Love Your Neighbor as Your Flesh

Best Illustration of Skin

When I was in tech school at Port Hueneme (why-knee-me), California, I made a good friend, Airman Finley. We called him Fin. He invited me to hang with his family one weekend and his elementary school teacher mom had the best illustration of skin I've ever heard.

Mrs. Finley is Caucasian

She would go up in front of her class with a piece of printer paper. She'd hold the paper up and say what color is this? The kids would say white. Then she'd put the paper next to her skin and ask, what color am I? The kids would say tan. Then she'd take a black piece of paper and ask, what color is this? They'd say black. Then she would take an African American kid and hold the paper next to him and say, what color is he?

Boom

She ends the illustration by telling all the kids to put their hands together and asks them what color are we all shades of? They look. It clicks. Every time.

Conclusion

Stop being weird with others. There's no us and them. We're all brown. Just different shades.

Practical Suggestions

• Try the printer paper illustration today

• Get lunch with another shade

#FamilyWednesday