Choco Lanii: The Brown Police

Growing up, we all have those few childhood memories that everyone can relate too. Back in my day (90's baby!!), we would block off a passage way and demand the person wanting to pass to know the password. Now this password we were demanding was something we were coming up with as the person answered so it was rare that anyone truly guessed what it was. I over heard my 4 year old niece Alanii playing this very game with my daughter. Her magic word is brown and if you don't say it or look it, she's not budging! Kassydi and Alanii are best friends. When they're in the same vicinity, you won't see one without the other. Let Lanii tell it, Kassydi and a few other babies are the exception to her brown rule.

I'm not sure where this new habit came from, but lately Alanii has been very inquisitive about the color of skin. If you've seen my family, you know we come in literally all shades ; from the deepest of melanin to the lightest. Alanii, like her mom is a pretty chocolate color and has developed a preference for that very color in everyone around her. She even thought that being close to a person of a different shade would change the color of her skin (talk about an imagination!). This is very alarming because majority of the people around her are of a lighter pigment. I was taught that children don't see color and that racism is a learned behavior, but like most of the factual information in America; there is a silver lining. When children realize that they're different than everyone else around them, they become inquisitive. Instead of sweeping it under the rug and allowing them to draw their own conclusions, it's our job to educate them and answer those questions to avoid problems of racism and discrimination when they grow up . I’m sure my niece is not the first and won’t be the last baby who doesn’t understand that humans come in all shades. Anytime we hear/see Lanii ready to display her badge of honor (The Brown Police Badge), we patiently redirect her. Her mom pulls her to the side and explains to her that we are all equal.

So , how do we put a stop to Choco Lanii: The Brown Police? Here are a few pointers!

1. Books! - There are a lot of kid books explaining the different pigmentation of human beings.

2. Answer! - When a child asks you a question regarding their skin, DON'T BRUSH THEM OFF . Take the time to explain that we all come in different shades .

3. Act! - If you hear/witness a kid being misguided , don't be afraid to speak up. Our future is in their hands .

4. Understand! - Don't automatically assume that the child know's what he/she is saying or asking. Understand that they are new to this world and it is our job to groom them .

5. Repeat! - So you have to keep telling them the same thing over and over; that's human nature to learn by repetition . Its more important to repeat yourself so the child understands rather than you become frustrated and they are left ignorant.

NEWS FLASH! Racism starts out like any other subject for our babies. It starts at home and if it's not addressed and taught properly it produces a lot of what we see in today's society; ignorance.