There are tricks that hide colors from the box. And we almost never notice.
Thanks for sharing. You're not the only one.
Six tricks
- The «nice» nickname: you call someone «China boy», «Blackie» or «Curly», without asking if they like it.
- The one «skin color»: you think the pink pencil is the only skin color.
- The one who laughs at hair: you make fun of curly hair, or touch it without asking.
- The joke: you laugh at jokes about someone's color.
- The «you can't»: you tell someone they can't be the princess or the hero because of their color.
- The one who repeats: you say things about color that you heard from someone, without thinking if they're true.
Hides colors or fills the box?
Calling a classmate by their name.
Answer
🖍️ Fills the box. That's how you fill the box!
Calling a boy «China boy» without asking him.
Answer
🙈 Hides colors. It's the «nice» nickname trick.
Drawing your friends with their real colors.
Answer
🖍️ Fills the box. Everyone looks like themselves.
Touching someone's hair without asking and saying «it looks like a sponge!».
Answer
🙈 Hides colors. It's the trick of laughing at hair.
Saying «a princess can be any color».
Answer
🖍️ Fills the box. Everyone gets to play!
Laughing at a joke about someone's color.
Answer
🙈 Hides colors. It's the joke trick.
Ana comes to school with her hair down, curly and big. A girl touches it without asking.
—It looks like a sponge! —she says. Some kids laugh.
Ana ties her hair up fast.
Lía sits next to her.
—I like your hair. Will you show me how you do it?
Ana smiles and lets her hair down again.
What trick did the girl who laughed use?
Guess the trick
The adult acts out a trick and the child guesses which one it is. Then switch.
If you see a trick today, in you or in someone at home, say it kindly: «That trick hides colors!».
What trick have you seen at your school?
Why do we have different colors?
Finish and go to lesson 3 →Nobody says «I'm racist». We say «it's affectionate», «it's just a meme» or «you're pretty for a dark girl».
Thanks for sharing. You're not the only one.
Eight disguises
- The «it's affectionate». «Blackie», «China boy», «Curly». No bad intentions, but you never asked.
- The «bad hair». You talk about curly hair as something that needs straightening or hiding.
- The filter. You lighten your skin in photos, or tell someone they «look better lighter».
- The «I don't see color». You say you don't see differences. And you don't see it when someone suffers because of theirs either.
- The meme. You laugh, send the sticker, forward it. «It's just a meme.»
- The «it doesn't happen here». «There's no racism in this country.» And you deny what others live every day.
- The compliment that's an insult. «You're pretty for a dark girl.» «But where are you really from?», to someone born here.
- The look. When something goes missing in class, everyone looks at the same classmate.
All eight put someone lower because of their skin, their hair or their features. Even if nobody says it out loud.
Racism in disguise or not?
I've called my friend «Blackie» since we were little and never asked him.
Answer
In disguise. Maybe he doesn't like it and never told you.
I asked my friend if she likes being called «Brownie», and she said yes.
Answer
It isn't. You asked, and she decided.
«You speak English so well for someone from there.»
Answer
In disguise. It sounds like praise, but it says the opposite would be normal.
«My classmate has dark skin and curly hair.»
Answer
It isn't. Describing isn't putting anyone lower.
I used a filter that lightens my skin because I look better that way.
Answer
In disguise. The filter says lighter is better.
«Where's your family from? I'm curious.»
Answer
It depends. If you're really interested, no. If it's to tell them they're not from here, yes.
Talking about color isn't racism. What hurts is using it to put someone lower.
A phone goes missing in Dani's class. Someone says: «Check Kevin». Kevin is the only Black kid in the class. Everyone looks at him. He doesn't say anything.
Ten minutes later, the phone turns up in its owner's backpack. It had fallen inside.
Nobody apologizes to Kevin.
The look. Nobody said a word about his color. But everyone looked at him.
Your two disguises
1 · Mark the two you use most.
2 · A real moment for each, and what you could do instead. «I call Martín “China boy”» becomes «I ask him what he likes to be called».
Before sending a meme or sticker about someone's color, ask yourself: «Would I send it if that person were in the chat?».
Which disguise was hardest to recognize?
Why is it so deep-rooted?
