Racism? Umm No, not on my watch!

So, I painted at this kids event last week, and there was a lot of mixed races... i have these kids in line and I Overhear these kids say "Eww don't touch me, ur dirty" I didn't bother to look back, thinking it was candy or food stains in their hands... Again "Eww ur gonna stain me" Then I hear a little girl say "No! Im clean! look" Then I thought Oh! girl cooties! Again, "Eww! Ur so ugly, go to the back of the line, ur dirty and black!" Oh no! I felt my blood boiling! I turn around and the little girl is looking at her hands with a frown! That broke my heart! & its those kind of situations where I think weather or not i was going to get in trouble for speaking up! So I approach the two little boys in a calm! voice... and I explained to them that what they did was wrong, that every one is equally perfect in their own way, that they have to be nice to everyone, even if they are brown, black, white, yellow, orange and so on.... these kids were 5 & 7!!!!! At the end of the party I approached the father of the kids and explained what had happened, he was very astonished! and said he will have a talk with the kids.

Im glad I spoke out, I wouldn't want my kids to be discriminated in any way

Wow.

Good for you for not only educating the kids and standing up for the poor child, but for also bringing it to the parent's attention.

Oh my gosh! I've experienced adults being racists but never have I heard a child be so blatantly racist... I wonder where they picked that up from??

There are more than sixty different nationalities in my town. We have people from the five continents coming to this zone. Only in my son's classroom there are kids from eight different countries: Spain, UK, France, Norway, Rumania, Pakistan, Peru and Ecuador. I work at the Inmigration Office and I'm so proud of how people are welcome and how my son grows between tolerance and multiculturalism. If I sometimes have heard a racist comment it has come from an adult. So you can imagine my amazement when, at a festival to celebrate THE INTERNATIONAL DAY, and after I painted a lovely little boy from the Dominican Republic, the next boy in line asked me with disgust: You're not going to paint me with the same brush that you used on him, are you?". I first thought he was afraid that the brush was still stained with paint and I told him "I have cleaned it twice, with water and alcohol, no stains on it". But he insisted: "But I don't wanna be painted with a brush that has touched his UGLY BLACK FACE!" And then he asked his father "She shouldn't do it, should she?" At this point my jaw was somewhere on the floor and my legs were trembling. I breathe deeply and said (looking at the boy): "I wish every single kid who sits in that chair gets a wonderful design and feels special and happy for a while. That boy got his special moment and I'm glad he couldn't hear your ugly words, now you can get your design PAINTED WITH THE SAME TOOLS THAT I USE WITH HIM if you before apologize for your words" . He looked at his dad and he lifted the child up and took him from there. Everybody in line started to clap but I felt really "distressed" the rest of the morning

OMG, Pilareta! That is unbelievable! The fact that the dad took him away tells you everything about where the kid got it.

I've seen a lot of kids be thoughtlessly mean, but racism is a whole different game. I'd bet that almost every case is "contagious", most likely from the parents or other family members.

Way to go, Tuli and Pilar!

Tuli and Pilareta, there aren't many people who would stand up and do what you two both did, but it's people like you who help to change the world...one little bit at a time

tinyfairies6768 wrote:Tuli and Pilareta, there aren't many people who would stand up and do what you two both did, but it's people like you who help to change the world...one little bit at a time

I'm not sure about the 'not many people' part... I hope that's not true, but I hear you, it takes courage to face a bully.
But I wholeheartedly agree they help change the world!

Wow Pilareta! My mom Or dad will slap me upside down for even thinking of a racist comment. Im more saddened by the dads action than the Kids.

unreal... my kids go to an extremely culturally diverse school. The principle says that her staff is "every colour of the rainbow" and I love it. I haven't heard that kind of stuff before... even from my dad (and he uses every racial slur in the book, makes my sisters and I cringe every time). Both of you handled that far more diplomatically than I think I might have :S

WOW! I would've taken the lst little girl to the front of the line so she wouldn't have be be subjected to such unpleasantness and shamed the rotters to the very end.

