Kids Say The Darndest Things

Our characteristics are what make us unique.

Happy, sad.

Short, tall.

Loud, quiet.

Young, old.

Black, white. 

The final one in reference to the color of our skin.

Yesterday at our end of year celebration there oodles of kids… A ratio likely of 4 kids to one adult.  Obviously I was in heaven with babies galore to snuggle and kids to play games and run around with.

I did not expect to have the following conversation with a 12-year old boy, whose mom is one of the counselors at Meeting Point.

Boy: “Tara!  Good afternoon.  Do you remember me?”

Me: “Good afternoon to you also.  You look familiar but remind me again how we know each other.”

Boy: “I am Winnie’s son, Daniel.”

Me: “Oh right.  How are you?  I am happy you are here.”

Boy: “I am fine.  You know what?  Your skin is nice.”

Me: “Uh.  Thank you but you know, my skin has many flaws… Freckles, moles, sometimes even pimples.  Plus it changes colors in the sun!”

Boy: “Yeah but it is white, which means you are the best.  Black is not a nice color.”

Me: Initially speechless I was able to come up with, “No, don’t you say that.  Black is beautiful.  Every color is beautiful.  Skin color is just one of the many of the differences of people around the world but it makes us unique and different.  We wouldn’t want a world of all the same people would we?”

Boy: “I guess you are right.  Can we go take a soda?”

Me: “Sure.”

This conversation had me dumbstruck of this young boy’s thoughts.  For him to think that his skin color is not associated with anything positive broke me heart. 

Many foreigners come to Uganda for a myriad reasons, from volunteering and trekking gorillas to adopting orphans and snapping shots of wild animals on safaris.  Thus, many of the Host Country Nationals associate foreigners with having money.  And of course in their eyes, money brings one happiness. 

Could this be one of Daniels foundations for thinking that white is better black? 

I hope not.

What I do hope is that he took my words seriously and that as he grows he recognizes his beauty in a world that unfortunately portrays that some are better than others.