the times.

The documentary will conclude with the stories of current black Mormon priests, leaders, Church authorities, and members.

Produced by first-time documentary producers Robert J. Foster and Wayne L. Lee, "The Eleventh Hour" will be directed by Richard Dutcher.

Producer Robert J. Foster was the first African American Student Body President at Brigham Young University. Producer Wayne L. Lee, an African American Filmmaker, is the founder and director of the Gloria International Film Festival. Richard Dutcher is the writer and director of "Brigham City" and "God's Army."

For more information on "The Eleventh Hour: Blacks in the Mormon Church" please visit our website at www.the11thhourlaborers.org.

For more information contact:

Wayne L. Lee
Tel: 1-877-768-4395
Tel: 801-755-6693
E-mail: edify365@yahoo.com

Robert J. Foster
Tel: 1-877-768-4395
Tel: 801-344-8764
E-mail: Robert_J_Foster@hotmail.com