Skin Color and Children
by Many parents do not discuss skin color with their children because they want their children to be color blind where race is concerned. But children are not color blind.
Many white parents do not discuss skin color with their children for the simple reason they do not want their children to differentiate people by skin color, but is this sending the wrong message? Birgitte Vittrup carried out a scientific study at The Children’s Research Lab at the University of Texas. Young Caucasian children were divided into three groups. One group was given multicultural videos for a week, such as Sesame Street characters visiting an African American home. it wasn’t expected that attitudes would change by watching these tapes. Other research had shown that such messages as, “We’re all friends.”is too vague for young children to comprehend that it refers to skin color.
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A second group got the same videos with instruction for parents to also discuss interracial friendships with the children. A checklist of points to make were included The third group was given the check points to make but no videos. These parents were told to discuss racial equality every night for five nights. But something strange happened. Several of the families in the third group dropped out of the study. It was found that none of these parents had ever talked to their children about race. They didn’t want their children to see color. Parents wanted the children to be color blind and felt not talking about it was the best way to avoid any prejudice.
But in the third group it was soon discovered the children weren’t color blind at all. When asked how many blacks were mean, they answered, “some” or “a lot”. Every child answered the question this way, regardless of the school the child attended. When asked, “Do your parents like black people?” fourteen percent said “No, my parents don’t like black people.” 38 percent said, “I don’t know.”
Practically all the children in all three groups came out the same but after studying the diaries kept by the parents, Vittrup understood why. The dairies showed the parents had barely mentioned race. They were afraid they would say the wrong thing. Only six families in the study had actually talked about race and these children improved their attitudes. It seems to prove that if parents talk about race openly instead of remaining silent there would be better interaction between the races.
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Post Commentlillyrose
On September 27, 2009 at 3:58 am
An excellent article Ruby, very interesting and some of it quite shocking!
ken bultman
On September 27, 2009 at 4:21 am
I grew up in an all-white county so the situation you describe never arose. I suspect leaving kids to their own devices will suffice.
chitragopi
On September 27, 2009 at 4:44 am
There is nothing wrong in talkin about race. True
deep blue
On September 27, 2009 at 4:53 am
One significant thing about race when associated with sports is that the dark color races fast and well. Usain Bolt is well adapted to his skin pigmentation as he race through the track.
Christine Ramsay
On September 27, 2009 at 5:40 am
Nowadays in this country there are often as many black children as white children in a class so they all grow up together understanding one another’s cultures. A very good article, Ruby.
Christine
Melody SJAL
On September 27, 2009 at 6:31 am
Very interesting topic and nicely presented. I guess, it is because the children of parents who don\’t discuss this topic openly find it awkward to deal with it outside.
Nikita K
On September 27, 2009 at 9:01 am
I think you make a valid point in terms of should colour be discussed with children. I don’t blame a lot of parents for discussing race because in todays world where major cities are predominantly multi cultural, a lot of the parents feel that the child will learn themselves. I grew up in a multi cultural neighbourhood as a child and I was never told about race and skin colour etc. But as a child, you see everyone with the same eyes. Everyone is your friend. You don’t differentiate because someone is Asian or African or whatever it might be when you are child. It’s only when you really start learning the concept of race and multicultural backgrounds that you start differentiating. A lot of people expect their kids to find it out for themselves which they do – I did! But it’s up to them if they want to use it to promote healthy interracial relationships or make it negative. A very very informatively written yet thought provoking article.
martinpm
On September 27, 2009 at 9:09 am
great article!!! racism is very disturbing, there should be an awareness.
martie
On September 27, 2009 at 9:16 am
Great article Ruby. My children were adopted and happened to be black. You can bet that race got discussed a lot in our home.
PR Mace
On September 27, 2009 at 9:46 am
Racism is a subject many will not discuss or write about, well done, Ruby. I grew up in Alabama with parents from the 60’s. I never fully understood their values and opinions. Our children grew up with Craig and I and we moved every 3 to 4 years as a military family and we often lived on base. To them everyone was the same and opinions were based on what kind of person someone was not the color of their skin.
TweetyBird
On September 27, 2009 at 10:30 am
In my opinion, there is nothing different between a white person and a black person. We are all humans. Not to be rude or anything…but people racist to black people be mean to them…but they do not wrong to them. They hurt black people physically or mentally and they find nothing wrong with it, yet they eat eggs that come out of a chicken’s butt…”Oh no! Nothing is wrong with that. Its just coming out of a rear end of a animal. Yet, its okay to still be racist towards black people.” Well, in my opinion..that’s just wrong that some people think that way.