The little boys I would've said, "Nope, I won't" and passed over him to the next child!

You both handled it much more diplomatically.

yeah... Ok boys, I'll make sure she isn't anywhere near you... you come sit right here in my big chair, princess

Wow! You both handled the situations w/ firm dignity & grace

I go to a very divers, multi-cultural/racial church & love it. My kids best friends are so diverse & I'm proud of them for it. We have many multi-racial marriages in the pastoral staff & race holds no factor in who & where you serve. I went on a missions trip to Zimbabwe in 2008 & my awesome African American friend was our missions leader. I loved the reaction of the local church when they saw how all us "White Chicks" served our team leader & how she served us. It created a healing in their church & helped join them into more equality. God broke down so many racial walls there from what we did.
There's no room for racism & hate in this world & I want it to be a better place for my kids!

Wow. You both did a fabulous job. I admire your courage. Just grateful I've never had to face that kind of racism.

D.

well done...

The worst of the situation (may be what I remember as the most frustrating) is that the boy was obvioysly trying to find his father's agreement... And he got it. I mean, my sons are always trying to please me and they say what they know I like listening, if you understand what I mean... And I knew that lil boy was just saying every single word to please his father. So sad . Thank God the lil dominican boy was already far from there and happy with his flaming soccerball but I still remember my shaking legs and hands that morning.

I love painting kids with darker skins, means i use some of my rarer colours lol. But we do get a bit of that attitude sometimes around here. Its really stupid but I am living in somewhere considered to be one of the most racist cities in Australia. So yeah I suppose it is to be expected

Tilly - Formerly Punky wrote: Oh my gosh! I've experienced adults being racists but never have I heard a child be so blatantly racist... I wonder where they picked that up from??

scientific aside
Though kids can pick up attitudes from their parents, biologically speaking humans tend towards forming groups and thinking their group is better. The physcial differences in appearance(such as skin colour) are easily definable groups, thus kids start forming attachments to what is familiar in apperance to themselves and an get accompanying sense of superiority of that group. Thats why you need to tell kids that though other 'races'( hate the term) look a bit different they should not be treated or treat them differently.
There are lots of studies that show this and unfortunately my sister ( doing a psycology degree) was doing a uni assignment and I heard alllllllllll about it.... several times over( she had me proofreading the thing). Still it is interesting no?

I don't think something like that is gonna happen to me, I am black and Spanish, so a racist kid will never want to be painted by me.

Well, what about the reverse situation? I mean, a black boy who doesn't want to be painted with the tools you used with a "white" boy... Weird, I know. Never heard it happened but...

Pilareta wrote:Well, what about the reverse situation? I mean, a black boy who doesn't want to be painted with the tools you used with a "white" boy... Weird, I know. Never heard it happened but...

I've never seen it while working in Portland, OR, but I grew up in very diverse Miami, FL where there was racism in every direction. I went to a primarily african-american and latino elementary school. Dominican kids hated the Cuban kids who hated the black kids who hated the Puerto Rican kids who hated the Mexican kids and on and on... it was a giant sea of ugliness propagated by their parents and reinforced with social and cultural pressures and income disparities.

Tuli and Pilareta, I'm so happy you stood up for yourselves and for others. Racism is horrifically prevalent across the globe, and we can only hope to make a dent, one individual at a time.

Julie,

Good for you!

I live in an area that hasn't been culturally diverse till lately. It is a tourism area so an adult may not openly display their racism because it would hurt business. As artist we see the beauty in everything but some people that are not don't look at the world with the same eyes. I feel sorry for those that let racism, homophobia, or class-ism limit their view because their like horses that never get out of the barn to run free in the pasture. That being said we always work in a bully free zone and anyone being bullied gets a pass to the front of the line.

Hillbillydiva - "anyone being bullied gets a pass to the front of the line" - I think that is terrific! Will def use that in the future - might even make a poster!

as much as I like it on principle, it's not really fair to the person currently at the front of the line... JMHO