A Republican mayor in Utah is catching heat for turning the state's traditional Pioneer Day into a celebration of African refugees, dubbing them the modern-day equivalents of the Mormon settlers who founded the Beehive State. Provo Mayor Marsha Judkins posted an Instagram message this week praising African migrants who have resettled in Utah's fourth-largest city. Pioneer Day traditionally honors the Mormon pioneers led by Brigham Young who settled Utah in the 1800s. This is a total rejection and re-write of what Pioneer Day even is. — NormieUtah (@NormieUtah) July 25, 2026