"Mommy let’s make those paper cut-outs that all hold hands." Lola
gazed thoughtfully at her six year old daughter, Keisha. The toddlers in their
day home were napping so maybe it would work. "Please Mommy, “Sally begged
dancing around with clasped hands. "We haven't done it for a million
years."
"Well, no, we haven't," her mother remarked dryly
. "We
weren't around a million years ago, and neither was anyone else."
She went to the door of the fenced off yard where three or four children were playing on playground equipment.
After they all trouped in and were settled around small tables, she and her assistant showed them how identical cut-outs holding hands were made by folding the paper like an accordion. The ten year old made one also, but the younger ones were somewhat inexpert at it. After the leaders made an set of four for each child, they were given instructions to colour them which they eagerly did with varying results. Not a few looked more like they were scribbled, rather that colored in the traditional sense of the word, but the young artists seemed proud of the green face and purple arms, or similar decorations.
Lola proceeded to put them on the bulletin board, and the children gazed at them with great pride in their accomplishments. While the children were beaming with approval at their creations, Lola searched for a stick piece of plastic tinted a medium brown. She tacked in front of the first set of cut-outs dolls!
"No,no,no!" Judith exclaimed. "I don't want my dollies to have brown faces!"
"Why not?" Lola asked with pretended surprize. Judith shrugged her shoulders, and Lola turned to the next set of four.
"No way!" Kaden exclaimed. “I don't want black babies!"
"Why not?"
"Because we're white!"
"What difference does it make?" Lola asked. She lifted the plastic and put it back on several times. "See. They are just the same underneath."
Everyone was silent. More than one little person was biting their lower lip thoughtfully. "And see, they are all holding hands. They are all equal. It is not their colour that makes them different."
"It isn't how you coloured them that made them different, either," Lola's assistant added. "since they are all made out of paper."
Two or three children slowly nodded their heads.
"Make mine brown!" Keisha said. "Mommy always said we should get a black baby."
"No, make mine brown, no make mine brown!" the children shouted. And the adults had to teach them not to push and shove!
Lola and her assistant smiled at each other. Oh if it was only that easy to convince adults how similar humans are, regardless of colour, creed, wealth and education, talent etc!
"Well, no, we haven't," her mother remarked dryly
She went to the door of the fenced off yard where three or four children were playing on playground equipment.
"Judith, Kaden, and the rest of you. Come in now. We have an
interesting project ready to start.
After they all trouped in and were settled around small tables, she and her assistant showed them how identical cut-outs holding hands were made by folding the paper like an accordion. The ten year old made one also, but the younger ones were somewhat inexpert at it. After the leaders made an set of four for each child, they were given instructions to colour them which they eagerly did with varying results. Not a few looked more like they were scribbled, rather that colored in the traditional sense of the word, but the young artists seemed proud of the green face and purple arms, or similar decorations.
Lola proceeded to put them on the bulletin board, and the children gazed at them with great pride in their accomplishments. While the children were beaming with approval at their creations, Lola searched for a stick piece of plastic tinted a medium brown. She tacked in front of the first set of cut-outs dolls!
"No,no,no!" Judith exclaimed. "I don't want my dollies to have brown faces!"
"Why not?" Lola asked with pretended surprize. Judith shrugged her shoulders, and Lola turned to the next set of four.
"No way!" Kaden exclaimed. “I don't want black babies!"
"Why not?"
"Because we're white!"
"What difference does it make?" Lola asked. She lifted the plastic and put it back on several times. "See. They are just the same underneath."
Everyone was silent. More than one little person was biting their lower lip thoughtfully. "And see, they are all holding hands. They are all equal. It is not their colour that makes them different."
"It isn't how you coloured them that made them different, either," Lola's assistant added. "since they are all made out of paper."
Two or three children slowly nodded their heads.
"Make mine brown!" Keisha said. "Mommy always said we should get a black baby."
"No, make mine brown, no make mine brown!" the children shouted. And the adults had to teach them not to push and shove!
Lola and her assistant smiled at each other. Oh if it was only that easy to convince adults how similar humans are, regardless of colour, creed, wealth and education, talent etc!
Books by Marilyn Friesen can be founds at prairieviewpress.com
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