Jennifer Marre
On September 27, 2009 at 10:41 am
great article! Maybe if more patents were open about the subject of race, there would be less racism.
Snooky
On September 27, 2009 at 10:54 am
gOOD FOR YOU TO EVEN APPROACH THIS SUBJECT. THAT IS THE ALL AROUND PROBLEM WITH CHILDREN OR ADULTS. iF IT IS NOT AN INTRINSIC PROBLEM, THERE SHOULD BE NO DIFFICULTY DISCUSSING IT WITH CHILDREN OR ANYONE ELSE. aND IF WE ARE IN THE HABIT OF HAVING OPEN DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR CHILDREN ABOUT LIFE IN GENERAL THE TOPIC OF SKIN COLOR BECOMES A MUTE POINT–IT’S ALL OF PART OF LIFE.
Lostash
On September 27, 2009 at 11:47 am
Very interesting. I can sort of see why some parents did not duscuss this issue; they probably didn’t believe the material they were given to discuss! I live in a very cosmopolitan area and I just don’t think about colour, gender or any other stereotype and I think this gift will be passed down to the next generation. It’s the OLDER generation (in my opinion and I’m over 40!) that have the issues today……and their opinions are set in stone. The only thing that worries me about race-related issues is loss of national identity due to political correctness.
Anne Lyken Garner
On September 27, 2009 at 12:03 pm
I’m mixed race and so are my kids. We have to talk about it in our home. Today my son asked me if he is Portuguese or Irish. I said he was part Portuguese because I was also. He was born in Ireland so that makes him Irish. He became upset that he could speak neither Portuguese nor Irish.
Kids don’t fully understand, naturally, but as parents, it’s our duty to inform them about these things. He can’t grow up thinking that he’s white even if he looks white, because others don’t see him that way. On the flip side, he can’t grow up claiming to be black because he isn’t.
We don’t subscribe to the idea that if you have one drop of black blood you’re ‘tainted’ so that makes you black. We want our kids to have a healthy view of what true equality is. I don’t want people to force my kids into boxes. They are who they are.
Great article.
Angie0000023
On September 27, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Very good article (: .. i enjoy it very much.
I never thought about it but you are right!
LoveDoctor
On September 27, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Great and informative article.
Leonardo da Vinci E.
On September 27, 2009 at 2:45 pm
And when we have conquered the issues about racism then we can move on to gaycism, and when we conquer the issues about gaycism (by then an alien race from outter space will have discovered us) then we can conquer alienism. ism, ism,ism’s.
Jo Oliver
On September 27, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Very interesting study. I agree pretending race differences do not exist only creates turmoil. We are all humans and on an equal playing field, but fact is different races have different customs etc… that should be recognized and understood by all.
Ruby Hawk
On September 27, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Thank you my dear friends, I must say I never discussed race with my children, not in any great detail and they had great friends of other races. We have African American, Indian and Spanish married into our extended family. I have a half Spanish granddaughter. One of my sisters has half Indian grandchildren and a sister and a brother have grandchildren who are half African American. We have cousins married to African Americans. We are a mixed up bunch of people and glad of it.
Judy Sheldon
On September 27, 2009 at 8:38 pm
As a family we embrace differences. I feel sorry for racist because they are missing out on relationships with some of the most fantastic people in this world.
I had never seen a black person as a child. My first encounter was when I enlisted in the army as a teen. When we went into town some of my black friends were not allowed to eat in some of the restaurants or use the facilities. I would get upset with my whit counterparts.
My parents had not mentioned blacks but we grew up listening to Mahalia Jackson’s singing when we went to sleep at night.
mystery61
On September 27, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Very good article. I must admit, I never really thought about it.
mo hoyal
On September 27, 2009 at 11:41 pm
My sister and I adopted our mother’s neighbor as our Mama Jackson-she was a wonderful “black” person. How I hate that we have to categorize in colors. Anyway, we called her the Mama and our mother was “Not the Mama.”
Once when I was walking along with Mama Jackson, I asked her to put my arm next to my arm and asked her what she saw. She just didn’t know what to say for an answer and I told her, “It’s just old skin, Mama Jackson.” We had a good laugh. Now that she has gone, we still miss her very much. Racist-screw those who are!
Nice, nice article Ruby!
I wrote one called, “Black And White And The Cows Don’t Care”, maybe you can find it, but don’t let Leonardo Evans know where it is-he is picking my pieces to pieces!
Mo
DustinTheToucan
On September 28, 2009 at 12:26 am
Woh, I had no clue about this, but I still find it sad if some ones still even a little racist in these days. I understand everyone can be a bit quick to judge but there\’s no reason to generalize people.
