Migrants and refugees from Africa are today’s great American “pioneers,” says Marsha Judkins, the liberal Republican mayor of Provo, Utah.
Judkins, who became mayor after winning a general election in 2025 by defeating an incumbent Republican, posted a message to Instagram celebrating some of the African refugees who have moved to Utah’s fourth-largest city.
But some critics are ripping Judkins for subverting the original purpose of Pioneer Day to push her liberal immigration agenda.
Pioneer Day was initially founded to celebrate the Mormons who first populated Utah in large numbers, including LDS leader Brigham Young. But Judkins has refashioned Pioneer Day and is insisting that African migrants are Utah’s new pioneers.
In a message to Instagram, Judkins wrote that Utahans celebrate the day to “recognize those who journeyed west in search of religious freedom and the opportunity to build a better future free from persecution.”
But then she added, “We also recognize members of our refugee community who embody that same pioneer spirit, leaving behind familiar homes to begin new lives in a place they had never seen before.”
Judkins included a video of several African refugees who have moved to Provo.
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Judkins’ note continued, reading, “As former Governor Gary Herbert recently wrote ‘Pioneer Day is our opportunity to say plainly what we know to be true: the men and women rebuilding their lives in our communities are modern-day pioneers.’”
“That’s why today, Mayor Marsha Judkins issued a mayoral proclamation recognizing the stories of modern-day pioneers who have found a home in Provo through the U.S. refugee program,” the message added.
“We encourage you to watch and learn from the experiences of refugees who now call Provo home and the enduring contributions they make every day, from strengthening local nonprofits to serving in the United States military,” the message concluded. “Their stories inspire all of us to continue fostering a welcoming community where people of every background and experience can experience the promise of Provo.”
But critics retorted that making Pioneer Day into a day to celebrate African migrants flooding into the city is a warping of the actual celebration.
One X user wrote that the video is “Disgraceful conduct by Marsha Judkins and Provo City. Talk about erasing history.”
Another called the mayor’s video a “humiliation ritual. ”
An X user also called the video “Suicidal empathy.”
Some commenters on Judkins’ Instagram posts also ripped the video.
One commenter was annoyed that Judkins is using a day meant to celebrate Mormon pioneers and turning it into a left-wing push for immigration; another noted that the actual definition of pioneer invalidates Judkins’ claim that Africans are pioneers.
Another Instagram comment scoffed at Judkins, writing, “I think Marsha is trying to virtue signal and become the Mamdani of Provo.”
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