By Janelle Poore
As graduation approaches, Renee Miller is particularly nostalgic and reminiscent of her experiences at Brigham Young University.
Miller, 21, came to BYU four years ago like many freshmen, excited about the friends and experiences awaiting her.
But Miller admits her experience has turned out differently from what she expected. Originally from Brooklyn, N.Y., Miller is one of 180 black students at the university and says she has felt more than once the lingering effects of discrimination and societal ignorance against minorities.
“As if I didn”t know that I was different from everybody else, everybody else felt it necessary to point out to me that I was different,” Miller said.
Miller said people would avoid or even fear her because of the color of her skin. Miller began attending Genesis, a support group organized under the direction of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to help ease the burden Miller has felt since moving to Utah.
“Genesis was important to me freshman year and is important to me now because it is where I feel I am judged on the content of my character rather than the color of my skin,” Miller said.
Organized 33 years ago, Genesis is a group to better meet the needs and support black members of the LDS Church. Meeting once a month, Genesis has primary, youth, singles and relief society auxiliaries that meet regularly for activities.
“We”re a support group,” said Genesis President Don Harwell. “We”ve been basically a fireside group that meets on the first Sunday of every month. We have firesides, speakers, or programs, predominately based around African-Americans.”
Genesis, which means “the beginning,” was literally the beginning of any kind of supplemental support for black members of the church facing difficulties as a result of joining the church.
“When Genesis was organized, there were a lot of African-Americans joining the church and dropping out almost as fast as they joined,” Harwell said. “This was the beginning of support for African-Americans in the LDS church. Previous to this there was zero support.”
For John Kwarm, 21, from Alexandria, Va., majoring in political science, Genesis is an opportunity for people to come together celebrating their differences and helping each other get through life.
“It”s not easy to live in Provo,” Kwarm said. “I guess it”s not easy to live anywhere where you don”t feel like you are the typical person.
“Going to Genesis, especially during those hard times, just reminds you that there are people that really don”t care that you”re different and that there are other people that are different too, and that”s really nice,” Kwarm said
Kwarm said he always feels welcome at Genesis. He said everyone does their part in welcoming others and, he is especially encouraged by the firesides to put his faith in the gospel to action.
While Genesis serves to strengthen members of the LDS church spiritually, Tamu Smith, a resident of Provo, says it has also helped her to build relationships and share experiences with others.
Smith said Genesis has given her the opportunity to share with her husband and nine children a part of her childhood. Smith said her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins lived within walking distance, and she does not separate extended family from immediate family.
“I have come from a very strong, close-knit family,” Smith said. “I come from a family where I know that there is an extended family, but because we were all so close, I don”t understand the concept of having an extended family.
“I just look at Genesis, to me, as being that extended family,” Smith said. “I used to tell my kids all the time, ”Genesis is like a family reunion every month.””
While Genesis functions as a traditional ward in many ways, it is not a substitute for ward activities.
“We receive the same benefits that any other branch or ward would receive from the church,” Smith said. “However, Genesis meets on an as-need basis, and obviously there is someone that believes that there is still a need for Genesis or else we would not be meeting anymore.”
Genesis is unique in that it integrates culture into gospel principles.
“At Genesis, a lot of times we will sing songs from the hymn book, but we”ll also sing old Negro spirituals,” Miller said. “It helps me to see that even if people don”t have the fullness of the gospel, they still have spirituality and the Lord in their lives. It helps you to see culture through gospel eyes.”
Miller said she attends Genesis not only because it strengthens her testimony, but also because she literally sees scriptural promises come to pass.
“I go knowing that not only my testimony will be strengthened, but I will be able to learn more about my own culture and other people”s culture,” Miller said. “I understand that my story started a really long time ago and will continue for years to come, and I think it”s a lot clearer for me at Genesis.”
Miller and Smith said they are often approached with out-of-the-ordinary and sometimes offensive questions or situations because they are black. Miller said when she attends Genesis, she is reassured that there are other people experiencing the same kinds of situations she deals with on a daily basis.
Smith described her experiences and opportunity to talk with others like Miller at Genesis as her “power dose for the month,” and in many ways, it helps her to more fully serve and educate others in her home ward.
“To me, Genesis is the one place, once a month, that I can go and I don”t have to try to fit in,” Smith said. “I don”t have to be nice just because I don”t want someone to get the wrong impression of the type of person I am or the type of group I come from. I can just be who I am and be free in that.”
