As we close #BlackHistoryMonth here in February, I wanted to introduce you to an amazing Grammy Award-Winning artist and flimmaker Mauli Bonner. We’ll discuss his award-winning film, “His Name is Green Flake” about the first black Mormon slave who entered the Utah Territory before even Brigham Young! Mauli is a Grammy Award-winning artist and we’ll find out some of the big names he’s been working with, including Katie Perry, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, and Ariana Grande to name a few.

It appears Green Flake was in the first company to come to Utah, even before Brigham Young! Flake helped plant crops, build homes, and was eventually freed by Brigham Young. We’re going to dive into Utah’s decade of black and Indian slavery, and I’ll ask Mauli Bonner some hard questions. Should Mormons think about renaming buildings at BYU who have ties to slavery? Mauli thinks so, but understands the arguments those who disagree with him.

Mauli Bonner discusses his award-winning film, “Green Flake is His Name” at various international film festivals. The film was so successful, he was able to help erect a  monument to black Mormon pioneers at “This is the Place” Park. We’ll discuss his future plans for both movies & monuments.

Have you watched the film? Are you familiar with Green Flake? Did you know that Brigham released Flake from slavery, despite his desire to make Utah a slave state?