Does the Church Believe Black Lives Matter?
The Church has a problem—it's racist. And so are its members.
No, I don't mean David Duke racist or Donald Trump racist, though I'm sure the Church has its fair share of each of those types. I am talking about the Church and its members being racist in the sense that they too often fail to be antiracist. And it may be that this subtle form of racism is the most harmful racism of all.
The importance of antiracism has been underscored this year in the light of the unjustified murders of many innocent, and usually unarmed, Black civilians. According to one #SayTheirNames list, there have been 30 unjustified killings of black people in 2020 alone. The first of these tragic events this year was on January 5th, when police killed 18-year-old Miciah Lee in Sparks, NV, as he struggled with suicidal thoughts. The names of many others have been prominent in the headlines throughout the year, including William Green, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Rayshard Brooks. Most recently, at the time of this writing was the October 3rd killing of Jonathan Price, who was killed by a police officer after Price intervened to help a woman in a domestic violence situation. At this year's current rate, at least 2 more killings will have happened by the time this article goes to press [1].
There's plenty of evidence that we have a systemic problem in the United States. There are alarming racial disparities at every level of the criminal justice system. The sad fact is that if the people I listed above had not been killed, they would have had higher chances of being arrested, charged with a crime, convicted, and given severe sentences than if they had been White [2]. These criminal justice inequities, along with the racial wealth and wage gaps, health disparities, and other structural barriers all feed into and reinforce one another to paint a picture of the future that is significantly bleaker for Black people than for White people. Systemic inequities are much more damaging to Black people than individual racist actions, which is why antiracist advocacy to improve the system can be even more important than not being racist.
So why have the LDS, Provo, and Utah communities not been more willing to respond to these issues and condemn the horrific volume of unjustified killings of Black people and other inequities associated with race? Though I have been encouraged by those who have spoken out on social media or taken to the streets in protest, I have been genuinely shocked by the number of people who not only stay silent about the injustices happening in our communities but decide instead to speak out against the movement for racial equity.
I have heard countless retorts of “All Lives Matter”, theories about the true motives of the Black Lives Matter movement, and criticisms of protest tactics. A recent Tweet featuring screenshots of the Zoom chat in a BYU philosophy class confirms how common these types of responses are. One student in the class commented, “I don't think police brutality is racially motivated. I don't think any problem in the country is because of race” [3]. This comment is a perfect example of how simply not being racist is often not enough. By living in an illusion of a colorblind society, we often ignore or excuse injustices that should never be acceptable. Some people go beyond apathy and actively campaign against those struggling for justice. The group Utah Citizens’ Alarm was formed earlier this summer to intimidate Black Lives Matter protesters by showing up to protests with firearms and combat gear. Just one month after being created, the group had over 15,000 members and had sent counter-protesters to multiple demonstrations across the state of Utah [4] (before getting kicked off of Facebook for promoting violence [5]).
Having lived in the LDS and Provo communities for many years, I believe that the concerns mentioned above are often sincere, though they are frequently used disingenuously by ideological strategists. But there are simple ways to address each concern to ensure that these injustices get the attention they deserve. As Dr. Waldo Johnson, Jr. from the University of Chicago said, "'Black lives matter' is about focus, not exclusion. It reminds us to recognize and confront racism and racial violence” [6]. Focusing on racial injustices against a historically marginalized community by no means diminishes the importance of any other group; instead, it simply seeks to call attention to the way some people are disproportionately affected in ways that White people will never have to face. This movement is ideologically diverse, with individuals united in their desire to create a more just society for Black Americans. Any attempts to paint it as a radical ideological movement should be recognized for the scare tactics that they are. Lastly, I can accept that many will feel the need to reject non-peaceful methods of protest. But surely those should not receive more condemnation than the murders of dozens of human beings? Something is deeply wrong when we can more easily stand against the minority of rioters and looters than stand with the majority of peaceful protesters demonstrating for the importance of a fellow human’s life.
Unfortunately, the Church has remained vague enough to let people feel justified in supporting policies that are complacent with the status quo and sometimes even complicit in a harmful system. I’m confident that if Christ had been born two millennia later, he would be marching for even the “least of these [our] brethren” [7] and leaving the 99 sheep in the wilderness to go after the one that is lost [8]. The recent talks in the latest General Conference, particularly President Nelson’s, are steps in the right direction, condemning racism in no uncertain terms [9]. But the talks were also more forceful in condemning division and anger than in helping members understand how to truly make a difference for our Black brothers and sisters.
The Church as an institution—and we as Church and community members—need to do better. The Church can start by issuing a public apology for things in its past that have been harmful to Black people, including prominent Church leaders who held slaves, the Priesthood Ban, and associated teachings that helped to justify the Ban. Church leaders should also be more specific about promoting ways to be not only not racist, but antiracist. If the Church can ask its members to vote on something as trivial as legalizing marijuana [10], surely it can urge them to vote for policies that will protect Black Lives, such as demilitarization of the police and ending racial profiling and stop-and-frisk [11]. The fact that at least 85% of U.S. Church members are white [12] and many have conservative attitudes towards race only highlights the need for explicit institutional guidance and support as members become antiracists.
As individuals, we also have a responsibility to become antiracists. The first step is to educate ourselves about systemic racism, implicit bias, and privilege in America. Once we have done this, we can start to become allies to our Black friends and family in our daily lives by speaking out against inappropriate behavior whenever we observe it, being willing to listen and learn from our BIPOC friends, and helping our White family and friends to learn how to be better. Most importantly, we should use our understanding of systemic racism to advocate and vote for policies that eliminate and make reparation for the historical inequities that our society has created. Only when we make individual and collective commitments to antiracism can we fulfill the duties we have as community members and as Christians and demonstrate to our Black communities that their lives really do matter, too.