Finish and go to lesson 3 →Nobody says «I treat you worse because of your color».
We say «it's affectionate», «it's just a joke», «they look more presentable» or «you speak so well».
Racism almost never sounds like racism. It wears a disguise.
Thanks for sharing. You're not the only one.
Eight disguises
These are the most common. Almost all of us use two or three.
- The «it's affectionate». You call people by their color or features, with a smile: «my little Blackie», «China girl», «the Indian». You don't mean anything bad, but you never asked if they like it.
- The «bad hair». You talk about curly hair as if it were a problem that needs to be «tamed», «fixed» or straightened.
- The «improve the race». You celebrate the lighter baby, feel sorry about the darker one, advise «stay out of the sun».
- The «I don't see color». You say you don't see differences. And you don't see it when someone suffers because of theirs either.
- The joke. You tell or laugh at jokes about someone's color, eyes or accent.
- The «it doesn't happen here». «There's no racism in this country, that's somewhere else.» And you deny what others live every day.
- The compliment that's an insult. «You speak so well for someone from there», «you're pretty for a dark girl», «you don't look Indigenous». It sounds like praise, but it says the opposite would be normal.
- The look. You follow someone with your eyes in a store, clutch your bag, cross the street. You don't say anything, but the other person feels it.
What they have in common
None of them feels like racism. They feel like affection, caution, humor or advice.
But all eight say the same thing, without saying it: that some skin, some hair or some features are worth less than others.
Racism in disguise or not?
Calling a coworker «Blackie» when he never said he liked it.
Answer
Racism in disguise. You name him by his color, and you didn't ask.
«I love your curly hair. How do you take care of it?»
Answer
It isn't. You celebrate it as it is.
«You speak so well for someone from there.»
Answer
Racism in disguise. It says you expected them to speak badly.
«Where's your family from?», with real interest.
Answer
It depends. If you're asking to get to know them, it's fine. If you always ask the same people, as if saying «you're not from here», it hurts.
«Stay out of the sun, you'll get darker.»
Answer
Racism in disguise. It says being darker is something bad.
«I'm dark-skinned and I love my color.»
Answer
It isn't. Speaking about your own color with pride is the opposite of racism.
Following someone around the store because they «look suspicious».
Answer
Racism in disguise. You treat them as a suspect because of how they look.
Choosing pencils in many skin tones for school.
Answer
It isn't. Everyone can draw themselves as they are.
Talking about color isn't racism. What hurts is using it to put someone lower.
Mara is in a store with Lía. A boy of about 15 walks in, with brown skin and jet-black hair. Mara clutches her bag without realizing. The security guard starts walking behind the boy, two steps back.
The boy notices. He turns red. He looks quickly along the shelf, grabs a card and goes to the register.
—It's for my mom —he tells the cashier—. It's her birthday.
Lía looks at her mom.
—Why was the man following him?
Mara doesn't know what to say. She had looked at him too.
Nobody said an ugly word. But that boy left the store feeling like a thief for buying his mom a card. That's the disguise of the look.
Your two disguises
Step 1 · Choose. Of the eight disguises, mark the two you use most.
Step 2 · A real moment for each. What did you say or do? With whom?
Step 3 · What could you do instead? For example: «I call my coworker “Blackie”» becomes «I ask him what he likes to be called». «I tell my daughter to stay out of the sun so she won't get darker» becomes «I tell her to wear sunscreen to take care of her skin».
Step 4 · See the difference. What changes for the other person?
Notice one single time when someone, you or anyone, talks about another person's color. Was it to get to know them, or to put them lower?
Which disguise was hardest to recognize? Who did you learn it from?
If nobody wants to be racist, why is it so deep-rooted?
In the next lesson you'll see where it comes from: what science says about «races», why it's learned so early and why «not seeing color» doesn't help.
Finish and go to lesson 3 →Lesson 2 of 10.
Great start.
To take with youIf you see a trick today, in you or in someone at home, say it kindly: «That trick hides colors!».
To take with youBefore sending a meme or sticker about someone's color, ask yourself: «Would I send it if that person were in the chat?».
To take with youNotice one single time when someone, you or anyone, talks about another person's color. Was it to get to know them, or to put them lower?
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