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Editor's note: This story is part of KSL.com's "Black Voices" series where we share black Utahns' stories about what life is like for them in the Beehive State.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — There’ve been more than a few times Danor Gerald has wondered why he’s still in Utah.
The Louisiana-born and Texas-raised actor moved to the state in 2003, where he has starred in films like “Saints and Soldiers: The Void,” “Forever Strong” and “Jane and Emma.” That success, though, hasn’t erased all the doubts of living in a place where just about 2% of the population is black.
In 2005, a website for a home development in Eagle Mountain — near Gerald’s current home in Saratoga Springs — boasted the area had a "black race population percentage significantly below state average.” Then in 2014, Darrien Hunt, a 22-year-old black man, was shot and killed by police in the city he lived in. He kept seeing evidence that Utah might not be the right fit for him.
“I was really like, oh man, I can't let my kids be here because they look like that,” Gerald said. “They're apt to behave like him. They're young and silly and do kid-like things, and you don't want them to be in a situation where their life is on the line.”
To many people outside of Utah, those types of incidents confirm what Gerald says is an oversimplified image of the state. Because there’s a reason he has stayed: The good has always outweighed the bad.
He has consistent enough work, his family is happy, his neighbors care for him, and he loves Utah's entrepreneurial spirit. And while it's not the most diverse place, there's wide array of cultures. He wants the rest of the world to see that side of the state.
Gerald, along with fellow Utah actor and producer Lonzo Liggins, is hoping to help rebrand Utah with a new video series highlighting the diverse people and cultures in the Beehive State.
“People have stereotypes about Utah before they even come here,” said Liggins, who has spent much of his life in the state. “Our real goal is educating people who are minorities from other states and saying that it's not like how you think it is.”
The series, which has a working title of “Off the Beaten Path,” would highlight minority-owned businesses and prominent members of the black community. It would also ideally help people from out of state see Utah's diverse cultures.
Thus far, they have planned to introduce Utah to a tailor who makes custom suits for the Utah Jazz, a chef who has brought true Southern fried chicken to the state, and a world-class martial artist, among many others.
It’s a series that has special meaning to both men.
Liggins remembers a lot of racial tension growing up in the Salt Lake area. He wasn't only black, he wasn’t a member of the predominant Latter-day Saint religion, ether, so things weren’t very easy for him.
“We had a lot of skinheads that were in the Sugar House area,” he remembers. “It was terrible. I can't even sugarcoat it. But the good thing about it was that I was able to realize that within all of that there were a lot of good people that were around me.”
Throughout his life, he said, things have just gotten better. He feels Utah has become more diverse, more welcoming and more accepting of different cultures. This series would highlight that. It would also give him and Gerald a chance to be featured as well.
Both Liggins and Gerald have spent their professional lives as actors in Utah. Even though plenty of major studios film in Utah, that doesn’t necessarily mean these men get casting calls.
“They don't really hire the local actors for more than day-player roles,” Gerald said
While there are local production companies, most focus on stories of Latter-day Saints, which often means there aren’t many roles for black men and women. And with the theater scene not as large as other major cities, it’s difficult to find roles, let alone lead ones.
“We'll never get those opportunities unless we create them for ourselves, at this point,” Gerald said.
A few years ago, Liggins had a friend with an idea for a documentary about black life in Utah. As they were seeking financers for the project, an unexpected company reached out: Goldman Sachs. That’s when Liggins learned interesting information.
“A lot of the companies out here have issues with recruiting people of color,” Liggins said. “It's not just a matter of the complaints within the company, but it's also a numbers thing, so it affects the bottom line because other branches of the same company in different cities have better numbers when they have more of a diverse staff.”
The documentary never got off the ground, but about a year ago, James Jackson III, the founder of the Utah African American Chamber of Commerce, asked Liggins to resurrect the idea.
“Danor and I came up with a different concept which was having it be more entertaining, and having it be about highlighting these cultures but also having just a fun, entertaining show with African Americans in Utah — which in and of itself is a unique thing,” Liggins said.
Right now, the series is still in development as the two await funding. The pair is working with the Economic Development Corporation of Utah and still talking to businesses as well. They are hopeful more people will back the project to help the black community.
Because while there could be a positive economic impact for the state by showing a more diverse population, Gerald and Liggins see a big cultural effect as well.
“Think about how many people in Utah who maybe live in Kanab or some other part of the state, who really have no idea how diverse Utah is themselves,” Gerald said. “They can benefit from seeing positive impressions of black business people, black entertainers, black entrepreneurs, and in hearing and seeing what people are doing inside of the state.”