Uma Shankari
On September 28, 2009 at 12:35 am
I have a granddaughter aged just three-and-a-half years, born and brought up in Canada. She has started going to school, and naturally, she notices things. She told my son-in-law one day, “Daddy, why is your tummy so big?” Poor son-in-law, he was shamed into going to gym every day, and now he has trimmed down quite a bit. Suddenly, she asked my son-in-law a couple of days back, “Daddy, why are your legs brown? They are not white?” We all had a laugh; and my son-in-law said, “that’s how it will be. Your grandpa’s legs are brown, no? That’s why!”
Thewoodlandelf
On September 28, 2009 at 1:17 am
Interesting article. I was one of those colorblind kids, however. I didn’t know a couple of my friends were “black” until they taught us that in fourth grade. I’m sure subconsciously I knew their skin was darker than mine, but I never realized there was a difference until school pointed it out. I think kids notice that skin might be lighter or darker, but they don’t learn to categorize people by skin until adults show them how. I think if adults stop categorizing people, kids will too.
logo1000
On September 28, 2009 at 2:31 am
Great article but the way i see it in years to come i do not think this will continue to be and issue with the future generation just the old generation who is phasing out because it is still forever changing whit the future generation and so on will look like you will not be able to tell and they won’t be able to say what their race is they will have to put on their job application OTHER !
Josey
On September 28, 2009 at 5:41 am
Great job, Ruby! I have told my oldest son, who is 7, that we are peach-not white, when he asked me what our skin color was. I don’t feel he labels people. We live in a very diverse area and if I ask him what someone looks like he’ll sometimes say brown or tan. He doesn’t call people black or white, but he’s aware that we are all different.
Madison Parker
On September 28, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Very Interesting story.
CA Johnson
On September 28, 2009 at 7:52 pm
This was a very good subject for your to write about Ruby! I think more parents should talk about race in their families. I think it would make it easier for kids to accept people of other races if they know about them at home. I am African American and I live in a neighborhood with other African Americans and Hispanics so it wasn’t hard for me to embrace other nationalities. I also have first cousins who are bi-racial.
CRYSTAL EVANS
On September 29, 2009 at 8:04 am
great article ruby. i am from jamaica..where from a small age children realise especially lighter skinn children that they r special because they r asianic or brown skin. teachers pay more attention to brown skin children at kindergarten school and most girls are always aspiring to have a relationhsip with a brown skin man, white man or an indian so that there babies with a lighter complexion and less kinky negro hair. in highschool the brown skin girls are always the hottest girls and the boys r the h=cutest and most popular folks in school. where i am from children are not colour blind becuz from the baby born and the baby has light skin, he or she will be treated differently by family, teachers and society. why do you think so many jamaican women are bleaching their skins.
Joshua Miguel
On September 30, 2009 at 10:29 pm
i think discrimination will never stop as long as there are discriminative parents. actions speak louder than words.
RS Wing
On October 3, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Very interesting article although I’m not sure which side of the fence I’m on. I believe social conditioning plays a huge role regarding racial issues and children shouldn’t be poisoned by the “old” belief system of years ago. Very interesting study though. Will we ever get beyond this Racial Stereo-typing Social train wreck? Nice piece Ruby!
S A JOHNSON
On October 4, 2009 at 1:44 am
While reading this I wasn’t very surprised. When we take care of children (as in the role of a guardian) I take care in teaching them what I know about different cultures (or we learn together) and races. I think it’s important, not so that they see “color” but so that they are more aware of the differences and so that they can be more respectful to other people’s “ways” of life, without stereotyping…If people are not taught then they may offend others without meaning to. you know?
CutestPrincess
On October 24, 2009 at 7:24 am
a very good topic here. for additional: A recent study says that skin tone affects earnings in the U.S. The darker the skin is, the higher the chance to get paid less than the counterparts with lighter skin do. The study looks at legal immigrants to the U.S. from around the world.
Several other findings from the study:
-/ Being one shade lighter has about the same effect as having an additional year of education.
-/ Taller immigrants earn more than shorter ones, with an extra inch of height associated with a 1 percent increase in income.
-/ Skin tone still seemed to make a difference in earnings, although other factors that could affect wages (e.g. English-language proficiency, education, occupation, race or country of origin) are taken into consideration.
Tulan
On April 18, 2010 at 6:08 pm
This is interesting content and something parents should think about.
rikhav
On January 19, 2011 at 1:42 am
A good interesting blog that you have shared.
Thanks and enjoyed reading your blog.
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