LDS Church leaders Thomas Monson, Gordon B. Hinckley, and Boyd K. Packer established the Genesis Group with Ruffin Bridgeforth, Eugene Orr, and Darius Gray on June 8, 1971 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Participation decreased in part because it added additional time commitments to already demanding LDS church membership.
In 1985, Marva Collins started a "Genesis II" group in Oakland, California, and published a newsletter focused on news about Black Mormons until 1988.
[2] The Genesis Group was reorganized in 1996, based on a perception that African Americans still had unique issues and could benefit from a chance to affiliate with one another.
Leaders of the group include Darius Gray (1997–2003), Don Harwell (2003–2018), and Davis Stovall (2018-present).