See people as individuals and understand their lives to root out dehumanizing racism

These past few weeks have been filled with a broad range of emotions as the nation, and the world, have taken a harder look at racism, prejudice and lack of concern for human life. Those emotions range from anger, fear and outrage through frustration and bitterness, to bewilderment and helplessness. Hopefully, at some point, there will be some serious introspection.

Am I a racist? Are you? A good and hard question to ask ourselves.

A friend of mine recently posted a thoughtful essay on the human instinct to classify — everything. We classify things as animal, vegetable or mineral. We classify animals as mammals or fish, birds or reptiles, depending on certain characteristics.

We classify our high school sports teams based on school population, our sporting activities based on difficulty, and cookbooks even classify cookie recipes based on difficulty!

Is it surprising, then, that we do the same thing with people? We classify them by appearance, speech, facial expression, where we are, and experiences with other people who seem like them. Fair? Maybe not. Reasonable? Yes, especially where safety may be an issue.

My friend points out that we categorize people because it gives us an idea how to begin our interactions with them. We don’t talk to a child who has just fallen the same way we would an adult who just tripped and fell on an uneven sidewalk. We use different approaches with beginning students than with more advanced ones.

Unfortunately, a consequence of this innate tendency to categorize leads to the serious racial and social issues we face today — when we fail to take the next step to find out more about the person.

When people are categorized into a group, whether by skin color or social or economic status, it makes it easier to attribute negative attributes to the entire group. Our observation of what we deem inappropriate behavior by any member of that group reinforces a stereotype and builds prejudice.

Overcoming the societal issues that divide us requires that we look beyond the categorizations we instinctively make. We need to look at each other differently. We need to see others as individuals. We need to look at each other as Christ would have us do.

Two years ago, the leaders of the NAACP and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints met for a simple conversation. That meeting sparked ideas about working together to help minority families. Building on a common bond as followers of Jesus Christ provided a foundation for friendship and appreciation of different perspectives and experience.

Both organizations have learned lessons from the past and, more importantly, have been willing to listen and learn from one another, building an ongoing relationship. A joint statement issued June 8 declares that “the answers to racism, prejudice, discrimination and hate will not come from government or law enforcement alone. Solutions will come as we open our hearts to those whose lives are different than our own ... and as we see each other as the brothers and sisters we are — for we are children of a loving God.”

The solution the church and the NAACP offer is that taught by Jesus Christ. “To love God first, and then to love our neighbors as ourselves.” They also affirmed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s statement that “hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.”

In a message on social media expressing sorrow and concern over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and the escalating violence and unrest amid protests, Russell M. Nelson, president of the LDS Church, said:

“The Creator of us all calls on each of us to abandon attitudes of prejudice against any group of God’s children. Any of us who has prejudice toward another race needs to repent!

“Let us be clear. We are brothers and sisters, each of us the child of a loving Father in Heaven. His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ invites all to come unto Him — ‘black and white, bond and free, male and female,’ (2 Nephi 26:33) It behooves each of us to do whatever we can in our spheres of influence to preserve the dignity and respect every son and daughter of God deserves.”

What can we do? We need to love others. We need to seek greater understanding of each other. We need to learn more about racism and Black history. And above all, we need to listen — not defensively, but with open hearts and minds.

I urge you to read Rise Kevalshar Collins’ commentary that was published June 14 in the Statesman. Read it with an open mind as she describes her life and the events she has witnessed. Try to feel her frustration and understand her pain. If you don’t recognize the names or events she describes, look them up. If you remember them, try to see and feel them from her perspective.

Finally, read the June 16 piece by Charlene Taylor, also in the Statesman. Be outraged at the behavior of some Idahoans and try to make this community better. We have to start somewhere, and she offers specific ways for fighting racism and supporting our Black neighbors.