So I'm white AF, and grew up in an overwhelmingly white area of the US, but I have an anecdote about the first time that I realized color was an issue beyond just physical appearance.
In kindergarten I only had one of those 8-color crayola packs as part of my school supplies because my parents were cheap. I loved to draw, and since I had no "peach" or "tan" or whatever crayon, I drew all my people with black or brown because, hey, as a 5 year old I knew that people can be those colors too.
A few weeks into the school year, the teacher pulled me aside during one activity and asked why I only drew black people. I gave her my straightforward explanation but she kept staring at me like I was full of shit and in trouble. I still don't have any idea what she was thinking, but after that I knew that different skin tones made some adults act super weird.
Thanks for sharing your stories so far, other posters.
In kindergarten I only had one of those 8-color crayola packs as part of my school supplies because my parents were cheap. I loved to draw, and since I had no "peach" or "tan" or whatever crayon, I drew all my people with black or brown because, hey, as a 5 year old I knew that people can be those colors too.
A few weeks into the school year, the teacher pulled me aside during one activity and asked why I only drew black people. I gave her my straightforward explanation but she kept staring at me like I was full of shit and in trouble. I still don't have any idea what she was thinking, but after that I knew that different skin tones made some adults act super weird.
Thanks for sharing your stories so far, other posters.