Are mormons racist?

This was in response to an unflattering article written about the LDS stance, before 1978, on blacks and the priesthood. It makes some excellent points:

There probably just wasn't enough time for the author, Mr. Hutchinson to include every historical detail, so there are no hard feelings. However, I'd like to point out that one of the positions of Joseph Smith's Candidacy for President and one of the main reasons why the Missourians hated the Mormons was because of their pro-abolitionist stance. As a matter of fact, Joseph Smith predicted that civil war would break out over the matter. Given that he was murdered in 1844, this was no small feat to predict the civil war.

Though Mormons believe that there was a spiritual signifigance to his death and believe he was a Martyr because of his religious role sealing his testimony with his blood, secular history points to other reasons for his murder, including the threat to the Southern States that a successful presidential candidacy would seriously threaten Black Slavery in the South.

Further historical research also reveals that Black freemen did hold positions of responsibility in the early Mormon Church. After the martyrdom of early church leaders (others besides Joseph were also murdered) over their progressive view of human rights (they also were persecuted for befriending the Native Americans), is it a wonder that Mormons were forced into a more conservative position on Blacks holding the Priesthood?

However, these secular details are moot, because either there is a real priesthood, divine authority from God in the Mormon Church and only God can decide to whom that authority is bequeathed, or it's all a sham. Who cares if a false priesthood is given or withheld from a specific group of people? To be bothered by it, however is a form of admission that it's a real priesthood and the authority of God, but then you have to come full circle and leave it up to God upon whom to bestow that power and all the social pressure that can be combined shouldn't make one iota of difference if it's really God's priesthood and Him deciding to whom to bestow it until true revelation reveals a change.

The criticism is also moot because the condition described as racist no longer exists. The ongoing antagonism is a mystery indeed. Can't win for losing, so I'd suggest that Mormons and anyone with common sense just go one with their business and ignore the hate mongering comments of Mr. Sharpton and others.