jon wrote:I suspect the prevalence of female speakers at a local level is due to the ratio of active males and females. In my experience wards contain more adult females than adult males, so speaking assignments reflect that ratio.
Actually, they don't. Men in certain local leadership callings that aren't available to women (bishoprics, stake presidencies, etc.) get periodic opportunities to speak, so men still speak at the local level more than women do. I'd estimate that the ratios are no better than 60/40 male-female.
jon wrote:When was the last Black General Conference speaker?
Probably Joseph W. Sitati in October 2009. He is currently the only black member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, and members of the Seventy are invited to speak once every 4-5 years.
Simon Belmont wrote:I take issue with this. Do you have a reference?
http://LDS.org/general-conference/conferences?lang=eng