Classification vs. Stereotyping

Dating back to elementary school, second grade if we were advanced, we learned one major thing in our science classes during the life science unit. We learned how to classify objects, things, animals, people. It was at this time that we truly learned the difference between reptiles, amphibians, mammals, birds, and fish. We learned the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates. We learned how to group animals according to the similarities and differences in their appearance, their behavior, even down to what they ate. We were so proud of ourselves in that we could look at a picture, and identify to which group, that animal belonged. Gold star for us!

Our parents even took this lesson outside of the classroom doors. There are strangers and non-strangers, and we don’t talk to the strangers. And as we grew older, we continued to classify. Healthy vs. non-healthy. Smart vs. dumb. Pretty vs. ugly. We gave everyone and everything a label, a group to belong, to which it was fairly difficult to switch up, or pass on to the other side. But then our classification seemed to be taken to another level, where it was helpful to identify groups of people as having the same characteristic. For instance, you see a shifty-eyed, gold mouthed, baggy pants wearing, teenager walking towards you..What do you do? Well, if you’re like me you become extra aware of your surroundings, you may even pull your purse in a little tighter, and you may avoid eye contact at all costs. I guess what I’m saying is, we all “classify,” and much of the time, we do it for safety reasons. We do not have time to size up each shifty-eyed person we see individually, so we put those individuals into one group…the “let me avoid them” group.

This whole idea of classificiation vs. stereotyping came to me the other day while I was reading an online forum about an event that was being held in Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s called Screen on the Green, and it happens every Thursday in June. It’s been going on for years, and I have attended one myself. No problems, no drama, no issues. But this year, there were some shootings at the event. The forum was basically attributing all of the issues that happened at the park to black teenagers, and saying that stuff like this often happens when black teenagers are around. Now, why’d you have to go and pull out the race card son!?!? So of course, people started commenting on how it was not okay to group people like that, and so forth. But at the end of the day…..

I mean, the reality of the situation is…whenever we hear about violence, or someone breaking into someone else’s house, or theft, more than likely, it’s a black person. And whether we as black people are ready to admit it or not, that is the truth. Not to say that all black people are into illegal activity, because I certainly know many educated, law abiding black citizens, but if there is a situation where there is some illegal, potentially violent behavior, especially in a city with a lot of black folks, the person will often be black. Let’s just be honest. If we hear about a sniper or someone going to their job and shooting people, more often than not, we assume that it is a white person. Whenever we hear about a robbery or a murder, we assume it’s a black person. And though our assumptions seem stereotypical, there is some truth to them. Before making such a claim, of course, I researched the Office of Juvenile and Delinquency Prevention and the Sentencing Project. Blacks led the country in incarceration rates, violent crimes, and property crimes.

So just as we have been taught to classify based on common behavior patterns, communication styles, and appearances, those classifications also go our views of people. It’s unfortunate but we all do it on a daily. All I can say is that we should try to keep as much of our humanness, gentleness, and innocence as we possibly can in our everyday interactions with others. What do you think the difference is between classification and stereotyping? Is there a difference? And when does engaging in classification or stereotyping become harmful?