As a matter of fact, he had no clue what I was thinking, and I was relieved. He was only four years old at the time and at that age he only knew how to describe what another little boy or girl looked like by what they were wearing, hair color or hair length. Also, at that age he didn’t really know that he was “black” until my wife and I had to explain it to him one day; a conversation prompted by a comment he made about the color of his skin. He went to school with mostly white kids and noticed his skin color didn’t look like theirs. He told us that he wished that he were lighter, because he wanted to be like his friends. It was a teachable moment for both of us. A conversation that I was glad to have. But even after we tried to explain the differences between him and his classmates, he still had a hard time comprehending what “black” meant. To him “black” was the color of a Crayola Crayon he used for coloring, which looked nothing like the color of his skin. We had to interchange brown for black, which helped him to understand better. However, at four years old, he still didn’t fully comprehend the dynamics of race and what that exactly meant. That interaction taught me a few things. First, kids say the darndest things! Second, it’s important not to jump to conclusions with children without digging deeper. And third, kids don’t see color as anything more than a crayon until they learn about race through us. Sadly, they learn about racism through us as well.
There’s no doubt I was inspired to write this article due to what’s happening right now in America. Also, while it’s Black History Month, February is also considered the month of Love. I’m disheartened, frustrated, angered and just straight up pissed off from what I see, read and hear daily from people throughout our great nation. Apparently, racism, sexism, discrimination, bigotry and good old hatred are back in fashion.