The Brown-Skinned Boy

We were on the way to the zoo today, when Troy looked at me and said, “Dada, I’m turning white.”

I said, “Well, you are white. What else did you expect?”

“I don’t want to be white,” he replied.

“Okay, what color did you want to be?”

“I want to be brown.”

I shrugged. “Sorry, bud. You’re as white as they come. Brown is not in the cards.”

I’m not sure what prompted this, or really what he meant. Maybe it’s because he has Black and Latina teachers. Or maybe it’s because he has several Indian classmates. Whatever the reason, I’m not sure if he believes that being brown is better or what. But we need to work with him to accept himself as he is and see himself as the beautiful creature that God made him...pale and pasty...just like his parents.