Race/Related: How Old Were You When You First Encountered Racism?

"I always tell people a dog taught me about racism." View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Saturday, November 17, 2018 [More Race/Related »]( [Lauretta Charlton] Lauretta Charlton Good morning, The granddaughter of a Ku Klux Klan member. A former lawyer turned professional stand-up comedian who also happens to be an Indian-American Muslim born and raised in Chicago. A black expat in Japan. A woman of Chinese descent who travels back and forth between a white, liberal enclave in Massachusetts and an African-American spiritual community. A man born and raised in Canada as a Roman Catholic but who is often mistaken for a Hindu or a Muslim. All from different walks of life. All people who subscribe to [Race/Related](. This week we sent an email to New York Times subscribers requesting ideas for the newsletter. I received hundreds of letters, and, of course, some hate mail. After reading them — yes, all of them — I’m struck by the diversity of our nation and the diversity of the tales shared by all of you. There was Jay Fenton of Pennsylvania, who is white and who met his black college girlfriend in 1971. Mr. Fenton wrote that he was “walking on air” when she agreed to go out with him. “Then the bad things started happening to us,” he wrote. His letter ended there. A number of you who are in the scientific community pointed out — rightly — that race is a cultural phenomenon and warned that discussions of race as a physical reality can be dangerous. I read many confessional tales of heartache, confusion, grief and anger. Some of you gave me the impression that you have never shared your thoughts on race and racism before because you don’t want to get it wrong, seem out of touch or make matters worse. I share the same fear. There is no panacea for America’s racial inequities, but the one thing every letter suggested to me is the need for more voices and more perspectives. One standout letter came from Louise Kiernan Jones of Florida, who said she would like to read more stories that explore how people develop their racist beliefs. In her case, it had to do with her grandfather and his dog Whitey. “He used to tell me that dogs hate black people. He would show me how Whitey would get aggressive when he saw a black person,” she wrote. We lived in a city and I used to see black people walking their dogs, who definitely did not appear to hate them. I began to pay attention to how my grandfather and uncles talked about black people, using derogatory terms, claiming they were dirty. I was very young, but soon realized the dog didn’t hate black people, but instead picked up my grandfather’s hostility toward them. I always tell people a dog taught me about racism.  Do you have a similar story about encountering racist beliefs as a child? Write to us at racerelated@nytimes.com. I’ll go first. “Birds of a feather flock together.” This was an aphorism that was repeated to me as a child. The lesson was clear: Black people should stay with black people. White people should stay with white people. For me, that’s a classic, seemingly innocuous example of a racist belief. I look forward to your examples. Lastly, this week on the desk we talked about the latest [F.B.I. report on hate crimes]( in America, which are up for the third consecutive year. (Nearly three out of five hate crimes in 2017 were motivated by race and ethnicity.) Also, as you’ll see in this [story]( from my colleague Adeel, there was a frightening image of out of Baraboo, Wis., featuring more than 60 students giving what appears to be a Nazi salute. An investigation is underway. Have a great weekend. Lauretta Editor, Race/Related ADVERTISEMENT Editor’s Picks We publish many articles that touch on race. Here are a few you shouldn’t miss. [Where Latino Roots and High School Football Merge for Glory]( By JERÉ LONGMAN In Coatesville, Pa., a struggling steel town, Coach Matt Ortega and his son Ricky have led the team to a 12-0 record. Their success is both extraordinary and reflective of more Latino participation in the sport. [Meet the Native American Woman Who Beat the Sponsor of North Dakota’s ID Law]( By MAGGIE ASTOR On an otherwise bleak night for North Dakota Democrats, a Native American woman unseated the architect of the very law tribes had feared would disenfranchise them. [The Master Quilters of Gee’s Bend, Ala.]( By MARIS CURRAN A close-knit group of rural African-American women have perfected a distinctive art. [Kroger Shooting Suspect Is Charged With Hate Crimes in Killings of 2 Black People]( By NIRAJ CHOKSHI After failing to gain entry to a predominantly black church, the man shot and killed two black people at a Kroger in Kentucky, the authorities say. [Black Security Guard Responding to Shooting Is Killed by Police]( By KAREN ZRAICK AND JULIA JACOBS The guard, Jemel Roberson, 26, wanted to become an officer himself. The police “saw a black man with a gun, and basically killed him,” a witness said. [A Rediscovered African-American Female Composer Gets a Publisher]( By MICHAEL COOPER The music of Florence Price, who reached a milestone in 1933 but spent decades in obscurity, will be published by G. Schirmer. Invite your friends. Conversations about race are hard, but you can help! Invite someone to subscribe to the [Race/Related]( newsletter. Or email your thoughts and suggestions to racerelated@nytimes.com. Want more Race/Related? 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