We are faced with racism from young on.
For me, it began in my child’s room with the colors of my barbies and dolls, which were all white. Later on, we often used to play the game “Who is afraid of the black man?”, our “skin color pencil” was only light pink, we sang racist songs[1], ate “N-word kisses” and thought it was entirely normal. Until we grew up and realized how racism tiptoed throughout our entire childhood.
When a young child first brings up the differences between skin tones, it's relatively easy to talk about. The issue of racism is understandably more difficult to explain. I am sure that only a few parents consider themselves or their children to be racist, since they do not intentionally treat people of different ethnic groups badly or think badly of them.
Nowadays, we see that there are improvements in terms of selling black dolls and having black people portrayed in children's books and movies, but it is still not enough. It is not going to be enough if there are still people getting choked to death because of their skin color. It is not going to be enough if black football players are being reduced to their skin color and it is not going to be enough when people are gathered calmly in a bar and shot to death because of their heritage. Even in times of a war in the Ukraine, there are people being rejected to flee from the country yet again just because of their skin color.
“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” - Audre Lorde
[1] For instance the song “All children learn to read, even native Americans and Chinese”
For me, it began in my child’s room with the colors of my barbies and dolls, which were all white. Later on, we often used to play the game “Who is afraid of the black man?”, our “skin color pencil” was only light pink, we sang racist songs[1], ate “N-word kisses” and thought it was entirely normal. Until we grew up and realized how racism tiptoed throughout our entire childhood.
When a young child first brings up the differences between skin tones, it's relatively easy to talk about. The issue of racism is understandably more difficult to explain. I am sure that only a few parents consider themselves or their children to be racist, since they do not intentionally treat people of different ethnic groups badly or think badly of them.
Nowadays, we see that there are improvements in terms of selling black dolls and having black people portrayed in children's books and movies, but it is still not enough. It is not going to be enough if there are still people getting choked to death because of their skin color. It is not going to be enough if black football players are being reduced to their skin color and it is not going to be enough when people are gathered calmly in a bar and shot to death because of their heritage. Even in times of a war in the Ukraine, there are people being rejected to flee from the country yet again just because of their skin color.
“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” - Audre Lorde
[1] For instance the song “All children learn to read, even native Americans and Chinese”
NIKOL DONTSCHEW
Nikol is a German volunteer involved in the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
